It's Official !!

With ramifications as diverse as a mad scramble for dwindling "high profile" jobs to investigating the Satyam-swindle in fresh perspective researchers have found conclusive proof that
"Wealthy men give women more orgasms."

If scientists from the Newcastle University are to be believed women are hard-wired to be "gold-diggers" making the popular notion of "rich-girl-poor-boy" love-stories one of the most enduring myths in human history. Stumbling upon another detailed analysis of what is known as 'evolutionary psychology' I came across wisdom of the following kind:

" .....for the week or so in each month when women are at their most fertile they are programmed to seek out the men with the “best” genes - the ones most likely to ensure their children survive. That means the man with the biggest muscles, the squarest jaw or, nowadays, the biggest bulge in his wallet. Such men are hard to keep so, once impregnated, women may return to their gentler long-term partner and trick him into bringing up a child that is not his." [link to the entire article here]


Feeling pity for the "gentler long-term partner" ? No need to because this is nature's way of keeping everybody happy - The Fruits of Distributive Justice, the scientists would have us believe.

While the coy moralist might find such studies in human nature to be an unwelcome affirmation of plunging social standards the bold ranger will take it as a nod of approval for his more adventurous pursuits. With more such researches yielding 'favorable' results one or more of the following things might get to be a common occurrence in the near future:

1. Along with pleas of insanity and temporary indisposition the pursuit of partner's orgasm might become part of a relevant legal defense in cases of heists, scams and forgeries.

2. Paternity disputes might have to do away with DNA verification lest the entire social set-up plunge into Neanderthal chaos of a promiscuity pandemic.

3. "Identity Crisis" might become the new word for "Bastard".

4. 'Philandering Loans' might get sanctioned by banks to individuals found necessitous by female standards of wealth and prosperity.

5. Our MPs might volunteer their actual assets in carefully arranged press conferences. They might also be tempted to inflate them by a stretch.

6. "I am RICH! Are you GAME?" might become the most fashionable tee-shirt slogan.

7. Our film-stars might stop paying their taxes than waxing their chests.

8. The entire "poor class" might get obliterated from the face of the earth keeping to the 'survival of the fittest' principle.

And that would be one beautiful "climax" for the entire humanity.
Un-pun-intedly.

But to end it with words of one of the psychologists,

“In some ways it makes us seem almost evil but it’s wrong to impose moral judgments.
There are no morals involved in evolution."

- That makes evolution easy. Doesn't it ?

Post 26/11

The

The nation is in a state of mourning.

The shock-waves that stunned the country for 62 excruciating hours are now thawing into tearful farewells and heartrending wails, making us all aware, with every passing minute, of the terrible times we are living in and the juvenile sense of security we take to our beds every night.

Like in any great crisis, this one too has had its heroes – people who couldn’t care less about their own lives while saving others’. Some of them are being consigned to the flames as I write. Yet, before the fire in their pyres are out there will be legitimate queries from various quarters questioning the longevity of our outrage, the durability of this ire. And it is my personal belief that these people are not entirely wrong in suspecting our ability as a nation, as a polity and as a people to redress with a vengeance when wronged. History shows that we have always been a nation of the “Chalta hain” sluggards when it comes to prompt thinking and prompter action.

We bypass what is difficult; we overlook what is inconvenient.

The Sunday Hindustan Times had Vir Sanghvi in his Counterpoint column noting:

“Consider the US. Nobody blamed George Bush for 9/11. And for all his faults he was able to ensure that there would be no terrorist attack for the next eight years. Or think of England. The country was shocked by the 7/7 bombings. But politicians assured people that there would be no repeat and indeed, there’s been nothing since. Think of Indonesia. The Bali bombing has not been followed by any terrorist attack on that scale.

I can think of only three countries where terrorism reigns unchecked: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.”

Just think of the other two countries in the same bracket and you will get the picture. Over the years we have become a generous recipient of terrorism exported by our neighbors (Pakistan being our ‘Most Favored Nation’ in trade is a valid excuse, maybe), an endless sink for all the toxic spawned in ‘their’ backyards and our tirelessness in this department still doesn’t seem to be remotely disturbed. If we are playing our “war of attrition” card here, I doubt if we are winning, in any possible way.

No one denies that given a chance our politicians would never tire of milking the terror cow dry. Be it terror of any “genre” – Hindu, Muslim, separatist, revolutionary and they cannot wait to throw their hats in. Add to this scene few well-timed elections and you get the entire circus running full-steam, not ahead by an inch but in circles.

The Media also plays its part well in the greater scheme of things. Some news channels, in their rush to grab the TRPs, did not even pay heed to a Home Ministry advisory while televising the Mumbai Siege “LIVE”. Perhaps their intuition had told them that the minister himself would need advisories on post-retirement pension schemes soon. But they ended up spreading the terror for the terrorists in their wake and that didn’t help the cause in anyway. Talking of media personalities, it is better if I don’t write at length my recent disillusionment regarding some of them. People who are supposed to have transformed the news-watching habits of the entire nation by their “fire-brand, no-nonsense brand of journalism” were seen thrusting mikes at the faces of dazed victims grappling with their new found lives after a horrid ordeal. And all that for “How do you feel?” .Stray bullets come at a premium too, it seems. All the respect which I had for their sensitivity to human trauma and their courage to fight for lost causes had instantly vanished.

“ Give a big man a great job and see how small he can be ” – I remember to have read somewhere.

The Big Question then is - If TERRORISM could ever have a perceivable end any time in the foreseeable future?

If “yes”, How?

A Federal Agency to counter terror can only be effective if it is kept isolated from the ever evolving political dynamics in our country or else it will end up getting mired in filing scams and disproportionate assets – an abiding legacy of our ministers. Also, in the first place, the installation of such an agency would require amendment of the Constitution which enlists Law and Order as a State responsibility. If this agency is to focus all its resources in handling terrorist activities it would need much teeth and meddling in its affairs would only negate the initial enthusiasm and rarify its real purpose. Tackling this new brand of urban terrorism will need extensive intelligence networking and enforcement of stricter laws. A few people at the top should be made accountable for the actions of the Agency.

The promise that this much-touted Agency holds, even in its days of inception, is immense and so will be the ignominy if it fails. But, we would want ‘the powers that be’ to do anything to try and avoid another 26^th November as we have just had.

Links" rediff.com, hindustantimes.com

Bullets for that bubble-gum

The grisly inauguration of ‘gun-culture’ in India having been formally completed over a twelve year old’s body, the country is all abuzz with shock and consternation in no time.

But, didn’t we see it coming?

My answer is yes. We should have.

Moreover, if we fail to stem the rot with immediate effect ‘campus killings’ might get glamorized in no time in the coming future. Children fed on graphic images of blood and gore from a very tender age grow up to believe in the apparent acceptance of it in real society. Too much time spent on the virtual world of computers give them an entirely false impression about the ‘real’ world outside. Hence, when provocation, however minuscule, coupled with the juvenile indifference to restriction cloud their senses they choose violence as the form of apt retribution. Aiding these abettors in crime are factors like negligence and lack of attention from the parents’ end which slowly make the child attention-hungry. A chance to make the world stop and take note of you is but an extremely attractive proposition in those circumstances.

One incident of Abhishek Tyagi should act as an eye-opener to all of us before our university, college and school campuses become infested with psychopathic killers on the prowl. What’s most disturbing is the fact that the offender is said to have acted out of fear of his own life, owing to a previous death-threat by the victim to him.

Bullies are not a novel concept to schools and school-goers. Hence, the fact that a mere threat was perceived to be ‘real’ in nature and that the boy really thought that the victim could actually deliver on his threat is the point of measured consideration. Two twelve year olds taking a ‘death-threat’ seriously and acting upon it in a pre-emptive manner is something that the society as a whole must deliberate upon with grave concern.

Are guns becoming too easily available? Well, if you talk of Bihar, Jharkhand, UP (and lately our own Nandigram) the answer is “yes”. But by meaning ‘availability to the urban populace who apparently have no use of it’ one would say “yes” at the risk of being labeled an outright alarmist. So, should every parent wait till there are more reports of kids getting shot by their friends before they trash that ‘Resident Evil’ or ‘God of War’ cd? The answer is anybody’s call.

But, the future in case of unrestricted exposure of children to violence does seem gloomy from here. Our indulgent eye might be met with terrifying images when, five years from now, a DU or a CU campus might see a depressed maniac or a disgruntled lover on the rampage. Only this time there might not be a petty revolver in his hand. He might be wielding a blood-thirsty Kalashnikov, fully loaded.

And he might not turn out to be as saintly as our own Sanju baba.

Photo: from gettyimages.com

Paying Back in Costly Coins

“All quiet on the western front” seems to be the apt epithet for Nandigram going by the silence in its air which was resonating with gunfire till a few days back. As the apparent tragedy of us all living under a “just” Government settles into our conscience let me digress a bit to vent my then-exasperated-now-consolidated sense of shock and hurt at what happened in Nandigram.

We all know that the brutal retaliation by CPI (M) cadres was prompted by their state of homelessness for the past eleven months. Desperate in their bid to return to home and hearth they organized a clinical purge of the ‘occupying forces’ (read BUPC). Coupled with the complete breakdown of civil administration and the rule of law “something” had to be done from the Govt’s side to restore normalcy in the region. So, going by the ‘stated’ explanation issued from Writer’s Building, owing to the culmination of such serious factors it became imperative for initiation of a calculated and ruthless crackdown. ‘Installation of peace’ was the primary objective. The casualties were all collateral damage.

Point taken. And Rejected.

Any average informed person on the street would pose questions that ‘Alimuddin Street’ might grapple to answer on this issue. The structure of the argument would roughly be in the following format:

• Even after repeated assurances from the Chief Minister that the chemical hub would be shifted to some other place (Nayachar) the Haldia Development Authority did not withdraw the letter proclaiming land acquisition. Going by the Singur fiasco, no wonder that the farmers had scant trust in mere words. Repealing that letter of intent to acquire lands would have precluded all allegations by the Opposition and vacated the need for putting up resistance to police intervention in Nandigram and adjoining areas.

• Why is the Govt. hell-bent on industrializing farmlands at all? Food security cannot be relegated while prioritizing industry. Land-reforms being the single largest poll-plank over the years for the Communists it is imperative for them not to embrace industrialization at the cost of agriculture. Such blatant digression from their manifesto equally concerns their partners and detractors. Industry has to come up, plants need to be installed. But, not by being indifferent to the farmers and their livelihood. There are large tracts of unfertile land where plants might emerge and run smoothly. Why isn’t the Govt. putting its foot down on reallocating land to more conducive places in front of the demanding Corporate giants? Commerce cannot take precedence over basic human needs one must acknowledge. And its high time ‘Brand Buddha’ does.

• The present Chief Minister, a favorite with the city based intelligentsia (not so long ago), was lauded when he headed for ‘Industry Road’ disregarding firm opposition from certain quarters in his own party. In a way ‘Brand Buddha’ enjoyed unanimous support on his progressive policies. But somehow the forward-looking man in him succumbed to misjudgment, insisting on giving away large tracts of fertile land to the obstinacy of TATAs in Singur. Nandigram was even worse. Blood on police’s hands did not simplify matters and pressed with political compulsions in the form of upcoming Panchayat elections he had no choice. The only choice he was left with was a spate of bloody turf-wars to regain lost ground. That’s what he would have us believe. But no Sir. One always has a choice. Especially when one has to decide if to hand over restive parts to the CRPF to call in order or to ascent to a calculated carnage where party cadres rape, loot and ransack at will, only to stamp their authority as the ruling party. The man’s image has been sullied. And though public memory is short, the bloody scarlet of the Red flag might not always evoke images of the Great Revolution from now on. It might just be gory images from Khejuri and Garchakraberia that the 'Hammer and Sickle' would stand for.

• As news of the orchestrated pogrom filtered out from within the guarded corners of Nandigram the media aired it with an impassioned plea; unprecedented coming from quarters where Left-propensities are far too apparent. Intellectuals organized a historic march in condemnation of Govt. complicity and Kolkata saw the first congregation of its kind where thousands gathered by mere word of mouth; people came to condemn an atrocity, to vent outrage and all rallied under a strictly apolitical banner of ‘Humanity’. As an incredible counter-measure intellectuals sympathetic to the Govt. staged a rally to convey their solidarity and support. Even the Rain Gods couldn’t help but mar their march to shame that day. The CPI (M) in the name of a Peace-Rally organized a show of strength out of hired mobs the next day and' seasoned Marxists' breathed fire on non-conformists. Even the Governor’s non-partisan credentials were questioned. Was that not an act of abject desperation? Was that not prompted by a now permanent sense of power becoming synonymous with tyranny that a party state-secretary had the audacity to publicly question the political orientation of the Governor of the State? And that too because he condemned an act of terror as ‘unlawful and unacceptable’?

Show me a thriving democracy and I will show you a place where power doesn’t rot in the security of permanence.

Photos: Courtesy: rediff.com, tehelka.com

Popular Sizzler Hits the Mark

“Film-makers sell dreams in bottles”, they say. Coming out of the screening of ‘Om Shanti Om’ I am sure to have augmented ‘their’ number by one.

Come Friday afternoon and one needed to click no further than rediff.com or any news-portal to know all about the two films (the other being Bhansali’s Sawariyaa). ‘Om Shanti Om’ got mixed response as I found out on the net. Some speculated on its hackneyed story-line. Some drew out daggers to dissect the film’s apparent lack of substance, befitting of men used to watching ‘parallel cinema’ in empty multiplexes. I went to watch the film with a blank mind and a subdued eagerness which often accompany film-enthusiasts who have been recently dished out a cinematic dodomaa wrapped in a glittering gift-pack ( in the form of ‘No Smoking’. Ohhh! Don’t even remind me of that).

Watching the noon show of ‘OM SHANTI OM’ this Saturday in a packed house full of mad whistling and wild cheering changed all borrowed perceptions and premonitions about the film. The film is a thorough entertainer. So I thought.

Keeping with the traditions of upholding Bollywood-cliché the film doesn’t miss out on many. Farah Khan in this self-confessed tribute to the 70s has done much better than ‘Main Hoon Naa’, a film I came to despise marginally for its ‘lack of originality in copying’ Matrix-stunts. OSO opens by taking us to the 70’s of Hindi cinema where heroes in chequered suits and heroines in red convertibles (laden with giggling saheliyaan) used to hold sway. Shah Rukh Khan (as Om Prakash Makhija) is his own energetic self as a junior artist with dreams of making it big in the industry. He worships the screen diva, Shantipriya( the beautiful Deepika Padukone), whom he later rescues from a fire and expectedly love ensues between unequals in typical filmi style of yore. Only there is this problem of Arjun Rampal (playing the scheming film producer, Mukesh Mehra) spoiling the love-story for them. But, only for this life-time.

The second half sees a reborn Om Makhija as Om Kapoor(SRK of course) who is also a star-son enjoying all its attendant extravagance. Screaming headaches chase him to the discovery of his pichhlaa janm (previous life’s exploits). Suddenly there is vengeance in the air and a Sandy surfaces (Deepika in shorts, minis, spaghettis and shorts again. Well, that’s how Farah Khan decided to portray today’s modern woman. Goes down fine with the audience it seemed, from their cat-calls and all) to aid Khan in his mission. Then there is a twist in the tail of the tale. And then a happy ending.

The film is a sumptuous salad of all possible clichés ever employed in the services of Hindi cinema. From rebirth to forbidden love, from dreams coming true to poetic justice, from song and dance to filial love, we feel we have seen it all before. But, during the film we actually enjoy absorbing the time-worn plots and sequences, as if rolling them over our tongues to relish their old yet unforgettable tastes. Feeling just a tad nostalgic about the bygone days and their fashion symbols on our way. The spoofs on cine-stars of yesteryears are funny, the lookalikes poorly selected. The two romantic songs in “Ankhon mein teri...” and “Main agar kahoon....” are pleasantly melodious and craftily picturised. Shah Rukh is as vibrant as ever, a trait which has assured him his place at the top over the years. The passion which he brings into every character he plays is positively palpable to the audience, even sitting in the last row of a theater.

He does not belie expectations in OSO too. Delivering goods at every given opportunity (especially after an off-beat film like ‘Chak De! India’ did well) he has maintained his ‘Bankable’ status with style and much fanfare through OSO. Deepika Padukone is stunning and looks every bit the screen goddess she portrays in the film. But, only future can tell if she can perform, given a wider scope to actually act rather than just look ‘promising’. Kiron Kher and Sreyas Talpade perform to their brief and come up with flawless performances. Rampal looks menacing in his suits and sideburns. But what takes the cake, as promised, is the ‘31 star studded song’. “ The Song ” was enjoyable to the core (I actually counted all the 31 appear as others climbed up their seats for a little jig). It was mind-numbing entertainment. Totally in keeping with the Hindi filmi style.

No two ways about it.

‘Om Shanti Om’ will surely be a big commercial success. It might take some beating to equal its success even in the coming few years, I guess. And it will establish one thing beyond the scope of any doubt once again. That being, “We love our Masala films”. Even today.

Whether the advent of low-budget-meaningful-cinema ever overtake the grand success of magnum clichés like OSO waits to be seen in the future. Who knows.

“Kyonki.......

Picture abhie baaki hain mere dost.”

Photos: Courtesy: Rediff.com

Aschhey bochhor ........

With the last beats of the dhak the annual ritual of an ornate farewell is well complete. Life will settle down to trace its daily course amidst the settling dust from past revelries now. The dismantled bamboo-work and torn down banners still bear testimony to the joyous uproar that it was party to for a few days more. Lakshmi pujo will set in, and Kali-pujo/ Diwali will soon follow. The Bangali bhodrolok will go back to the chores of his office as will the reluctant housewife, albeit with a sigh of grudging acceptance.

But, amongst all these tell-tale signs of morose dejectedness there will be the slightest flicker of hope. ‘The hope’ of seeing off the coming eleven months in a hurry. ‘The hope’ of welcoming Maa back into her parental abode. ‘The hope’ that springs eternal in every Bengali heart and makes them sustain the rigors of a tortuous year with abiding tolerance.

Observing through the skeptic’s glasses, when the pandal-hopping child in me occasionally rested on a chair to catch his breath and wet his throat, I observed a series of monumental changes setting into our festivities, almost unnoticed.

As some of my friends observed during our Pan-Kolkata Thakur-dekhaa – expeditions,

“Boddo commercial hoye jachhe puro bepaarta.”

I stood in opposition to this vein of thought. I was emphatic on the point that Durga Pujo , like any other event of such scale and participation, needed funding. It’s only our economy that has got to do with the corporates having all the money and so they are bound to get roped in if BIG MONEY is to be spent. And money always means advertisements and commodification.

No denying this fact.

But, Big Money does not necessarily mean less of bhakti. The latter connects to an individual on a personal, more intimate level, having nothing to do with the pomp and show. Of course a sense of enthusiasm coupled with commerce may cloud the solemn ambience that a traditional pujo may have enjoyed in the past. But, good things always come at a cost. Don’t they?

I wonder if the smug tradition-ist would be better off enduring the sight of a dying Sarbojonin-pujo in a dilapidated pandal, reeking of a whimpering budget. I might sound profane in directly connecting wealth to worship, but I have my theory. Agreed that ‘the spirit’ cannot be caged within the confines of ‘want’, but when one has the opportunity to aggrandize, why not make the most of it?

But, my friends too have a valid point when their arguments are dissected in the light of reason and pragmatic foresight. I could sense a deep suspicion emanating out of their skepticism in ‘Corporatization of Pujos’. There looms large a possibility that our next generation would be treated to ‘theme-pujos’ where the idol and her iconic symbolism is lost in the dazzle of the decor or the minutiae of the art-work in the mandap. People might not even offer a cursory look of reverence to the devi , engrossed in the frivolities the adjoining fair would offer. At the thought of such a grim possibility I shudder with appalled apprehension.

Like always ‘A Middle Path’ seems to be the way to go. Money should be allowed to dominate the proceedings up till a certain extent and no more. Demarcation of commerce and piety should be stark and clear.

For wealth is only a currency of commodity, but prayer a path to peace.

Shuvo Bijoyaa !!!!

"Oasis of Peace". Who ?

Though this is coming excruciatingly late from me still, I feel this had to come sooner or later.

Constraints of time cannot be forever for a vagabond, and constraints of indifference to a shrieking social issue have still to manifest their symptoms in me.

So, here’s my take on The Rizwanur Episode.

Largely perceived as the murder of Justice, Love and Secularism in this “Oasis of Peace” the death of Rizwanur Rehman has surely triggered a rare outcry for justice and retribution in and around Kolkata. It is more than heartening to note that the classes and masses have for once joined hands in condemning the incidents leading to the death of the young graphics teacher amidst the most suspicious of circumstances. Add to it the involvement of top brass police officers gracing Lalbazar cabins running for cover at the outset of inquiry and what you get is a perfect recipe for a gripping thriller. The dilatory tactics being employed by the Govt. in hope of pressure diffusing by the time Pujas end are too apparent to be missed.

Reprieve won’t be that easy this time.

I have firm believe in the endurance of zeal in the numerous protestors thronging streets and candle-light vigils in memory of the hapless victim and I am sure their guard wouldn’t be lowered, their pitch wouldn’t get subdued with time. It is imperative of the Govt. to affirm its subscription to the hallowed ideals of Justice and Fairness and there won’t be a better time than this. The more it tries to protect the wrong-doers in the garb of unhurried enquiries the more it would contribute in tarnishing its own image. The Chief Minister, who not before too long was being cited as an apostle of Progress is no longer the innocent with unbloodied hands. He should take this opportunity as one last chance to repair his image and reinstate faith in his credentials.

As an involved follower of the course of events I noted certain highlights in this episode.

1. The influence of Orkut in building public opinion and garnering support is fast becoming a ‘force to reckon with’. It is undeniable that the fact that Rizwanur was a popular teacher amongst his students and their sharp response (via Orkut) to his unnatural and untimely death did help immensely in mobilizing large-scale support within hours.

2. Alimuddin Street isn’t too warmly united on this issue.

3. The eroding Muslim vote base has to be addressed. Some damage control measures are to be taken. Krishnendu Das might well be the scapegoat. The I.P.S are a “untouchable lot”, they say.

4. The Chief Minister is sure to loose some ground if he doesn’t manage to salvage some pride and restore order in his house by the earliest. Nadigram followed by Rizwanur is not so much of a soporific. Is it ?

5. There’s a cricketing angle to it too. But, Thank God that it concerns the administrators – ‘The loathed lot.’ Our cricketers could do with less publicity than this.

6. It isn’t getting too Cozi for Ashok Todi. A C.B.I enquiry would mean some “andar ki baat...” spilling out into the open.

7. One must think thrice before marrying a rich merchant’s daughter who isn’t too warm to the idea of securing a ‘so-so’ Jamai.

8. The matter is sub judice. I might get jailed for posting this. This late.

photo: courtesy: NDTV

Sweet 60 !!

As our 60-th Independence Day dawn on us amidst the veritable din of patriotic songs and parades it’s almost time the new generation paused to ponder for a while and took stock of things. A country celebrating 60 years of independence from foreign rule should be considered a ‘Mature Democracy’ judging by world standards and it would be juvenile to associate the same pomp and show, the same joy and jubilation that was characteristic of its 50^th year bash. Sentiments must take a back-seat now. Awareness must reign supreme. One as in his individual capacities and the nation in its entirety must take a more circumspect, a more futuristic approach to the road ahead. And that’s where, I feel, our true emancipation lies.

Though dollops of newsprint have been already spent on driving home such points and instilling nationalism amongst the fast-paced youth of today I am sure, as happens every year, the fizz would soon fizzle out from such an endeavor. Headlines would soon be snatched by issues more appealing than idle retrospection typically unsuited to business over a prolonged period. Though cynical it may seem to some still, there remain much to be questioned and much to be answered regarding the conduct of the annual rituals of the ‘Great Indian Independence Itch’. Every year in build-up to this momentous day articles are written, debates are organized; documentaries are televised as to how far we have come. Hackneyed questions are raised. Is this the best that we could have done? What should be our approach towards the future? How we should be feeling proud of our heritage, our freedom struggle and our motherland. How can the youth be further inspired in nationalism and loyalty? And everybody jumps in to convey their well thought out opinions. But what we miss within this bedlam of celebratory banter is the very essence of independence that we savor within this chaos. The fact that India as a nation has graduated to higher pedestals of self-actualization and freedom is evident in the very fact that today almost every one has an opinion. There is a collective consciousness at work, a great sea of humanity that is aware of its challenges and expectations. There can be no doubt that people have learnt to ask for their dues. But what on the other hand is depressing is the inability of the administration to ensure that they are actually addressed.

Though the progress made cannot be denied over these past 60 years in fields of science and technology, trade and commerce, burgeoning job-markets at home and abroad, mushrooming of industries and entrepreneurs, an impressive GDP, growth-rate on an upward climb numerous issues remain unattended or ill-diagnosed. Education is still to see the upward spiral that was so solemnly promised from the eve of our first Independence Day, urban congestion wed to problems of population and pollution are demons leading us to doomsday by the passing hour, corruption remains as perceptible as the pole-star on clear nights and the political system is still to be made suitably accountable to the masses. Still, as a true Indian I continue to be an unrelenting optimist though streaks of cynicism escape out of my system every now and then.

So, here’s hoping India a prosperous next sixty years. Sixty years that would generate more wealth for its people, more power to its voters, more choice to its consumers, sanity to its ministers, and peace to its neighbors.

Jai Hind!