An Ode to India’s Greatest Test Victory: Part Deux

Sydney Stand-Off

Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) offered a flatter wicket. This meant that the team batting first would have an advantage of getting the best batting conditions and putting up a sizeable total to force the issue. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. Steve Smith (India’s perpetual nemesis with an average of 84.05 against India before the start of the series) had been kept quiet in the series so far courtesy Ashwin’s guile. He had faced criticism by the local media for going through a lean patch.

This was his home ground and he stamped his authority with a well-crafted century. While India kept chipping away at the wickets, Smudge offered no let up and was threatening with a daddy hundred before Jadeja cut his innings short with a superb run out. These are the things which have been missing in teams of the past, where they’d allow games to drift, rather let it slip away from hands. This was a series-turning moment as it brought India right back in the game, and consequently, the series.

With Rohit Sharma back in the team for the 3rd Test, after quarantine restrictions, the top order looked more reassuring although the rest of the side floundered in the first innings. The Aussies went about their business to post a formidable total with a tough ask of 407 to chase down.

2 significant events happened in the Indian 2^nd innings,

• Evolution of Rishabh Pant the match-winner, and
• Rear-guard action by Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari, showcasing the resilience of this side.

Almost singlehandedly, Pant took away the game from the Aussies and at one point it looked like India was looking for a win from a nigh impossible scenario. He got robbed off a well-deserved 100, but did have a huge impact on the game. Equally important was the contribution of Ashwin and Vihari both of whom played for almost 4 hours, gutsing it out, and in the process, saved the Test match.

See you at the Gabba

Among some of the sub-contexts of the series, was a significant moment when Paine while sledging Ashwin in Sydney, said, “See you at the Gabba.” This was far from a friendly invitation, rather a warning shot. History is testimony to the Aussie domination at the Gabba. They had not lost a Test match here since 1988.

(Fun fact: Most of the players in the Indian team were not even born the last time Australia lost at the Gabba)

Gabba is traditionally called the Gabbatoir (Gabba + Abattoir) because it is built for the opposition teams to be slaughtered. There is a lot more pace on offer in the wicket, batting is not as easy. In short, this was a Test which was meant for the hosts to win and any visiting team to surrender.

To add to this, our list of injuries was endless. All the fast bowlers from the First XI had been replaced by now. Siraj was leading the pack of inexperienced bowlers with T Natarajan (who was on stand-by post-ODIs) getting a maiden call-up and Shardul Thakur roped in as a replacement for the replacements!

Ace spinner Ashwin, who was also injured, was replaced by debutant Washington Sundar (also on stand-by post the ODIs). Jadeja, too, was injured and out of the series by this time. All-in-all, it was a much beleaguered Indian side and a proverbial David vs Goliath contest in the offing. The odds could never have been stacked any more against India!

The local boy Marnus Labuschagne who promised a lot throughout the tournament finally delivered with a well-made century and Aussies were on their way to score a formidable first innings total. What interested me most, in this passage of play, was that in the first innings, of the 10 Aussie wickets to fall, 9 were shared by Washy, Shardul and Nattu (3 apiece). This meant that all the new inductees were willing to raise their hands and be counted.

While India was struggling at 161-5 and could have easily folded out cheaply from thereon, 2 guys stood tall and again there was a rear-guard action. It was frustrating for the Aussies when both Shardul and Washy were not just blocking but playing proper cricketing shots. (That no-look six by Washy off Lyon would be one of the shots of the tournament!)

Bench Strength

In a way, we had 2 ready replacements for the all-rounder position, something we’ve been lacking and yearning for so long across any format. Now there were a bevy of all-rounders waiting to fill-in. In fact, now there’s a replacement for most of the spots in the entire team, of course the caliber may vary.

The fact that we wouldn’t have known about the potential of this team had the same team been playing the rest of the series should not be lost on anyone. The fact that the background behind player development includes mentorship of Rahul Dravid as well as early exposure to foreign conditions by having rigorous U-19, India A tours should also not be lost on anyone.

“It takes twenty years to become an overnight success” ~ Eddie Cantor

This sort of rear-guard action is unheard of in Indian Test cricket where, traditionally, the batsmen are picked to bat and the bowlers are picked to bowl and, in the process, players pigeonholed, roles compartmentalized and if any one department faltered we weren’t able to recover. Now this team was giving it their all to fight, survive and win.

Source: Tertius Pickard (AP)

Fort Gabba – Came, Saw, Conquered

Australia set us a daunting total of 328 to chase on a Gabba wicket where the highest successful 4^th innings chase, so far, had been 236 and that too by the home team. What happened on day 5 of the Brisbane Test will go down in the annals of cricketing history typifying and exemplifying the adage: Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.

The 5^th Day began with pretty much similar cloud hanging over head whether the Indian Team could survive the day or the Aussie pace attack will polish them off and consequently, the series. Out came Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to face the Aussies. The presence of Rohit brings about a sense of calm and assurance to both the dressing room and the non-striker; such is his aura even though he hasn’t played as many Test matches. But on this particular day, it was not to be. Rohit fell to Cummins, who had so far been the best bowler of the tournament, never mind the No.1 bowler in the world.

Gill though unfazed by what’s going on around him kept playing his strokes, some of them so fluidly timed that you’d wonder whether he’d been playing cricket in Australia for years on end. On the other end, was Mr. Dependable Che Pujara, who’d so far had a subdued tournament by his own standards. But on that day he kept holding one end up, kept playing with soft hands (to not nick the bowl to the slip cordon), kept taking blows on his body, repeatedly. The Aussies can be nasty when it comes down to their desperation for winning. That may have been one of his slowest 50s but definitely one which was needed by team the most.

(Fun Fact: Che Pujara was the Man of the Series in India’s series win Down Under in 2018-19)

Shubman Gill was mighty unlucky to fall for 91 and not get his maiden ton at the Gabba. But then he was playing with a game plan. In fact, the whole team was. Rahane came in to the crease to play an uncharacteristic knock where he tried to up the ante by taking on the Aussie bowlers, but fell in the pursuit. In walked Rishabh Pant.

Source: Getty Images

Legend of Rishabh Pant

Before the beginning of the tour, there were doubts whether Rishabh would find a place in the Indian team across any format with so many contenders. In T20s and ODIs, Pant had virtually lost his place for good as a bevy of wicket-keeper batsmen were queuing up for selection with impressive performances in the IPL and domestic tournaments. In the Tests too, Wriddhiman Saha was favored before Pant as the top keeper (keeping in line with traditional notion of ‘specialists’).

It was 36 all out that jolted India out of its earlier ‘comfort zone’ to bring back Pant in the side. Truth be told, he started off in the series in a manner which would’ve given his critics much ammo. He was constantly spilling chances of stumping, didn’t look very agile behind the stumps and was not even batting at his best. But as the series progressed, we witnessed the emergence of Pant not just the steady hands behind wickets but, more importantly, the Gilchrist-esque game changer.

The Sydney Test could have been lost if not for the heroics of Pant throwing the Aussie bowlers off their lines and lengths; it could have been won if his heroics had lasted a bit longer. At the Gabba, there was a sense of purpose about his innings. He assessed the conditions pretty quickly and then started taking calculated risks especially against Lyon. As his innings progressed, his shot-making started becoming more fluent and, all of a sudden, with Washy and Pant on the counter-offensive a historic victory was in sight.

Such is the enigma of this youngster that even though wickets kept falling on the other end, it never deterred him from taking his chances and pushing for a win. When he hit that yorker-length delivery past the mid-off fielder to the boundary ropes, it was a surreal feeling. A feeling shared not just by the players and the spectators on the ground but reverberated by a whole nation. A whole nation and many cricket lovers around the globe erupted in joy and jubilation. Words fall short to describe how overwhelming the moment was. Pant may have remained not out at 89, but this will count as one of his greatest counter-attacking innings, ever.

Source: Cricket Australia

Catharsis and Hope

This win at Gabba and consequently the series victory, in my books, is THE GREATEST VICTORY FOR INDIA. It was a cathartic experience, an emotional roller-coaster and one of the best triumphant feelings. Winning against Australia in Australia, two times in a row, is nigh impossible. India had done it and with a much depleted side, against all odds.

“Giving up is not in our vocabulary” ~ Ravi Shastri

Somewhere life mirrors cricket. This win gives us all hope. Hope that not always all is lost. Hope that a few setbacks should not deter us from the ultimate goal. Hope that we may hit back the hardest when our backs are turned against the wall. Hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope that we shall overcome.

An Ode to India’s Greatest Test Victory: Part Un

I wanted to pen down a write-up soon after the historic Test series victory Down Under when Fort Gabba was conquered by a beleaguered Indian Team (more on that in a while), but was far too swamped in the last few days. So this is coming a series too late. But never mind, as they say, ‘Der Aaye, Durust Aaye’.

Now that India is perched atop the ICC Test rankings and has qualified as one of the finalists (other one being New Zealand) for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) slated to be held at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton, England, let us a look back at the journey of this Test side. This write-up is focused on reliving the emotional and cathartic journey of India’s victory against Australia in Australia.

Cricket, as life in general, was put on the back-burner during the pandemic year and only began with a few bilateral series and the high-profile IPL played behind closed doors at the fag end of the year. Even then, IPL 2020 turned out to be one of the most engaging IPLs ever. This was indicative of the fact that the COVID-19 may dampen our spirits for a while but it may not keep us down forever. We shall overcome.

India Down Under

India’s Australian Tour began with 3 ODIs and T20s each. Cricket was now being played in front of capacity crowds. This was followed by the much awaited Test series.

Before we proceed, let us give some context to where we stand vis-à-vis Test cricket. Some may say, Test matches are on the decline with the advent of T20 cricket and the money riding along with it, while the purists may scoff at those “new age” cricket fans while proclaiming Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game, but from a pragmatist’s point-of-view, the introduction of World Test Championship has injected life back in Test cricket. No longer are teams playing for dull draws anymore; there’s always a push to get a result. No longer are some series like Ashes or India-Australia “marquee” or more important than other series in the larger context, with every Test match to play for in order to secure a place for the WTC Finals.

In that context, began the 4-match Test series with all to play for. There were a few sub-contexts too, such as the fact that India had defeated Australia previously at their backyard which was always a sore point for the Aussies who seldom like to lose and especially not in their home soil. Add to this, the fact that since their previous series loss to India, Australia hadn’t lost a series, home or abroad. Further, both Smith and Warner were back in the squad which meant that it was a reinforced Aussie side with arguably the best pace attack in the world, certainly menacing at home.

In these sub-contexts, began the series which would go on to be etched in the collective memories of cricket lovers around the globe, Indians in particular.  

36 All Done

(Source: ESPN Cricinfo)

Not all that glitters is gold. The 1st Test at Adelaide was a pink ball Test. It began with both sides at near-about ‘full strength’, but, in my view, we were carrying a few “passengers” in the team, and not playing at our optimum strength. Then again, the proof of pudding is in the eating. While India put up a decent first innings total, led by Kohli who was unfortunate to have missed out on a ton, it was pleasantly surprising to see India skittling out the Aussies under 200.

Point to ponder: First, over the years, our fast bowling has improved by leaps and bounds; second, even Ashwin, the lone spinner in the playing XI came good. If not for the valiant knock by Aussie skipper Tim Paine, the deficit would have been much more.

More importantly, Aussies looked like they were still nursing some of the wounds from the previous tour of India. That quickly turned around on Day 3 which started as a day where, ideally, India would have looked forward to press advantage but it all came to naught in the first hour or so when India found themselves tottering at 19-6 with Virat Kohli walking the long walk back to pavilion, in what would be his last in the series before flying back home for the birth of his child.

Soon the team was smoked out for 36 (36-9, in fact, with one retired hurt). This was the lowest total by an Indian Test side ever (thankfully not the lowest Test total ever, which is incidentally 26 by New Zealand). Nobody was even thinking of WTC at the moment; it looked like Indian cricket had hit a nadir. At that grim moment, I’d reckoned that these boys would either sink under the burden of their own weight or rise like a phoenix from the ashes. This was, poignantly, the ‘Ashes’ moment for India. In fact, Team Coach, Ravi Shastri, echoed the same when he proclaimed that this 36 all out would be a “defining moment” for Indian cricket.

(Fun Fact: Australia have never lost a Pink Ball Test.)

(Source: CricTracker.com)

Ajinkya Rahane’s Calm Leadership

As Virat left the side, there was a gaping hole, not just in the batting department but in the leadership and the overall morale of the side. Naturally, Rahane being his deputy was next in line to be the captain for the rest of the series. But this is the moment when Ajinkya Rahane stood up to be the leader that we never had. His leadership was exemplary in that he didn’t just bring the team together but also took the onus on himself to play a captain’s knock by scoring a defiant ton in the Melbourne Test.

This was also the time when injury woes had begun for the team. An IPL after months of no cricket and then a long winding Australian tour had meant that this was always in the offing. I remember when I saw the squad for Australia for the first time and noticed that both Bumrah and Shami are part of each format, I’d suspected that either one or both of them would be injured at some point during the series.

This is where Rahane’s leadership and the team management including Shastri’s role come into the equation. Few circumstantial decisions and few other conscious decisions paid India rich dividends in the course of the series – While inclusion of Siraj to replace the injured Shami was circumstantial, replacing the out-of-form Shaw with Gill, Saha with Pant and going back to the tried and tested 5-bowler strategy were going to turn the fortunes of this Indian team.

Also, Rahane’s role on-field was commendable as he created an atmosphere where players could come in and express themselves, by absorbing the pressure, calming their nerves early on, as one could see.

Winds of Change

The Melbourne Test was an early indicator of the potential this Indian team had. After 36 all out, all those changes brought in new blood. The leadership was different. But there was something else in the team. A new-found sense of purpose. It’s like a team had come together all of a sudden. All the injuries or forced replacements showcased the bench-strength of this side which had always been the Achilles heel for India especially on tours abroad.

If we can jog our memory back to the Pataudi Trophy (India–England series of 2011), once Zaheer Khan was injured, our bowling never recovered from there, with England piling on the misery Test after Test (Result 0-4). There was an air of inevitability about that Indian team. We were just hoping, in vain, that they don’t lose as badly match after match. Such thoughts would have definitely popped again after the first Test in Australia. That familiar feeling of giving up/in too easy, of going through the motions, waiting to get back to familiar conditions.

But there was something different about these Young Turks, this time. The bowling was relentless, the fielding was always on the money (even if few catches were spilled), the batting was resilient.

(Source: AFP via Getty Images)

Young Turks

Right from the start, Shubman Gill was a breath of fresh air, confident with his stroke-play, not over-awed by the occasion, handling pace and bounce with panache. Then there’s Rishabh Pant (more on him later) who’d go on to be the missing link in the Indian team as a wicketkeeper-batsman and a genuine match-winner.

Ravindra Jadeja, who was scoffed at by some too-clever-by-half ‘experts’ as a bits-and-pieces player not suited for the longer format, has turned out to be our most important cog for his nippy batting down the order, razor-sharp fielding and bowling those tight overs as well as picking wickets at regular intervals. Ravichandran Ashwin is undoubtedly an all-rounder in his own right as the best offie of our times and with Test match hundreds under his belt, but in my opinion, our best all-rounder at the moment is Jadeja.

Then comes the fast bowling; with Jasprit Bumrah in the side, this Indian attack looks menacing. Boom is a genuine all-format fast bowler with a knack for adjusting to the conditions and format pretty soon. While Ishant Sharma is a vastly improved bowler now and the most experienced fast bowler in India, the leader of the attack is without any doubt, Boom.

Siraj, too, was a revelation. From the Melbourne Test onwards, it was evident that we have a wicket-taking bowler who remained just as effective throughout the series and went on to have the highest tally of wickets for an Indian. More importantly, he is a quintessential team man and brings so much of spirit and fervor into the team.

(Fun Fact: India hasn’t lost a Test match in which Siraj has played till date.)

To be continued…

Few Pointers on Essay Writing

Things to keep in mind:

• As far as possible, select an issue-related topical essay (Eg, Democracy, Globalisation, Cooperative Federalism, Second Green Revolution, etc), something on which you have good command. The exam hall is no time or place to experiment.
• In case of a philosophical topic (Eg An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind; Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars, etc.) quickly give it the dimensions/boundaries so that you do not go astray and build on many points instead of deliberating only upon a few.
• Ensure Essay in Part A and Part B are not repetitive/overlapping in nature. For eg in Part A if you’re writing on Inter-State water dispute (federal issue), do not write on cooperative federalism in Part B or Women empowerment in Part A and Role of women in grass-roots democracy in Part B.
• Essay Paper 📝 has about 10-11 pages. Keep 1.5 pages for introduction and pre-body, 1.5 pages for conclusion and summary. Rest 7-8 pages are for the body of the essay.
• Do a rough draft beforehand. Keep about 15-20 min for that. 
• Jot down your line of thinking, points to include, value addition, quotations, references/citations, etc. Keep them handy for the body of the essay. 
• Prepare a structure for the essay (more on that later). The structure of the essay is very important and also a guiding tool to anchor your imagination. 
• Normally, it takes about an hour to write the essay. But keep 10 min more for exigencies.

Structure of the essay:

• Introduction: Beginning of an essay should be impactful! Start with either a DYK (did you know) startling fact or a set of question(s) or a relevant quote or a relatable anecdote (keep it brief). A hook 🪝 is needed before you anchor the ship.
• Body: About 7-8 pages for the body. Each page can have a maximum of 2-3 paras, each para (or 2 paras) should develop an aspect and possibly connect to the succeeding para. You should have at least 14-15 diverse points that you can deliberate upon in the essay. 
• You can build on many fronts: SPELT analysis (Social, Political,Economic/Environmental/Ethical, Legal, Tech, etc) Timeline analysis (Past, Present, Future), Zoom In/Out (Local, National, Global or vice versa), to name a few. But always stick to the topic of the essay and keep hitting home, even if you go astray at any point.
• Always present both sides of the argument (For/Against) even if the topic is loaded on one side and harmonise both the points of view to find an acceptable, workable and feasible way forward. Eg, Social media is an inherently selfish tool. 
• Write sub-headings so that the essay is better anchored and the examiner does not lose track or is bored mid-way. In case you already have a seamless flow of essay, then you may avoid it.
• Use of visual enhancers like boxes, flowcharts, diagrams etc may be used but restrictively. Essay is about the substance and not the fizz. 
• Views of scholars, eminent personalities and domain champions will enhance the essay. But do not litter your essay with others’ views, use it selectively and timely. Keep the content original. At the same time, use references from peer-reviewed and published reports, government data (accredited info).
• Conclusion: Try as far as possible to close all the fronts (never mind even if some are not). The impression should be that it is a convincing argument with well laid out points and summarised satisfactorily. There should be purpose and direction and possibly a way forward. Unhook it; closing it from where you’d begun would give it a closure.
• Give yourself those 2-3 minutes before you have fresh ideas for Part B. Generally, candidates exhaust themselves in the first essay. You have to give equal importance to both. 
• In essay, a decent handwriting and legible writing is paramount as this is what you’re offering to the examiner. 
• Also, keep in mind command over language is not an essential criterion but it always helps. Any deficiency in language can be made up with good content in the body of the essay. 
• Ideas, clarity in thought-process, flow of the essay, legibility and impact on the reader’s mind are the important criteria. 

All the best!

Depravity, Discourse and Justice

What happened in Hathras is shocking, gut-wrenching and unconscionable to the core. Rape in itself is a heinous and inhuman act, the perversity of the act that followed, which is physical assault including dismembering of body parts showcases to what depths humans, nay devil incarnates, can plumb to. Our collective humanity stands diminished today.

In that respect, there are two distinct strands of thought for us as a society and citizenry to ruminate upon – one where our focus should be and the other where our focus is. I’ll begin with the latter. Without pinpointing any individual here, collectively, as a society, our focus is misdirected; maybe inadvertently or perhaps wantonly. If it is inadvertent, it is high time we wake up and smell the coffee, otherwise we’re dealing with a much graver issue here.

Where our focus is

Our focus, looking at the discourse after each such incident is on 2 things:

1. Political blame-game
2. Intellectualizing the incident

First of all, rape incidents are somehow and inevitably politicized in this country. Be it Nirbhaya, Hyderabad, Unnao or Hathras, every incident is viewed from the prism of where it took place, under whose ‘regime’ or under whose jurisdiction. Whether this benefits the narrative of the left wing or the right wing? Whether political points can be scored or electoral gains achieved? What sort of sick mentality is this?  While that prism cannot be overlooked and is indeed necessary for demanding responsibility from the elected representatives, for checking the lapses in administration and law and order, it should not reduce to a political boxing match.

Secondly, it has to do with the intelligentsia.  Every such horrific incident is intellectualized and theories drawn around it. Remember, the pain of the victim or the family will not be ameliorated if you do a subaltern analysis, an analysis on the intersectionality of feminism and prove to them whether it’s a crime of perversion or a caste-related crime. Such debates remain the preserve of the privileged and do not change ground realities. Also, narrow and selective outrage doesn’t help anybody.

The focus, therefore, should not be on academic debates and drawing ‘conclusive’ and often reductive narratives but looking at solutions in a society where such incidents do take place and with such alarming recurrence. A solution- and data-driven analysis is needed, if you may.

Picture Credits: https://www.edexlive.com/opinion/2019/mar/02/should-justice-be-retributive-5428.html

Where our focus should be

Frankly, our focus should be on prevention of such heinous crimes from happening and where it does happen, ensuring swift, exemplary and definitive justice for the victim and to provide a closure to the bereaved families. The focal point or the centrality of any such argument is the Criminal Justice System (CJS) which includes the intersection of 4 sub-systems – 

• Legislation (Parliament)
• Enforcement (Police)
• Adjudication (Courts)
• Correction (Prison/Remand Centers)

Let’s take a look at all the components beginning with the legislation. Generally, the law has lagged behind and the government of the day has duly faced criticism. Nirbhaya case was a watershed moment not just for our collective conscience but also in criminal jurisprudence in the country.  On the recommendation of Justice Verma Committee, changes were brought in to the criminal law. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 (aka Nirbhaya Act) came into effect on April 2, 2013.

It increased jail terms in most sexual assault cases and also provided for the death penalty in rape cases that cause death of the victim or leaves her in a vegetative state. The punishment for gang rape was increased to 20 years to life imprisonment from the earlier 10 years to life imprisonment. As far as caste related crimes are concerned, the Schedules Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was beefed up further in its 2018 amendment removing provisions like anticipatory bail. Therefore, more than the legislation the implementation of the statute seems to be the issue.

“Law without justice is a wound without a cure.” – Robert Scott Downey

The implementation of the statute is done by the next pillar, i.e., enforcement. Law and order is a state subject and that is why it differs from state to state. Generally, as per NCRB statistics, the states in the cow belt have had about 70% of the rape cases and it is symbolic of the lackadaisical and often less citizen-friendly and feudal nature of the police force in those states. It does not exonerate the district administration which is equally responsible if not more. It bodes poorly on the policing in such states if such incidents occur with regularity and brazenness. Therefore, that is where our focus should be. Better and citizen-friendly policing; especially one that is more sensitive to crime against women. 

In places where caste-related crimes take place, there should be wider caste representation in the police force at the constabulary stage. For instance, wider recruitment of people from the North East in the Delhi Police on the recommendation of Bezbarua Committee.  Similarly, more women need to be inducted. FIR registration should be easier, more transparent and systematic so that no one is denied their right. Those seeking protection, especially the lesser privileged should not be discriminated against.

The 2^nd ARC (Administrative Reforms Commission) noted how the police forces have been misused by the political executive over time. It is time to limit the authority of political executive by law. But most importantly, to prevent such horrific incidents, there has to be better vigilance and surveillance in crime-prone areas. Community policing should also be encouraged, wherein citizens become the eyes and ears of the police.

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The third pillar is the adjudication where the Constitutional Courts come in. The Supreme Court has played a stellar role filling in legislative void when it comes to upholding human rights as indeed women’s rights, for instance, Shah Bano case and Vishakha guidelines. But then again, these are landmark cases. In today’s time, there are more than 3 crore pending cases in the courts and it is estimated if no fresh case is filed, it’ll take another 360 years for the cases to be dispensed. The Supreme Court itself has more than 60,000 backlog cases.

To deal with such a leviathan, the concept of fast-track courts and special courts came about which are part of various statutes. Still, we don’t see rape cases being dispensed at the speed and the urgency with which the public demands. That’s why there’s a general sense of despondency and people want summary execution of rapists to rid society of all that is evil. While death penalty should indeed be awarded in the most heinous crimes as per the statute, if it does not go through the due process, it’d be a travesty of justice.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  – Martin Luther King Jr.

The certainty of punishment should be primary and then comes the severity of punishment. On the latter aspect, multiple such incidents post Nirbhaya bear testimony to the fact that no amount of punishment has proved to be a deterrence for the next incident from happening. In fact, there have been reported cases of recidivism. That points to the fact that reforms are needed in our correctional facilities.

That takes us to the fourth pillar which consists of the correctional facilities such as jails and remand homes. There is dire need for prison reforms. Death penalty is the recourse in the extreme cases but in other cases of gang rape, the stipulated punishment is 20 years. Our focus should be on the ground reality of prisons and to ensure that it becomes a correctional facility in the truest sense.

To that end, there should be skilling (upskilling and cross-skilling) of the prisoners, they should have vocations, remunerative employment. At the same time, focus should be on their mental and spiritual health. They must have daily sessions of yoga and meditation. Basic educational courses to be provided for those who would’ve missed out on formal education. Basically, the focus should be on ensuring that a better, mature and a more sensible human being comes out of the prison than the one who entered.

It is unimaginable and unfathomable that such beastly incidents can take place in our society but they do. Such depravity and barbarity speaks volumes of degeneration among certain people. It is time for society to look in the mirror and question what kind of values are being imparted to the youth. As PM Modi exhorted, it is time to question the boys instead of girls in families where are they going, who are they hanging out with, what do they do all day long. Ask them about their online activity, enquire about their mental health. Also, structured courses of sex education need to be imparted and self-defense classes in the formative years as part of school curricula.

It is not going to be easy. But it is a reality and a multi-faceted challenge that we have to take head on. It is incumbent upon us to change the system and ensure there are no more Nirbhayas in India and most importantly, justice is neither delayed nor denied.

‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ – Theodore Parker

The China Conundrum: Taming the Dragon

As the month of August draws to a close, there are two things which are certain: The number of coronavirus cases is yet to peak as also our rivalry with China. India stands in a uniquely discombobulating situation, where there’s an unending war against the virus (COVID 19), an economy which is facing stagflation, a military stand-off in the Trans Himalayas with wide geopolitical ramifications, a morale of the general public which is low due to extended social isolation and loss of livelihoods; some may call it the perfect storm!

(Courtesy: The Economic Times)

In this essay, let us assess the situation, as-is, vis-à-vis China and what are the options ahead for India to tame the dragon. As a reminder, earlier this year, China in a bid to redraw the territorial boundaries, especially in the LAC region, intruded into the Hot Springs-Gogra-Kongka La region and the Depsang Y-junction and also upto the Galwan River’s mouth and Pangong Tso’s Finger 4. This led to the June 15^th skirmish along the Galwan valley which led to battle casualties on both sides.

The disengagement process began from 25^th July after protracted military and diplomatic back-channel talks. But this disengagement has been limited to Galwan, Hot Springs and Gogra, and incomplete in regions such as Pangong Tso. At the same time, this ‘disengagement’ is short of ‘de-escalation’ on both sides which means that India, if not both sides, is preparing for winter deployment of troops in some of the most inhospitable and ungodly terrains.

As per strategist Brahma Chellaney, “China is dictating a Hobson’s choice to India: Go along the changed status quo or risk an open war.” It’s an attempt to wear India out in order to present a fait accompli.

China’s cartographic war against India is not of recent origin. It can be traced back to the days of Pt. Nehru and Chou En-Lai. It all began with China rejecting the McMahon Line as a legacy of British Imperialism. Stemming from this argument, the legitimacy of the boundaries was always bound to be questioned, if not attempted to be revised.

So what are the options in front of India – can we really tame, if not slay, the dragon? Are we up for a protracted engagement?

To understand the options in front of India we have to understand the options being employed by China. In the language of geopolitics, China uses ‘salami slicing’ method; snatching or intruding into disputed territories sliver by sliver. It also employs the ‘10 steps forward, 6 steps back’ technique so that none of the situations escalate into a full-blown war. This brinkmanship really restricts the options that India has because given that LAC itself is amorphous with competing claims and the cost of war is any day huge in terms of both human and economic. While China seeks revisionism, India seeks status quo ante.

Therefore, India must save what it must and inflict costs – economic, military, diplomatic, geostrategic and geopolitical – where it can. As per policy analyst Samir Saran, China is perfectly at ease with the coexistence of ‘commerce and conflict’. This is why New Delhi must ensure that economic costs are not limited to banning of a few apps and re-assigning of a few government contracts. It has to be sustained in a manner that China feels the heat. It can only come to fruition when ‘made in China’ brand takes a hit globally, for instance the backlash that Huawei is facing of late. The target should be to narrow the trade deficit between the two nations (now at $48 billion), also use it as a leverage where needed.

On the domestic front, India is likely to undergo a phase of stagflation because of soaring unemployment levels, contraction of GDP growth, supply side setbacks to the economy due to pandemic-induced lockdowns and slowdown of business activity. Therefore, India, too, needs to bide its time to recover economically before it can challenge the chinese supply chains globally.

Secondly, on the military front, it is not just the battlefield costs that India must inflict but defence capacity-building is sine qua non. Samir Saran mentions that the sheer doggedness of the ‘16 Bihar’ Regiment posed such a valiant resistance to the Chinese that they’re still factoring it into their land-grab program. But not all battles are fought with sticks and clubs. In case of an armed attack, India has to respond with ‘fire and fury’, to quote Donald Trump.

To that effect, India needs to upgrade its defense hardware. While indigenization of defence production and investment in defence tech is a medium- to long-term goal, in the short-term India needs to acquire all that is necessary, be it S-400 air defense missile system from Russia or the much touted Rafale omni-role combat aircrafts from France.

This also offers India a historic opportunity to shore up defence ties with the USA. Professor Rupakjyoti Borah feels ‘fence-sitting’ will not help India as far as defence and strategic ties are concerned with the US. India already has deals worth $20 billion for aircrafts, helicopters, howitzers and $7 billion more in the pipeline. At the same time, India has signed logistics support agreement, LEMOA and COMCASA for communications equipment and intelligence sharing. It is time to sign the third foundational agreement, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), as well as shed the ‘historical hesitations’ in forging closer military ties with the USA.

Thirdly, on the diplomatic front, India needs to up the ante. If China can play the game of blocking India and Indian interests on all major fronts such as India’s entry into the coveted Security Council of UN, India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, also blocking the assigning of terrorists and terrorist groups antithetical to India, it is time for India to mount the diplomatic offensive. As the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had once said “India’s One-China Policy should be predicated upon China’s One-India Policy.” No leeway should be provided there.

After all, China has no qualms in exploiting India’s internal matters and fissures, ratcheting up Kashmir issue on global platforms. It is time for India to start diplomatic overtures towards Taiwan, stand in support with Hong Kong against the appalling national security law, raise the issue of genocide and internment of Uighurs of Xinjiang region on global platforms and, as Brahma Chellaney suggests, have regular meetings with the Dalai Lama without any fear of a Chinese backlash. We can’t lose sight of the levers that India possesses against China which must be pulled when needed.

Fourthly, on the geostrategic front, India needs to power-signal as well as shift the theatre from the Himalayas, where it is but a battle of attrition, to the high seas – both the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea (SCS). As policy analyst Nitin Pai suggests, “Only when New Delhi shows a willingness to use India’s capability to tilt the balance away from China in theatres that Beijing considers core to its interests will its leaders be more amenable to maintaining the status quo along our land frontiers.”

To that effect, US has bolstered its presence in the greater SCS region with 3 aircraft carriers placed there. India’s official position on the SCS has been – India supports freedom of navigation, over flight and unimpeded commerce, based on the principles of international law. It is time to increase naval deployments to friendly countries such as Vietnam and make sure to reiterate that India supports freedom of high seas and repudiate the outlandish Chinese claims of ‘Nine Dash Line’. Such voyages shall offer an added diplomatic leverage to New Delhi.

Indian Ocean is another front where India should look to establish and maintain its primacy with the help of friendly countries like USA, France and Australia. This should be the perfect counter-weight to Chinese encirclement via ‘String of Pearls’. It is time to upgrade the Andaman and Nicobar Command and consider including Australia in the Malabar Naval Exercise which includes India, the US and Japan.

Finally, on the geopolitical front, it is time to consolidate and re-affirm an arc of democracies to encircle China which includes India, Japan, the US and Australia and may also include any other like-minded countries in future. India has to put its weight behind Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) which has so far blown hot and cold. The days of ‘strategic autonomy’ and ‘considered non-alliance’ are over.

Although, India has never believed in forming alliances directed at any third country so far, it is time to put vital national interests over a morality-based foreign policy; to think about a united strategic front, especially when India faces the threat of a two-front attack by China and Pakistan, given their proclivities. Even the Japanese defense minister recently declared that China must be ‘made to pay a high price’ for its muscular revisionism in East and South China Seas, the Himalayas and Hong Kong. After all, it’s an Indo-Pacific imperative.

The road ahead is not easy; India’s options not without ramifications. As I began this essay, by saying, that the rivalry with China is yet to peak. If history bears any testimony, it reeks of China’s perfidy and egregiousness. Ramachandra Guha in his book ‘India After Gandhi’ has documented that in the late 1950s while New Delhi coined and believed in the moniker ‘Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai’, Peking was following Lenin’s dictum that ‘promises, like piecrusts, are meant to be broken’. In short, realpolitik should dictate our present day China policy.

We do not know what exactly is China’s end-game here except that it aspires to replace the US to become a global hegemon and does not believe in sovereign equality of nations, rather, expects vassal states. India’s interests lie in being a leading global power in a multi-polar rules-based world order where there are no hegemons and sovereign equality of nations is duly respected. Therefore, these diverging interests and world-views are bound to clash and collide.

The costs of a full-blown war may be too high for any country to get into, especially at this juncture, but if we do not understand that in the global game of chess, the Chinese play chinese checkers, we are bound to pay a price. It is time to beat them at their own game.

 

 

How to read the editorials in newspapers and prepare notes

Always begin with an end in mind; a purpose behind all that you do.

Go through the UPSC prescribed syllabus in its entirety. Do a topic and sub-topic categorization within each paper and keep going through them every once in a while. Make a mental map of all the important topics in each paper.

While going through the editorials, all the important issues and relevant topics/sub-topics should trigger in your mind. Most importantly, it’s the cross-sectionality and inter-linkages of topics that matter. Always weave a story, or paint a mental picture around the issue; they are the best memory triggers. 

Prepare separate notes for newpapers. For any newspaper article, you can categorize them as part of GS I, II, III or IV or more than one of them combined in your notes, so that you can revise better later. Always leave some space to add additional notes and appendages later. 

You can either maintain hand-written notes or digital notes, as per your convenience. It should be easily accessible when needed.

At the same time, remember, news is in continuity. So you’ll have many columnists write about the same topic maybe with differing points of view in the editorials. Take all their views into account but you should have an independent mind which is more balanced, equipoised and neutral. 

Try and correlate and make sense of what each columnist is saying. You can also use their statements as quotations in your essay writing or in Optional paper (if applicable).

Notes should not be too lengthy. Brevity is the key. At the same time, all dimensions like social, political, economic, legal, ethical, environmental, etc should be explored as far as possible.

Also, if it’s a legacy issue like Ram Janmabhoomi for instance, try and dig up some of the past to get a better context.

Always set a framework for your thinking process and that’ll reflect in your writing later on. 

Most importantly, while you do enjoy the process, I reiterate, keep the end in mind. Remember, what you’re reading it for, how to make the best of it, what’s the tangible outcome, etc. End of the day, nobody cares how much you know but they care about how much you can show, clearly and concisely. Exam-mindedness is sine qua non. 

Regards.

Marks and Success: Mind Over Matter

The unfortunate incident of George Floyd being kneed to death by a policeman in the USA led to a global black rights movement and the genesis of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter (a topic for another day). This resulted in the spawning of many copycat hashtags, latest in the line of which is #MarksMatter or alternately #MarksDontMatter.

The board results of Class Xth and XIIth were declared recently. It entailed its own share of success stories and disappointments as well as ramifications thereof. Many civil servants took to twitter and facebook to share their own modest boards results to assuage those with lesser marks that this not the end of the line. At the same time, it triggered a debate around the core issue whether marks really matter or not.

To ensure that this topic is not strewn across many streams of thoughts, let us outline the contours of the debate. Firstly, let’s discuss whether marks are of any significance or not. If they are, where and to what extent? How do we grow beyond this unidimensional viewpoint? And finally, we come to the moot point, i.e., how do we redefine success for us as a society to evolve?

(Photo Credits: https://www.tanveernaseer.com/3-questions-to-discover-what-success-looks-like/)

 

Do Marks Matter? Yes, and No

Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge the fact that thanks to social media debates and discussions have been democratized, albeit with opinions ranging from sublime to ridiculous. So to begin with, it would be ridiculous to think that marks don’t matter. From a moral-ideological framework, an objective evaluation system based on marks is the basis of a fair and just education system. From a functional framework, they determine whether you’ve passed in an exam, what kind of college admissions you’re likely to get, and, to quite an extent, your future career prospects. Therefore, it’s moot to say that marks are not important.

Secondly, marks are also representative of the hard-work that a student has put in, emblematic of the discipline, dedication, focus and tenacity involved in the exam process. In all fairness, a common and egalitarian criteria of examination is the basis for judging potential of a student. You cannot take that away from a deserving student.

At the same time, one cannot take away the future of a child if s/he falters in one exam. I’m glad that those civil servants chose to share their story, not because it matters to us today but because someone somewhere who’s stumbled along the way or maybe who’s burdened by the weight of expectations of parents/relatives/society in general can see that there’s light at the end of the tunnel; board exams are just a bend and not the end. The modest marks did not take away their future then and it should not now.

And yet, this can only serve as a palliative; a solace and not a solution. Because the civil servant can very well inspire but cannot guide them through the journey from ‘staring into the abyss’ to ‘success’. It boils down to the individual and his/her journey from thereon. So while marks may not be guaranteed, diligence is non-negotiable.

 

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

 

Another palliative, of course, is the recent trend of inflation of marks. Former Secretary of School Education and Literacy, Anil Swarup pointed out how the Boards were “spiking marks in the name of moderation”. The idea behind that was to give grace marks to those who were on the borderline, but it resulted in a record number of students getting high marks – so much so that “effectively every student who scored between 85% and 95% ended up getting 95%.” This itself showcases the farcical nature and redundancy of boards marks in today’s time.

 

Where Marks Matter?

It, therefore, comes down to where marks matter and where they don’t. Marks, as discussed above, will definitely matter when it comes to entrance exams for top colleges and universities, civil services exam and exams of similar nature simply because of the supply-demand gap. It is unthinkable of clearing Civil Services examination without scoring well in each and every paper and tackling the interview round well, not to forget clearing the Prelims cut-off. Out of 10 lakh applicants every year only about 700-800 make it to the final list. Staggering, isn’t it?

Contrast that to the Mauritius Civil Services. During my trip to Mauritius in the year 2014, we were invited over for dinner by our host. Among the other invitees, was a gentleman from the local administrative service (akin to IAS in India). While discussing, I told him how tough was the exam pattern in India to get into the civil services. To which he nonchalantly replied, “Well, in Mauritius, you just have to walk-in, and you are one.” If only life were that simple everywhere!

Let’s get to the question – Where marks don’t matter? They might be an entry-level filtration or sorting system, but they are no guarantee of performance later on in your life. And, most of the time, they have no correlation with your field of work. That’s where field experience, practical knowledge, interpersonal skills, learnability, adaptability, life skills in general count. Marks neither define nor delimit us. They are also not a measure of human capital development. That is the reason why marks should not be put on a pedestal. This unidimensional view of success in society too needs a relook.

 

Redefine Success

Is success all about doing better than others? While not discounting the fact that there needs to be healthy competition for mental sharpness and physical fitness, it is reductive to think that success is only about the pursuit and the mad race of getting ahead. This causes a lot needless anxiety and mental health issues especially among students as also working professionals. A recent study noted that suicide is the 4^th biggest cause of death in our society trailing behind diabetes, TB, COVID-19 (surged recently). So that means we don’t need a disease to kill us, we are on self-help!

Coming back to success, I’d like to offer some food for thought. There is nothing called a definitive success (notable exception is death) but only relative success because we truly don’t know, much less realize, the human potential.

Most of the limitations have been set by us on us, in that we decide what can be done, how and how well can it be done. The measures and boundaries of success are often defined and plotted by us. How restrictive is that?

Here’s an anecdote: Swami Vivekananda used to read the voluminous works of John Lubbock overnight and return it to the library the next day. The librarian was in doubt whether he was actually reading them or just pretending to. On hearing this, Swami Vivekananda promptly granted an audience to the librarian and asked him if he’d like to question him on the works of John Lubbock. The librarian was left speechless when Vivekananda could answer all the questions with aplomb.

On inquiry, Swami Vivekananda revealed to the librarian how we train ourselves over the years to first read letters, then words and then sentences at a glance but do not concentrate enough to be able to flip through pages at a glance. He gave 3 mantras: practice, concentration and continence. This is just an example of how human brilliance can flourish without the burden of chasing success or putting societal limitations upon ourselves.

Therefore, it is not about how well we do against each other, be that as it may. We must have propitious conditions where human potential can flower and flourish. We owe ourselves that much.

 

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

 

 

 

 

The China Conundrum: Understanding the Dragon

Circa 2018, in the month of February, during my UPSC interview, the penultimate question asked to me by the Chairman of the Panel was, “Who do you think is the biggest irritant to India at this moment?” To which, snap came my reply, “Sir, China.” There was a pause after that. I asked, “Sir, do you want me to elaborate?” He said, “Yes, you have 2 minutes.” I thought this was my chance to lay China bare, metaphorically speaking, never mind I had the onerous task of convincing the panel too.

Except, it wasn’t as onerous given this interview had happened in the backdrop of Doklam stand-off between India and China; the hostilities were still ripe. I piled on regarding China’s territorial ambitions, maritime expansion (vis a vis South China Sea and the Indian Ocean), strategic encirclement of India via the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and ‘String of Pearls’, support of terrorist groups and terrorists emanating from Pakistan, blocking India’s entry to NSG and for the permanent seat at the UNSC, bullying tactics and debt diplomacy in India’s neighborhood and not to forget the dumping of Chinese goods in the Indian market and the huge trade differential.  I could have gone on, 2 minutes notwithstanding.

That was then. In today’s time, there has been another stand-off with China at the LAC (Line of Actual Control). Again, China has made its intentions clear of a protracted engagement in the theatre claiming territories hitherto unclaimed before. Just to make things clear, in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh region, there are various spurs along the ridges overlooking the Pangong Tso(lake). The spurs are named as Finger 1,2 and so on. The area between Finger 4 and Finger 8 was unclaimed before. India had her base in Finger 3, with a working arrangement near Finger 4. China has not only intruded with a base at Finger 8 but is all set to set up base at Finger 4, 500m from where the Indian troops are placed. This along with heavy artillery build-up on both sides makes the area a potential battlefront.

Never mind the fact that successive governments across LAC over the years have signed agreements of making the zone an unarmed and ‘zone of peace’, so to say. What calls for such betrayal and perfidy by the Chinese at this juncture? What gives? And this comes in the backdrop of a pandemic, COVID-19, which has been unleashed upon the world with its origins in China. At a time, when the global opinion is against China with potential trade and other backlashes from different countries, why would they open another battlefront?

For this we have to understand the dragon. China, for all its Communist predispositions, is a civilizational state. A civilization that very few have understood, much less appreciated. A civilization with which India had but only trade links and the cultural links were few and far between. China, was, in fact, never our neighbor, until they forcefully seized Tibet in the 1950s. This civilization has a psychological complex, known as the ‘middle kingdom’ syndrome. This means that they presume they are over and above the rest of humanity. This presupposes the fact that China, by its architecture, doesn’t believe in sovereign equality of nations. They’ve been biding their time so far in asserting themselves. It seems that’s no longer the norm, especially under the aegis of Xi Jinping; the most autocratic and authoritarian leader after Mao Zedong.

Secondly, they’re on the offensive at a time when the global opinion is pitted against China since the outbreak of the pandemic. This implies they have either scant regard for international norms or rather are in a hurry towards global ascendancy. This can be seen, in particular, through three instances. First, their brutal crackdown on any domestic issues be it Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’, internments of Uighurs in Xinjiang province clamping down on human rights. Second, their assertiveness in the South China Sea contrary to the ruling of Permanent Court of Arbitration, flouting all international norms. Third, territorial expansion and military adventurism along LAC in Ladakh region. Add to that, evidently, no debt relief or moratorium to the countries steeped in Renminbi debt and unable to repay during the pandemic.

Now, particularly looking at the India-China faceoff, we have to understand what we are up against. India is looking at a country which is economically, militarily, industrially, structurally much more formidable than India at the moment. Before 1990s, India had a per capita income slightly higher than that of China; now China’s PCI $9770 is more than four times that of India’s PCI $2009 (2018 World Bank Data). The size of China’s GDP is $14 trillion whereas that of India’s is a little less than $3 trillion.

The total trade with China is about $84.4 billion which is higher than India’s defense budget. While India spends a higher percentage of GDP on defense, China’s overall expenditure is more than that of India and is second only to the USA at $178 billion. The only advantage that India has, to some extent, is that the size of military is larger and it is more battle-hardened than that of China’s.

When it comes to dependence, it is evident that China is the 3^rd largest exporter to India whereas India’s exports constitute only 3% of China’s total trade. More importantly, China exports, for instance, raw materials such as semi-conductors, rare earth minerals, which are required for our electronic manufacturing industry; apart from equipment for automobile industry, active pharmaceutical ingredients for pharma industry. Clearly, it would be difficult for India to find replacements from other countries in the short- to medium-term.

At the same time, India is flooded with cheap Chinese goods which has outdone global competition and squeezed domestic competition, for instance, cellphones. China has captured more than 70% of India’s market with handsets from Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme providing cheaper alternatives to iPhone and Samsung. Similarly, share of Chinese brands in the television market is 49%. At the same time, Chinese investments are behind most of the unicorns from India. For instance, PayTM, Zomato, Unacademy are all funded mostly by investors such as Ali Baba and TenCent from China. But that does not portend the fact that India is bereft of options against China.

Yesterday, the Government of India announced the ban of 59 Chinese mobile Apps including Tik Tok for being “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.” A few days back a railway contract given to a Chinese company along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor was rolled back. Telcos MTNL and BSNL were ordered to decline purchase of equipment from Huawei for 4G upgrade. Therefore, few counter-offensives have already been laid out economically. Similarly, to upgrade our defense systems, recently the Defence Minister dashed to Moscow to hasten the purchase of S-400 Air Defence Missile System. India is already moving heavy artillery in the region in its quest to restore status quo ante, as we speak.

The question is, given the circumstances, how far can we go? Are we up for a protracted engagement? What are India’s options against China? Can we really tame, if not slay, the dragon?

Clearly, this is the onerous task in front of us which is way more complicated than the question posed during the interview. I’ll deliberate over these questions in a subsequent piece.

Of Bollywood, Nepotism, Ambition and Hope

Bollywood is a tough place to be in. I’m sure every industry, and every profession for that matter, has its own set of challenges. But nowhere the ambitions are raised sky-high and particularly in a short span of time.

Nobody thinks of having a satisfying career by making do with average roles and just entertaining the audience, except maybe if you’re a junior actor with sundry character roles, even then that’s the exception rather than the rule. The mainstream actors are highly career-driven and aching for success and to be the cynosure of attention. For them, every other movie becomes a make or break, recognition ebbs and flows, replacements are ready in the pipeline. 

In such a scenario, the problem is compounded when the entry barriers are even higher for ‘outsiders’. They have to compete in an industry where there is no real metric of talent; good looks, physical attributes et al are a given and not a differentiating factor, if at all, an eliminating factor. 

Typically, if one can recall Farhan Akhtar’s movie ‘Luck by Chance’, the protagonist, as a struggling actor, walks into a room full of budding actors, most of whom seem talented, full of potential and would’ve given the protagonist a run for his money on a good day; each with their own story to tell, frantically rehearsing their lines, trying to do one-up over the others. It is a highly competitive industry, where there’s no let up, and ironically, no retakes, initially.

Except, it is also a nepotistic industry. All the so-called ‘star kids’ do get their ‘big breaks’. If that movie doesn’t work out, they have another one coming, if not, another one. The proverbial cookie jar is never empty. They’re never really out of the industry except when they choose to. Not discounting the fact that some them are damn talented and have proven themselves. Not discounting, too, the fact that some of them have to carry the burden of legacy which, at times, becomes too overbearing. Yet, the same leeway is not offered to the ‘outsiders’ who mostly have to fend for themselves.

Now, here, I come to the point of Sushant Singh Rajput. He came across as a bundle of talent, strikingly handsome and a curious mind; a rarity in Bollywood. Now since I don’t know the reasons for his depression and consequent suicide, I’m not going to dwell on them. 

But a couple of things which are widely shared over social media are quite telling and have gotten me thinking. And they are symptomatic of Bollywood in general rather than Sushant’s case in particular. 

Firstly, him connecting to his fans over social media for a particular movie of his ‘Sonchiriya’ and urging them, nay imploring them to watch it, since he didn’t have any ‘godfathers’ in the industry and the people were his proverbial ‘gods’ and ‘fathers’.

Secondly, the mocking and bullying of young actors by the so-called bigwigs who’re already well-established either as directors, producers or actors. Now all these incidents could have been passed off as funny if it were not tragic for a person facing it. 

Two of the clips, at the cost of cherry-picking, widely shared over social media are one in which Sushant, in absentia, is being mocked  at the show ‘Koffee with Karan’ for being a ‘TV actor’, and in the second one, Shah Rukh Khan and Shahid Kapoor are at an award ceremony ‘sizing him up’ as an actor where he is visibly uncomfortable.

This is Bollywood in a nutshell, where you either kowtow to the bigwigs who call the shots. Or you hang around long enough to outweigh and outshine them. Or you wither away without a trace. Or, in extreme cases, you take the unfathomable step of ending your life. 

Now, let me not paint a grim picture of Bollywood which has nurtured creativity, art, pop culture, society over generations. It is an inseparable part of us. In a country where a triumvirate of Politics, Cricket and Bollywood are subliminally embedded in our thoughts and emotions, they determine our mood-swings to our lifestyle. But some realities need to be discussed rather than brushed under the carpet. It is not only a moment of introspection for the film fraternity but the society in general as we all are stakeholders. 

Sushant represented hope. Hope that talent as a metric will find its place no matter how difficult the odds. That stands slightly diminished today. 

COVID-19: What it is and the world as we know it (Part Trois)

Environmental Homoeostasis

Amidst the pall of gloom that has descended during COVID crisis, there seems to be a major silver lining in our collective clouds, i.e., the environment is heading toward a reset.

It is well known that we are in the anthropocene epoch, which means that human impact predominantly determines the environment and ecology. Our ecosystem is defined and shaped by our biological, ecological and carbon footprints.

So far, unfortunately, this has had a detrimental effect on the environment. For instance, there’s been loss in tree cover globally, many species of animals have either disappeared or been displaced, carbon levels in the atmosphere have shot up, global temperatures have risen, so forth.

During the lockdown due to COVID, with reduced human footprint, the environment has had a breather, the air quality has drastically improved. As per SAFAR (under Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India), the AQI of Delhi stays mostly in the moderate to satisfactory range as compared to the poor to severe range earlier. This case is similar for most cities once touted to be among the most polluted in the world.

Across the globe, the wild animals are reclaiming the spaces once ceded due to human intervention and deforestation. Recently, in the news, it was seen that lions from Kruger National Park in South Africa were ‘lounging’ on the roads. Also, in the wetlands of Mumbai, it was reported that there was a 25% spike in the flamboyance of flamingoes turning the lakes into a ‘flamboyant’ pink. Kangaroos were seen hopping around in the streets of Australia; dolphins were swimming along the Bosporus coast. We can hear the birds chirping again from our balconies during this lockdown.

We know, it sounds all too romantic and dreamy – things will return to status quo ante as soon as the crisis is over – but it does give us an opportunity to rethink, especially our approach toward the nature and ecosystem.

Internationally, the 1972 UN Conference on Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) marked the beginning of sorts when the comity of nations came together to “focus on human interactions with the environment”. UN Environment Program (UNEP) was created thus which focused on assisting developing nations in environmental governance, green economic development and formulating environmentally sound policies and practices.

The Rio Earth Summit of 1992 marked an epoch post-Cold War when the comity of nations came together to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Yet, ironically, 25 Climate (Conference of Parties) Summits later and in the year of the 26th COP – now postponed due to COVID – the environment, and the climate for that matter, has been much better than all the years in the recent past. What does that tell us? Does it take a pandemic to set things right?

We all know the fragility of our ecosystem, and yet, actions have not been commensurate with the promises, rather contrary at times. It is time for us to re-chart a more sustainable path, to peacefully co-exist with every other animate and inanimate species, reducing human footprint. As Bertrand Russell had said:  One must care about a world that one will not see.

 

 Shift of Geopolitical Sands

Political analyst Ian Bremmer tweeted, ‘We are all in this together, alone’. In the wake of COVID, it is pertinent to analyze how the geopolitics, geo-economics and geo-strategy would shape globally.

In that regard, 2 questions come to mind:

1) How will the bilateral and the multilateral ties among nations be influenced?

2) In the continuum of Hyper-globalization, Globalization, Slowbalization, De-globalization, Anti-globalization, where do we stand?

With an addendum question: What about the transnational actors?

Firstly, there may be a tectonic shift in bilateral ties. For instance, most of the countries which have been sympathetic towards the rise of China, have strong inhibitions of the same now; some are repulsed. Secondly, it is well known that ties are being redefined by the parameter – ‘friend in need‘.

In that regard, we may probably foresee closer partnership forged between India and the USA (apropos ‘friend in need’ – India providing HydroxyChloroquine drug to US, also, convergence of interests in the Indo-Pacific) and at the same time a more precarious and rather conflictual situation between the USA and China as they continue on the path of economic disengagement and geopolitical disenchantment (apropos US-China trade wars and US accusation of China exporting the virus).

While it is understood that we are living in a G Zero world (a vacuum in power created by declining Western influence), the post-COVID world may see a resurgence of multi-polarity and somewhat heightened moral authority of those nations which can best contain the spread of the virus and save its own while helping others.

In the 20th century, political scientist Richard Rosecrance had stated that world peace would be ensured in the coming century by rise in global trade and foreign direct investments. As economies start disengaging, the chances of conflict may arise. In these times, Robert Kaplan feels, “Coronavirus will usher the globalization we were afraid of”.

Globalization has been a harbinger of progress and prosperity for many nations rich and poor alike. It has led to a seamless exchange of ideas, goods, capital and labor across the globe. It is also the primary reason for spread of the virus across continents.

In that regard, there’s bound to be some resistance to globalization. We may reach the phase of a slowbalization as international travel stays restricted, countries try to become more self-reliant; or we could witness a de-globalization where economic nationalism and autarky become the order of the day, as suggested by IMF’s chief economist Gita Gopinath.

Political leaders, globally, but especially in the West, would find themselves pressurized by a restive indigenous workforce to create more immigration boundaries as well as trade embargoes. Business leaders may have further impetus to automate their productions to mitigate the vulnerabilities of human-based production and rising global competition.

Therefore, globalization may not entirely be reversed but its profound vulnerabilities both at the political and economic levels will be exposed. This does not bode well for an economically interdependent world.

In a vacuum of global leadership, China and India will be competing to seize an opportunity, the former insidiously and abrasively so, the latter more responsibly, yet sporadically. For instance, while China has been stonewalling any discussion of COVID on platforms such as UN Security Council and the WHO, India, on the other hand, has been instrumental and pro-active in the virtual G20 summit as well as SAARC Summit.

Also, strategic interests will be redefined in the wake of COVID. Healthcare and capacity building are going to climb the agenda ladder in place of oil and military equipment, traditionally deemed as geo-strategic interests of a nation.

Transnational actors such as MNCs etc. have had an unusually large role to play in the state affairs and the global affairs because of their monetary heft, investment capacity and political influence. With the rise in economic nationalism and disruption of global supply chains, they do face a setback but it may not be long-term one. The forces of globalization, in the long run, are inexorable.

Most importantly, the 20th century institutions with their anachronistic architecture such as World Bank, IMF and the UN are drawing a lot of flak and facing a lack of credibility not just among the developing world but also among the developed world. We may either see a change in their architecture, becoming more representative and globally relevant or else new institutions may emerge at the local/global level rendering the old ones archaic and irrelevant.

A case in point, especially pertinent in today’s time, is that of the World Health Organization(WHO). We can see how the WHO is kowtowing to China during the COVID crisis drawing widespread criticism from other member-states including the US which incidentally decided to withhold its funding. This is how institutions lose relevance, in the long-run.

In effect, the world, as we know it, is going to witness a few radical changes. Whether it is for the worse or the better, is for anyone to guess!