Mediocre Perspectives

The last three years has seen many incidents of turmoil in many domains. A significant portion of them arose from the inconceivable impatience of the government to impose the principle of the Hindutva in the garb of pseudo-nationalism. The most recent being the new set of regulations for choking cattle slaughter. Getting the facts right The new set of regulations neither bans cattle slaughter nor prevents the consumption of beef. But they are framed in a way so as to significantly affect both. The rules say that cattle traded in the markets must not be used for slaughter. The people involved in the trade have to provide an undertaking regarding this. Hence from now on cattle have to be sent directly to the slaughter houses from the farmland. The regulations derive their power from the Prevention of Cruelty Act 1960 which is a Central Government Act. Even if states come up with a new legislation they have to be in accordance with the Central law. The Constitution The pri...

A decade ago, our home received a photo frame. It had two dogs one facing you and the other brooding over the ground. The portrait had the words, “What you focus on determines what you miss”. I was too schooled into conformity back then that education ruined my thinking. It took me many years for understanding the statement in the context of the picture. When things began to sink later the statement made more sense in many aspects of life. I found that discourse more starking in politics than anywhere else. The Demolition of Babri Masjid on the December 6 of 1992 is one of few events which challenged the concept of India. Though India has undergone so many transformations post-liberalization the issue has not been solved. The honourable Supreme Court of India has advised, not ordered the warring litigators (those who want a mosque or a temple) to ‘settle’ the issue through ‘negotiation’. When the highest court of the country even suggests looking at an alternative route to judici...

I am pretty sure that most men and few women in India get to enjoy hanging out in the incomparable Tea Kadai (shop) . There isn’t a specific reason why I am inclined to use the word ‘incomparable’. Probably because the place could give you the same comfort as your home or maybe because visiting a tea Kadai could bring about incomparable nostalgia. I believe now the word ‘incomparable’ makes more sense. The two rupee biscuit, oily bajji, the versatile tea master who does juggling between tea varieties – tea, coffee, milk, black tea, lemon tea, ragi milk, horlicks, boost – and still maintaining the requested ratios – strong, medium, sugar and sugar less, the standard tea cup, the stained bench and the odd newspaper. All are part of a wonderful package. But along with them most men and few lucky women have to deal with another item which comes as part of the complete package. A complete Package Photo Courtesy: Pratap Sankar Smoke and the essence of the Tea kadai are qui...

Faith is an interesting concept and especially in a multi-religious country like ours, it takes complex forms. At times it could take a form of an 112-statue in a not-so-eco-friendly location completely transforming a pristine ecological region into an area bustling with human (alien) species. The opening of the first Adiyogi statue today in the foothills of Western Ghats triggers several questions whose answers could only be found in human irrationality. Spirituality before Environment? The statue to be inaugurated as a part of Isha Yoga Centre’s brand building stunt will be attended by a guest none other than the Honorable Prime Minister of India. The Centre’s website states that they have a project to increase Tamil Nadu’s green cover by 33%. But they could better if the center did not exist in a sensitive ecosystem. It has been widely proclaimed that the center has followed all the regulations in acquiring land, conducting festivals, drawing groundwater etc. In a country dr...

The Greatest Match of all Time: I have to make a confession here. Close to a decade ago, Federer and Nadal met in 2008 Wimbledon final. Critics expected a classic but few would have declared that it would go down as possibly the greatest tennis match played in the Open Era. Being a fanatic of Federer's game I ought to have watched the complete match. Federer had lost the first two sets when he was leading 5-4 in the third, the match was suspended due to a rain delay. I did not know what came over me or maybe it was already late to bed or maybe I had an exam the next day (you know about the Indian schooling system). I draped the bedsheet over me and turned off the lights pretty convinced from the way the game had progressed that the match will be over soon. I was shocked to see the front page of ' The Hindu'  next morning. I vividly remember the picture, of Federer and Nadal with the title 'Grasscourt Gladiators'. The newspaper said that the match was into the f...

When Jallikattu was banned in 2014 there was a temporary furor in the State of Tamil Nadu. Two years hence few would have thought that widespread protests would engulf the State. In defiance of the SC orders, there were at least 30 isolated incidents of Jallikattu. In Alanganallur and Paalamedu predominant places where Jallikattu is organized saw protests close to a day with youth thronging from every corner of the State in spite of attempts by the police to block important routes. Keeping the flame alive: These incidents present an opportunity for introspection and analysis to understand and address fundamental issues which led to the ban in the first place.  The battle must be shifted from on-field protests and social media to discussion rooms and the court where the Supreme Court ban could be effectively challenged. The fundamental reason for the SC banning the rural sport was on the ground of ‘cruelty to animals’ empowered by the provisions of the legislation Prevention...

New Year’s Eve in Bengaluru proved to be a nightmare for women who were out in the streets. The event termed as ‘mass molestation’ involved reports of men groping and assaulting women in large numbers. Following this, the usual series of chapters which follow such horrendous events played out. Few politicians blamed women for being in the ‘wrong place and time’. As expected, ‘western culture’ was blamed as the reason why such incidents happen. Newspaper editorials blossomed with administrative suggestions to tackle such ‘incidents’ if they happen in future. You would broadly find the recommendations under four major heads: gender-sensitive education, effective changes in police administration, dedicated courts for handling cases against women for speedy disposal, call for legislations with stringent punishments. The above-mentioned measures are indispensable if we are to progress socially but they miss something fundamentally important. The incident highlights that there is a...