India in "Wealth of the Nations"

Singapore's population of of US dollar Millionaires surged by a staggering 21.2 percent last year to 66,660 - the fastest growth rate in any nation in the world. Singapore was followed closely by India with 20.5 percent growth, Indonesia (16 percent) and Russia (15.5 percent). Along with this list we also see that Indian economy is growing with a rate of more than 9 percent. India has a ecnomically wide middle class of 300 million plus population. 12 Indian companies have figured in the latest list of “Fabulous 50” of prestigious international magazine Forbes Asia. These Indian firms are Bajaj Auto, Bhel, Infosys, ITC, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, L&T, Satyam Computers, Sterlite Industries, Tata Motors and Wipro. This is the second annual Fab 50 list, the best o Asia Pacific’s publicly-traded companies with revenues or market capitalization of at least $ 5 billion. According to a study conducted by the global consultancy and research major Ernst and Young, India has emerged as the second biggest foreign investor (first is the US) in the United Kingdom with nearly three-fold jump in the number of projects announced by Indian companies there in the first half of 2006. The Sensex has crossed the 13000 mark and on October 30, 2006 it closed 0.91 per cent higher at 13,024.26 points. Foreign funds have invested $6.3 billion this year in the Indian market, which has risen 38.6 per cent in 2006, as compared to last calendar year’s 42 per cent gain.

However, the other side of India's success story potrays a gloomy picture. The benefits of this growth has not trickled down to the grassroots. It has concentrated within the elite sphere and among the middle class which has spread a culture of consumerism. More than 260 million people live below the poverty line and more than 268 million people are still suffering from food insecurity. India is placed at the 48th position having 31.4 percent value in the Human Poverty Index 2004 where as Maldives and Sri Lanka secures the 17th and 36th rank in the list of 95 developing countries. In India today 34.7 percent of the population live with an income below $ 1 a day and 79.9 percent below $ 2 a day. Nearly nine out of 10 pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years suffer from malnutrition and about half of all children (47%) under five suffer from underweight and 21 percent of the populations are undernourished.

Though, it is a proud moment for us that the market economy has helped us overcoming the "Hindu Rate of Growth", we should find ways to effectively utilise the political apparatus to make economic growth inclusive and distribute its benefits among the the poor and marginalised sections of the society. The concentration of economy among the "choosen few" will increase the gap and create a society unsustainable in the long run.

Politics in Pakistan

Political climate has changed in Pakistan and along with it the affiliation and loyalty of the political leadership. Since the time of General Musharraf who deposed the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan has been facing political and institutional crisis. Democracy is deliberately derailed in the name of the interests of the people. Political instability and loss of social order defines the climate. The recent Failed States Index has placed Pakistan at 12 with a total of 100.1 points. It even scores less than Bangladesh in the ranking of Failed States. The question one might ask why despite of various paradoxes, Indian democracy has become sturdier over time while the democracy in Pakistan has been struggling to survive. The reasons could be two fold – (1) history of military, and (2) nature of political leadership.

As the history of Pakistan tells us the Military has, unlike India, remained active and constantly interfered in its political affairs. The military intervention has often resulted in the replacement of legitimate regimes (may not be stable) elected by the peoples of Pakistan. It has interfered in the process of consolidation and deepening of the institutions of democracy with heavy hands. Coercion and control replaced the politics of consent and compromise. The question is who decides what is good for the people? Is it the army or the populist leaders of a corrupt political structure? Have ever the people gotten the chance to decide the fate of the country? Definitely yes through controlled elections! But the nature of participation of the people is not free of coercion. They are told to be free but the dynamics of power structure and the politics of control remain omnipresent. Pritish Nandy says that “Freedom is like virginity. You either have it or you don’t. There are no in-betweens. You can’t promise freedom with clauses and caveats”. And same is the case in Pakistan. There has never been a free and fair election or the people are never allowed to express things the way they want. The vested interest politicians and power brokers join hands, in the name of people, for the realization of private interests. This is similar in case of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who used to be known for their political rivalry, are now coming together to fight for the return of democracy in Pakistan. It remains to be seen how genuine their interest is? In the Charter of Democracy, though Benazir Bhutto calls for a commission to fix responsibility for what happened in Kargil, she seemed reluctant to take the name of General Musharraf in an interview with Karan Thapar in Devil’s Advocate and people also say that “she is quietly doing a deal with him on the side". I would not be surprised if Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif joins General Musharraf in name of establishing “Democracy” in Pakistan. The answer lies with time....

India's Traditional Corporate Ladder

Paint My Love

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Some Mallu Jokes !!

1) What is the tax on a Mallu's income called? IngumDax
2) Where did the Malayali study? In the ko-liage.
3) Why did the Malayali not go to ko-liage today? He is very bissi.
4) Why did the Malayali buy an air-ticket? To go to Thuubai, zimbly to meet his ungle in Gelff.
5) Why do Malayalis go to the Gelff? To yearn meney.
6) What did the Malayali do when the plane caught fire? He zimbly jembd out of the vindow.
7) How does a Malayali spell moon? MOON - Yem Woh yet another Woh and Yen
8) What is Malayali management graduate called? Yem Bee Yae.
9) What does a Malayali do when he goes to America? He changes his name from Karunakaran to Kevin Curren.
10) What does a Malayali use to commute to office everyday? An Oto
11) Where does he pray? In a Temble, Charch and a Maask
12) Who is Bruce Lee's best friend ? A Malaya-Lee of coarse.
13) Name the only part of the werld, where Malayalis dont werk hard? Kerala.
14) Why is industrial productivity so low in Kerala? Because 86% of the shift time is spent on lifting, folding and re-tying the lungi
15) Why did Saddam Hussain attackKuwait? He had a Mallu baby-sitter, who always used to say 'KEEP QUWAIT' 'KEEP QUWAIT'
16) What is the Latest Malayali Punch Line? " Frem Tea Shops To Koll Cenders , We Are Yevery Where "
17) Why aren't Mals included in hockey and football teams ? Coz Whenever they get a corner , they set up a tea shop.
18) Now pass it on to 5 Mals to get a free sample of kokanet oil.
19) Pass it on 10 Mals to get a free pack of Benana Chibbs.
20) Pass it on to 15 Mals to get a set of BROGUN bones....


From: Satyen Gautam

Nobody Loves Noone

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There is no Love?

While discussing about the understandings of love and marriage, my idealistic vision got yet another blow when I pointed out that love is nothing but mutual trust and commitment. "Of course not, there is no Love. It is all about mutual interests" says a friend of mine. Though not a Marxist, his materialistic interpretations of human relationship was surprising. Frankly speaking, I exactly do not know what to write.It is pretty simple saying that the understanding of social phenomena is subjective and thus the opinions vary from person to person and in context. However, the question is, is there a sense of truth in what he said, which I never though of. I could not, for long, take it for granted that human relationships, especially related to love and marriage can take the form of materialistic exchange and mutual interests. I realised,he may be true in some sense. Analyse the unsuccessful relationships between husband and wife which broke off because the husband was unable to fulfill the needs of his beautiful wife OR the groom who left the marriage because the brides parents were unable to pay the required dowry OR the amount of dowry you need to pool together to find a suitable groom for your daughter. I may sound very materialistic but it is the truth. I donot claim that all relationships are grounded on economic interests. It could take any form. I watched this movie called "the Blades of Glory" where the successful scaters utilise their sister to pretend loving the opponent who have the chance of winning the competition. They also asked her to have sex with the partner of her lover; so that the relationship will be broken and they would not be together to fight the scating championship.

Relationships have always been primary to my "self". I grow with them and learn from them. I always thought love and marriage bring some of the moments in human life which expect mutual, unconditional commitment and trust. But... the word "unconditional" hurts you when the word "mutual" cease to exist. You love someone but if the other pretends doing it, the result, then, becomes painful.

The Col. James Tod International Award

The Col. James Tod International Award was instituted in 1996-97. Ten notable individuals have been awarded to date. For the detailed list, see the previous honor roll list. This year Maharana Mewar Foundation is proud to give this award to famous scholars from USA, Prof. Lloyd I. Rudolph and Prof. Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, jointly for promoting the values of "Eternal Mewar" through their scholastic brilliance.

Prof. Lloyd I. Rudolph and Prof. Susanne Hoeber Rudolph are Professors Emeritus of the University of Chicago, one of America's leading research universities. Susanne Rudolph is a past president of the Association for Asia Studies and of the American Political Science Association. The Rudolphs have been contributing to knowledge about India in general and Rajasthan in particular since 1956 when they arrived in Jaipur after an overland journey by Land Rover from London. The journey took six weeks and took the Rudolphs across Europe into turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and over the Khyber Pass into the Indian subcontinent. Research in India and Rajasthan in subsequent years resulted in two of the Rudolphs early books, The Modernity of Tradition (1967 and 1983) and Essays on Rajputana (1984).

Lloyd, Susanne and the King - Arvind Singhji Mewar

By 1968 it became clear that scholars studying Rajasthan in the US, Europe and Japan would benefit from improved knowledge about each other’s work and research interests, As a result the Rudolphs launched the Rajasthan Studies Group, an informal network that facilitated the exchange of information, analysis and interpretation. In 1982 the Rajasthan Studies Group was formally constituted as an affiliating organization of the Association of Asian Studies. Over the next few years the Rudolphs with Karine Schomer of the University of California, Berkeley began planning for an international conference on Rajasthan studies.

The result was the first international seminar on Rajasthan studies in 1987 and the launching if the Institute of Rajasthan Studies. The Rudolphs secured substantial funding for the first conference from the Ford Foundation and the National Science foundation and Professor Chandra and Dr. Joshi secured financial support from the Indian Council of Social Science Research. The first conference was the source of most of the papers published in the two-volume work, the idea of Rajasthan. The second international conference, held in Udaipur, was funded in part by the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation Udaipur. Subsequently there have been three more international conferences for a total of five. In addition to the two volumes work that emerged from the first international conference, four edited volumes were published based on papers presented at the subsequent international conferences.

Starting with their first research year in 1956-57, the Rudolphs have returned to India every fourth year through 1999-2000 to conduct research. Of their thirteen books, three have dealt with Rajasthan. Subsequent to 2000, they have returned on an annual basis for the months of January through March to their residence at Jaipur. One result of those years of research in Rajasthan is their recent innovative volume (with the late Thakur Mohan Singh of Kanota), Reversing the Gaze: Amar Singh’s Diary, A Colonial Subject’s Narrataive of Imperial India (oxford 2001, 2002, 2005). Another is the co-edited path breaking two volume work – The Idea of Rajasthan. Currently they are at work on Col James Tod that will include several of their essays on Tod’s East India Company letters in Selections from the Ochterlony Paper (1818-1825) in the national Archives of India, N. K. Sinha and A.K. Dasgupta, editors; and annotated versions of hitherto unpublished Tod letters, manuscripts and financial records.

Transformation

Enough of this worldly aiffair! Now time for Transformation into Babadom!! Time of Enlightenment on the banks of river Ganges. You must be thinking that I am loving this babadom. But, I hope you could guess from my smile.......

Love to Kill

Garima and Sahoo

Killing brings fear on the face of the victim. And this of course not. This was a deliberate act of showing something which was not happening. Just like when get hurt your trouser is untorn but your skin is scratched........similar lah........ I was pleased come down (as a result of their meditation) to kill the devils from their mind and heart.

Loves Being Captured

Vitasta

She loves being captured in the Camera! I enjoyed her company though. She is intellectually stimulating and intensely caring. They (She and Garima) always asked me questions and the instant reply I offered was "Why Should I tell You" which later became their tag line for me. And they teased me that way the whole period they were in Rajasthan.

Here, I Come ........

Vitasta, Bapi and Garima on Meditation

See my religious desciples - Vitasta and Garima. This Picture is taken at the Shiva Temple at the top of the mountain. Well, we all are pretending to be doing meditation. Guess what? When they started the meditation I was not there. And you know a girl coming to a Shiva Temple and doing meditation means what? And thats why I am there........Look at the smile on their face.....Eyes not open but they can feel me........

Being Religious for a While.......

Mata Garima, Vitasta and Bapi

I am not a fundamentalist, but love going to religious places and attending functions and cerimonies - be Hindu, Islam or Christian. Luckily I met these two beautiful ladies beside me who had the same instinct. Vitasta was indeed much more than me. She was very religious and forced me and Garima to go to a Shiva Temple at the top of the mountain which is more than 14 k.m up and down. Well we did it. This was inside the complex of another Shiva temple beside the river. Its called the "Badrana Mahadev".

An Evening in Delhi

Aletha

It was in Delhi, Aletha visited me. And we had a wonderful Ice Cream and Masala Tea at Nirulas, Cannaught Place. I remember her being a wonderful friend but more as a person with "Cultural Confusion". She always had hard time understanding the confusing Indian way of giving signs to a girl. I hope she has managed to overcome those confusions.

The Little Krishna

While doing my fieldwork in Jhadol (Udaipur), We came accross a religious congregation which continued for few days and we became a familiar face at the function. This is the picture of a little guy who was dressed like Krishna at the function and dancing all through. I called him the "Little Krishna".

Nehru and I

Don't wonder about the heading! I was never Nehru's friend. This is a new Statue which came up recently at the Jawaharlal Nehru Univesity Administrative Building in New Delhi. People were forgetting him and his contribution and it was just a soft way of imposing to remember the dead. Being an Alumni, thought to have him beside me and remember his contribution of making India a modern Nation-State.

Setting Sun

At Home, with causins, on the rooftop, I was watching the setting sun; its changing colours and dying moments. Death is inevitable - but the Sun was dying to reborn the next day. It was disappearing from some people's lives to appear in some others; to illuminate their lives. Similar is the life of the human beings. Some die to reborn (I believe in the theory of "Karma" and "Rebirth" parhaps); Some breakoff, to find a new one; and so on.......

Sex Symbol

It has never been easy for me being a sex symbol. Of course I tried, and tried and tried in my ignorance. I never thought about what I was doing untill the day when they brought it to me. They acknowledged my hard work and recognised the fact that "ITS NOT EASY BEING A SEX SYMBOL".(Kidding Lah.....)

Kicking Off Together

You must be wondering what is this get together? Well, these are some of my friends in the department (all bastards) who got together to kick me off to India when I was supposed to go for field work last year. They were sick of me and same was the feeling in my side. I wanted a break from them and they wanted from me. Well, the good thing was that the feeling was mutual. This place is called "Al-majilis" - its a fine Arabian Restaurant at the Bugis Street. The food is indeed delicious. We often escape to refuge here from the Permanent Head Damage (PhD).