Posts
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - Dwight David Eisenhower
Here is another video from the Kargil War: Pakistani soldiers collecting the dead bodies.
Sunday 12 October 2008
Remembering the Kargil War: Pakistani Prisoners describes what they have went through
"War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it." - Deciderius Erasmus
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - Dwight David Eisenhower
Here is another video from the Kargil War: Pakistani soldiers collecting the dead bodies.
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - Dwight David Eisenhower
Here is another video from the Kargil War: Pakistani soldiers collecting the dead bodies.
Saturday 11 October 2008
Sequoia Capital Says Get Real or Go Home!
World's most famous venture capital firm, Sequoia Capital (Google, Yahoo, YouTube Investors) in a 56 slide presentation to its portfolio companies, explains the current economic crisis and the steps that should be taken to stay alive... Their advice: Get Real or Go Home!!
Sequoia Venture Capital Warning to CEOs - Get more Business Plans
Saturday 4 October 2008
RSS: A Change in the Right Direction?
I recently read the news item in the LiveMint.com about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) attempts to attract software professionals and other technocrats in to their fold. The reporter describes it as something significant in that these new steps can get RSS a lot of youngsters that lead a modern lifestyle and work in new generation companies. These people typically have qualifications such as B.Tech/BE, MBA and MCA. Some of these new converts are alumni of reputed institutions like IITs and IIMs. All these things are happening to an organization that is perceived to be a grass root organisation with a strong rural base. But the big question is if it is really significant.
The reality is that there is nothing new in technocrats and business executives becoming RSS sympathisers. Already, the majority of the IT professionals and other executives are BJP supporters and they have a soft corner for RSS owing to its stand vis a vis job reservation and certain other issues. The crux of the matter is that most of the technocrats and executives are upper caste members. No, I am not disputing the rural base of the organisation. The purpose of this article is to take a brief look at the social relevance of RSS, if it has any.
RSS as an organisation is based on the idea of cultural nationalism. This idea played a significant role in the freedom struggle and many leaders- most of whom were supporters and leaders of the Indian National Congress- used this theme successfully to gather mass support. And religion, inevitably, is the major sub-theme of cultural nationalism. Mind you, I am not saying the RSS played a major role in Indian national movement. The precise role played by RSS or any other Hindu oraganisations is not an area where I have adequate knowledge to pass comments on (at least, as of now). All I am saying is that the right wing socio-religious and cultural organisations cannot be ignored in any country and this highly religious society with thousands of years’ history can never ever be an exception. Considering these, I would say if more technocrats and executives join RSS, that will be a positive. This will help the saffron organisation to get a modern flavour.
But, I have a few points for these technocrats and other new converts to consider when they embrace Sang Parivar.
Cultural nationalism is pretty okay. Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are only a few among the precious wealth that we inherited from our forefathers. We can be proud that our values are still rooted in the values of the Vedic society. But, society and culture are not static. Our national culture as we see today is the sum of many regional cultures and it has been a result of hundreds of external and internal influences over the centuries. Taking a particular point of time in history and making it as the yardstick to evaluate the culture is utter foolishness.
When the RSS or the Sangh Parivar talks of cultural nationalism, what culture are they referring to? It is undoubtedly, the mainstream culture as found in the vast majority of states like UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Kerala etc. How about the north east states? How about the tribal people in these mainstream states?
Caste-based oppression is a social reality of this nation. When we speak of our old glory, we shall not forget that this oppressed people never had a good old day. The same Vedas and other scriptures which the RSS considers as the cornerstone of our culture are treated by many Dalits as symbols of oppression. This author doesn’t believe/doesn’t know if our ancient scriptures have anything to do with caste-based oppression. But, such a perception can never be neglected.
No, I am not saying that the technocrats’ joining the Sangh is wrong. All I am saying is that the above factors cannot be ignored. RSS as a cultural organisation cannot be ignored – if you like it or not. But, considering the above mentioned factors will be good for not only the organisation but also the millions of oppressed people, and in turn, it will only benefit this great nation.
The reality is that there is nothing new in technocrats and business executives becoming RSS sympathisers. Already, the majority of the IT professionals and other executives are BJP supporters and they have a soft corner for RSS owing to its stand vis a vis job reservation and certain other issues. The crux of the matter is that most of the technocrats and executives are upper caste members. No, I am not disputing the rural base of the organisation. The purpose of this article is to take a brief look at the social relevance of RSS, if it has any.
RSS as an organisation is based on the idea of cultural nationalism. This idea played a significant role in the freedom struggle and many leaders- most of whom were supporters and leaders of the Indian National Congress- used this theme successfully to gather mass support. And religion, inevitably, is the major sub-theme of cultural nationalism. Mind you, I am not saying the RSS played a major role in Indian national movement. The precise role played by RSS or any other Hindu oraganisations is not an area where I have adequate knowledge to pass comments on (at least, as of now). All I am saying is that the right wing socio-religious and cultural organisations cannot be ignored in any country and this highly religious society with thousands of years’ history can never ever be an exception. Considering these, I would say if more technocrats and executives join RSS, that will be a positive. This will help the saffron organisation to get a modern flavour.
But, I have a few points for these technocrats and other new converts to consider when they embrace Sang Parivar.
Cultural nationalism is pretty okay. Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are only a few among the precious wealth that we inherited from our forefathers. We can be proud that our values are still rooted in the values of the Vedic society. But, society and culture are not static. Our national culture as we see today is the sum of many regional cultures and it has been a result of hundreds of external and internal influences over the centuries. Taking a particular point of time in history and making it as the yardstick to evaluate the culture is utter foolishness.
When the RSS or the Sangh Parivar talks of cultural nationalism, what culture are they referring to? It is undoubtedly, the mainstream culture as found in the vast majority of states like UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Kerala etc. How about the north east states? How about the tribal people in these mainstream states?
Caste-based oppression is a social reality of this nation. When we speak of our old glory, we shall not forget that this oppressed people never had a good old day. The same Vedas and other scriptures which the RSS considers as the cornerstone of our culture are treated by many Dalits as symbols of oppression. This author doesn’t believe/doesn’t know if our ancient scriptures have anything to do with caste-based oppression. But, such a perception can never be neglected.
No, I am not saying that the technocrats’ joining the Sangh is wrong. All I am saying is that the above factors cannot be ignored. RSS as a cultural organisation cannot be ignored – if you like it or not. But, considering the above mentioned factors will be good for not only the organisation but also the millions of oppressed people, and in turn, it will only benefit this great nation.
Thursday 2 October 2008
Terrorism in India: What's happening and What needs to be done?
B Raman, in his open to letter to Vinod Mehta, provides some fantastic analysis on the problem of terrorism in India. He advises us to understand the facts, rather than projecting a face of helplessness over superficial conclusions. Some of the interesting points put forward by him are...
1) India has sucessfully dealt with regional terrorism, say, Al-Umma, but failed to counter pan-India terrorism like the IM.
2) The failure to deal with pan-India terrorism is due to lack of co-ordination at political and professional levels, from both states as well as central agencies.
3) The effort has to begin from our politicians- provide the professionals with the necessary freedom and tools as well as address the cause of youth turning to terrorism.
Read more on this here.... Raman's Strategic Analysis provides interesting analysis about the political and military scenario in South Asia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
