A Selective Empathy

Hi दोस्तों !

Things have wildly changed probably since the last time either Anand or I posted here.
I never thought I'd ever come back here but I suddenly remembered this existed and I decided to give it a peek. I'm highly embarrassed at all the things I have posted here, but oh how great would it be to go back to a world where I posted without a care in the world and with no regard for what people thought of me.

Unrelated to the above exposition of a paragraph, I thought I'd revive the one blog where I actually posted stuff (probably because of peer pressure let's be honest) so that I can actually have some sort of opinion on the internet once again. A lot of people have in the recent past taken to Twitter for these reasons and though it's indeed quite a feat to manage to write an entire story in 140 characters, I'd like to have my own personal freedom from that word limit and be able to express freely. (Though, again, my mind wanders and I realize how insane the pressure must be to write a screenplay say - for a 20 minute TV episode or a 1.5 hour long movie that is being made from a book that was around 600-1000 pages long.)

But I'm not a writer, and as time (and this blog) is testament to this- I never worked on my prose or poetry writing or my story-telling any further. (Story-telling... hmm that is debatable, but hey! I have become a huge fan ((evidently)) of the parenthesis. What an excellent invention.) But who knows maybe in the next 10 years, this could change? Hmm.

One of the things on my mind over the past few days is this post I read about the films that won the Oscars this year. For people living under a rock, the Korean film 'Parasite' won best director and best overall film while the film 'Joker' won best actor. The reason I brought up only these two films is the point of this article.

Recently, a Facebook friend of mine wrote his opinion about these two movies in particular and said he was getting tired of films making him feel hollow inside as he left the movie hall. He was tired of movies not making him root for the main characters, because he had no empathy for them because they were pieces of shit, and that he was hoping they'd die so that the movie would end.

This was kind of a jarring opinion to digest because I personally LOVED the film 'Parasite' and although I haven't seen the film 'Joker', I am an ardent follower of the DC universe and simply love the depth of character afforded to all the villains that share that world. I read and re-read that entire little rant, and was trying to look at it from the perspective of the writer.

I am entirely for the notion of trying to see things from another's perspective. I have tried over and over again over the years to open my mind to a bunch of things that I thought was not my thing- metal music, the cartoonist Crumb, David Lynch films... just to name a few. Over time, David Lynch has slowly inched his way to my list of personal favorite directors (and although I cannot say the same for metal music and the cartoonist Crumb- I know and can appreciate the kind of musical prowess that goes into the making of metal music and the kind of skill that goes into the pornographic imagery of a cartoonist like Crumb.)

The more times I read that rant, the more I understood what he meant by it, for sure. For some people, cinema is a release. People want to go to the movies to forget. The world is a slimy, gross place and some people want to go to the movies to escape it- to be freed from the burden of seeing gritty dark things and to also escape into the life of another likable human being. For many people, this likable human being needs to be someone who they consider above their own selves, someone who can clearly be visible as the better person. However, the moment the time comes for these people to put themselves in the shoes of someone who they consider a 'worse' person than themselves, or a 'less likable' person- it gets harder for them to be empathetic towards them.

And why not? This is actually a regular and almost too human of a thing. This little article from this point on could go in two probable directions. I could talk about the responsibility of films to feed into this feel-good feeling that people need in today's world of dwindling values and happiness, or I could get into the other side of this- the empathy we lack towards the 'lesser human'.

No points for which direction this article is going to go in.

For one, what's the constituency of this 'lesser human' and how can one decide who or what this person is? How can one decide who falls into this bracket of an awful person and who does not?

If we consider the movie 'Parasite'; the movie was pointing a finger of blame at the economy and the rules of society, and was a direct interpretation of the phrase 'society makes a man'. The protagonist family in this film are not the 'good people' because the things they did to get their way were in no ways legal. But then, who were the good people in this film? Clearly it was not the rich family which was blissfully unaware of being duped by the poor family either, as they had their own vices- again a direct consequence of society and its rules. The point of this movie was to make us realise the situations that lead to people being the way they are, and the reasons they cannot escape from their reality, no matter how much they try to.

Are any of these people in any way, lesser human beings? Aren't all people what their situation and environment makes them? Is anyone born evil? Can you not be empathetic towards a criminal? Is it wrong to not want to watch the story of a person driven to crime?

Most of these questions have answers that are firmly based in subjective opinion- because the quality of empathy is entirely subjective. If you think you cannot be empathetic towards a person who has decided on a life of crime, could it be that that particular movie is not for you? Maybe. I watched Sonic The Hedgehog yesterday and one of the things Dr. Robotnik said to James Marsden's character (I already forgot his name, what was it? Tom? Not relevant.) was that he was bullied when he was little and he got his revenge on the bully soon enough. So if he was bullied- you would probably feel bad for him, but he decided to get his revenge and he grew up to be an evil vengeful villain... so is that confusing for all the empaths out there? Are you wondering if you are rooting for the right person?

'Art for Art's Sake' has for long been such a contested little saying but it makes all the difference in the world. Cinema is a reflection of humanity, and if society isn't represented by cinema- is cinema even portraying humanity well at all?

The fun thing about the world of cinema is that there is something for everyone. And maybe, just maybe, that's the beauty of it all.

A two billion dollar stor(e)y

Antilla, a $2 billion home in downtown Mumbai. The richest residence in the world.

Its immodest stats have been flaunted all over the press; 600 working staff for maintenance, 6-floor parking for a capacity of 168 cars, three helipads, a movie theater, personal health-centers for each of the five family members, lush sprawling gardens on every level, over-stretched 27 floors (that in standard measurements would have resulted in 60 floors), and all the jazz one could ask only Alladin's genie for.

Obviously, this has led to heated debates. Some view Bill Gates' - and other Western billionaires' - philanthropic lifestyle as the modest comparison that should be adopted by India's rich. Others suggest the evident contrast between rich and poor in India is woeful: a $20 home next to a $2billion one. Having walked on Mumbai's Altamount road just a few months back, home of the Antilla, I can vouch for the bitter display of inequality.

Even India's Prime Minister has had something to say. He, politely, asked India's rich to "show moderation and to lead by example." Hmmmmmmmmm.....

. . . . .  This case holds an interesting argument. On one hand, there are social and environmental ethics involved, while on the other, its his money afterall. Frankly, who the hell are we to be potential financial advisers telling him how to spend his billions?

Lets give Mukesh Ambani a break. He hasn't done something unheard of. Historically, showing off money and power has been a hobby of the rich - Ancient Egyptians, Mughals, modern day Westerners, and Arab Sheikhs. Everyone has participated...everyone is guilty.

Shah Jahan, the great Mughal emperor, built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife. The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia - at a time when the only form of inter regional transport was that of the foot. Over 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants were employed during the entire 22-year construction period. What made it worse was that all the 22,000 workers had their hands mutilated (so that building a replica of the Taj would be impossible.) The same can be said for Egyptian pyramids. The amount of money and resources spent on such structures, if calculated in today's denomination, has been an incredulously brutal waste.

Our response to the Taj Mahals and the Pyramids of Giza? The United Nations (UNESCO) names them World Heritage sites. 

Back to modern India. 2 billion dollar homes are not built everyday. Antilla must be given its due rather than be the topic of bitching at dinner tables, "Oh, Ambani is a crazy man." 

The prime concerns of lavish living, are these:  social inequality and environmental inefficiency.

Social Inequality: Had Mukesh Ambani had not spent his money the way he has, would India's social inequality woes have ceased to exist? Or, realistically, diminished even marginally? Social Inequality exists as it has since the times of ancient India thousands of years ago. It may not have been as stark as it is now, with Antilla in the frame. But the cover-page doesn't change the contents of the book.

On the contrary, Antilla is a brand ambassador of the new power rising in India. Else, all Mumbai had to offer was British era built infrastructure, overcrowded trains, and slums (as shown to the world in Slumdog Millionaire.)

To those suggesting Ambani should have given away $2 billion to poor instead,  I would like to ask: how much do you, Sir/Ma'am, give to the poor or social initiatives as percentage of your total wealth?

Meanwhile, $2 billion have trickled down the Indian economy. Laborers, manufacturers, engineers, consultants, drivers - there have been jobs created, and families have been given whole new livelihoods. I'm glad he spent his money this way; there are people who have been rewarded for their hard-work, tangibly.

The real downside of the whole episode is this: If one rich man has done it, it paves way for other rich men to do the same. People are inspired to lead such inefficient lifestyles, leading to inefficient consumption of society's limited resources. The environmental consequences can be troubling. Honestly, I can't defend this aspect of the argument with a fitting argument. But here's what we're doing, like we do all the time: on 9/11 2752 people were victimized. Over time, America has waged wars on the Middle East and plunked hundreds of billions of dollars; and the general American population is still haunted by that memory. But today itself, as you read this post, close to 30000 people have died all around the world from under nutrition related issues. Which one is more pressing in terms of lives lost? Where have we focused our energies instead?

Give Ambani his due, he's created a marvel.

The Blackberry mess.

A new security issue that has been boiling up. Which has different perpendiculars to it.

The Blackberry saga. That hi-fi business phone which has got all the savvy features.

The Indian leadership (along with that of several others - including UAE, Indonesia, Lebanon, etc) has a problem with its founders - Research In Motion (RIM).
The issue is this, quite simply: The government can't intercept data (ie emails and instant messages/chats) exchanged via blackberries. Which, rightly, poses a threat to the nation's security.

But, the rhetoric is here to stay - will terrorists/illegal elements stop functioning if the blackberry (worst come to worst) is banned? Is this a solution? Because we can't monitor XYZ, ban it?

Now, lets assume the Blackberry is banned. Great. So the government can have a record of all data being shuffled around in this system. Great (for the nation's security). But if you block me passage by an airline, won't I start using the train. If you block me passage by train, won't I use a car? Now you're not going to get cars off the roads!

They'll find new ways!
But why inconvenience the public because of this?

Or, this could open up another dimension, does the government want to keep all reins with itself (in the name of national security) but actually use it for espionage, or other benefits to elements of it? Yes, this is a highly fictional angle. But definitely worth pondering over.

So this should be an eye-opener. Tomorrow, if terrorists find out a way to not be traced/tracked on the internet; will the government put the gear to last-resort and press the ban-accelerator so quick? Yes, it will definitely contribute to the safety of the public. But what about general inconvenience?
Anyone listening to that?

India & Pakistan..... peace?

Two brothers; India and Pakistan were not separated because Muslims hated Hindus or vice versa, or Muslims really needed and wanted land for themselves. It is a well known fact that there are more Muslims in India (content with their lifestyles) than are in Pakistan. Well, what happened, happened. Its History now...   

On a completely different track, since the 26/11 siege on Mumbai, the already sour Indo-Pak relationship has turned sourer. India is sending dossier after dossier, of concrete proof, so that Pakistan does justice to the perpetrators of the 2-day terroristic drama in Mumbai (who were, as we know, some citizens of Pakistan). To no avail. This is frustrating our Ministry, and of course, us.
However, the Indian Ministry is patiently waiting for its counter-part in Pakistan to show action.... in hope for a peaceful South-East Asia. 


But is it worth the wait? Or are we heading into an infinitesimal abyss of rhetorics? The current democratic government in Pakistan, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), is nothing but a dummy ruling body. Not that I have any authenticity or credibility to comment, but as an observer observing facts, I see a deteriorating neighbor. And for me and my country's sake, it is not good -who likes war? 


We have seen the Taliban take over Swat Valley. We read of bomb attacks happening everywhere. We know Pakistan is home to all, Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba, and the Taliban (among millions of such other fancy militant outfits). We know that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is involved in border laws violations and infiltration. Yet.... we patiently wait. Salute to our patience! While the United States of America has free access to drone suspicious parts of the country with missiles (of course, it has maintained Pakistan's integrity by not invading it yet). 


So, as we all know, at the end of it all -is there any hope to see action? any hope -not only to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice but also -to control the exponential increase in the sprouting of militant-camps? While the common people of Pakistan are just as peace-loving as the ones in India, it is a certain group of these radical guys, who're stoned in their heads ... for life! They seem to be on a mission to make India, the Western World, and basically all infidels, fall. 


Coming back to the puppet, the PPP government; it is an unstable body, which visibly has no real powers over the land. It's just the leader on paper. Expecting a powerless body to do such powerful things (bring about effective positive change in militant and radicalism) is just a simple, wrong equation. Which is why, I appreciated India maintaining a positive diplomatic relationship with the Pervez-Musharraf-Army-Rule monarchy. At least, the dealings and relationship maintained had some credibility to it! 


I salute the Jang and Times Groups', from Pakistan and India respectively, for their "Aman-ki-aasha" peace project. But to me, it would seem to have only positive effects on the goodwill for these two groups (marketing strategy?). With the way things are shaping in the Pakistan, 'hum sirf aasha ki umeed leke baithe rahenge....'

The second-last day of the COP15

Really, what the hell is happening?
There is a volatile tussle between hope and pessimism. At one point, everyone literally declares the negotiations staring at failure. Just now, Hillary Clinton opens the American purse, and we have everyone foxed. Confused about how to handle COP15 tomorrow, when 119 world leaders would be expected to convene.
Amidst all this political hullabaloo and drama, seriously, the humanitarian fight against climate change has been lost. 
Whilst China & India want the developed world to take greater, more fulfilling responsibility, the 100 billion dollar lollipop has surely brought about severe confusion. All this on the eve of the final day. However top climate-change economists welcome the move. Yet, the G-77 delegates spill blood when another of their delegates appreciates the American approach. A point though, if the Americans were so willing to bring about solution, why come up with this game-changing move on the last day? Had this been depicted a little earlier, the negotiations would have been sitting pretty! (also, there is no clear domestic framework on climate change in the US!)
Some reports suggest that President Obama will take the US-Russia nuclear deal up with his Russian counterpart on the last day. Jairam Ramesh, the minister leading the Indian delegation at COP15, says that one positive outcome from the COP15 has been the strengthening of Indo-Chinese ties. The G-77, on the other hand, is demanding a trillion dollars. Seriously, is this the work of our leaders? (We could go into another debate on this one. . .) And to top this all, observer organizations have been kicked out to another part of Copenhagen. Weird battles seem to be raging between protesters and the police. Yvo De Boer loses his cool while talking to the chosen people's committee at the Bella Center. 
This has long been predicted, that Copenhagen won't produce a legally binding treaty. But until recently, the mood with which the negotiations were carried out seemed to show that even reaching any sort of a political accord wouldn't be a possibility. That has, with the American move, changed. 
So essentially, as one of the reporters exclaimed on BBC, nothing is sure. 
Yet, if tomorrow goes well. All this criticism showered on negotiators will evaporate. All is well, that ends well. PS. the purpose of this note - to let out the pent up frustration on the confusion and shameful politicization of the whole issue!

PIL against Maharashtra State Government

An effort worth lauding. Where Vishal Dadlani, a noted Bollywood musician, has come up with a Public Interest Litigation for stalling the apparent 'Statue of Liberty' sized Shivaji Maharaj statue project in the Arabian Sea. 

PIL Against the Statue in the Ocean

To the Chief Justice,
Hon. High Court of Mumbai,

First, we'd like to say that we mean no disrespect to the memory of
Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who was a truly great and able King.
Having said that, we feel that the proposed statue/memorial to be
built in the image of this great and able King, estimated to cost
Rs.350 crores, is an unnecessary expense for the exchequer of the
Government of Maharashtra.

As we all know, there has been a vastly insufficient monsoon, and on
date, if we're not mistaken, 27 districts in Maharashtra have been, or
will soon be declared drought-hit. Starving Maharashtrian farmers,
committing suicide has already been a matter of grave concern for the
Government of the state. Surely, these funds could be better utilised
saving some of these lives and livelihoods.

We also have, within Mumbai itself, a vast number of infrastructural
difficulties, that need huge investments to be sorted out. The rapidly
declining availability of potable water and usable power is a huge
problem, for example.
The roads in our financial capital are a national disgrace. We could
fix some of them.
We could certainly do with more schools/colleges, providing education
to the underprivileged at no cost. These could all be named in memory
of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Another possible avenue for the use of surplus funds would be to
strengthen and better equip our Police Force and Coast Guard. In light
of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai last year, it is crucial to
strengthen these arms of Government, as our security and our lives
depend on them.

We have all studied the history of this great state. We are all
Mumbaikars and Maharashtrians, and the state would possibly not exist
in it's current form without the far-reaching and visionary
administrative abilities of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Since the proposed
statue/memorial is in the name of a ruler famous for this
administrative ability, we owe it to his memory to ask if he himself
would approve of such wasteful expediture in a drought year,
especially when the city's defences are not at full strength?

We'd also like to point out that in light of a track record of
consistent cost over-runs and delays leading to price escalations in
major construction projects undertaken by the Government, it is
unlikely that the amount to be spent towards such a project will
actually be limited to just Rs.350 Crores.

We, as concerned citizens of India and Maharashtra, and as Bombayites,
Mumbaikars, Bambaiwallahs, pray that such a monument be disallowed,
and the funds used for the benefit of the public, by taxing whom these
funds have been generated.

We also pray that, if after addressing
citizens-welfare/development/infrastructure issues, Maharashtra
actually has such surplus funding, it be handed to a committee of
eminent citizens who have by past action proved their concern for and
commitment to the greater good of the citizens of Mumbai. These
members may be selected at the discretion of the Hon. Court or by a
popular poll, as the Hon. Court sees fit.

Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
Vishal M. Dadlani, and the undersigned.

Please visit the website - Small-Change.in - and sign the petition.

How Anil Ambani makes 21 crores in 20 days!

Well, to begin with.. this ain't a spoof-spoof. But its definitely awe-inspiring and hilarious (What a combo!)


What Anil Ambani's Reliance Capital did is.. purchased a block of 14 lakh odd shares of J&K bank at Rs450/share from US-based Smallcap World Fund Inc, a part of the gigantic Capital Group of Companies of the US. This block was sold by one of Smallcap's New York fund managers to Reliance Capital. The deal was made on August 12th. 
On August 31st, however, the same ADAG led Reliance Capital sold the shares back to Smallcap at Rs600/share. This block was purchased by one of Smallcap's Singapore fund managers!


Now whether the New York and Singapore fund managers were in contact or not, is not known!
Guess ADAG firms have no complaints after making Rs 21 crore in 20 days!
Haha!

Ram aur Laxman...

The Indian history has been forever demonstrating specimens of brotherly love... Right from the unity in the Pandava brothers, to the love between Ram and Laxman, and  to the so on and so forths. 


However, we see things at the the other end of the spectrum today. Where two brothers, Senior and Junior, undisputed czars of the corporate arena, indulge in scarring each others reputation. For what? For oil! They're desperately trying to dilapidate each other - either silently or brashly. Not realizing that the outcome will result in nothing but mutual weakening. And that it will lead to paths for others to take over their untouched B-Crowns.


Anyway, who the hell is/are gaining; The lawyers, politicians, the et ceteras of our system who're pocketed by these warring brothers and the stock traders who're making money out of the predictable volatility in these stocks, and the so ons? 
But, what difference does this war make to India? Clearly - as opposed to what Junior suggests - none.


And is it the money that Junior is fighting for? With a wealth way more than what will be earned at this oil-field in over 17 years.... what has Junior got to cry so much about? Or is it the inflated ego that moguls generally roam around with? At then end of the day, why our we giving so much importance to sensationalism created by this Senior-Junior duo? Why the hell should we waste our time over whose ego prevails?


So today's contemporary Ram aur Laxman are a class apart from their ancient namesakes.  Instead of Laxman carving a deity of Ram and worshiping it with all his heart and soul, we have an inflamed Laxman who is doing all in his might to strip Ram apart... The subdued Ram is patiently waiting for Laxman to run out of steam, while Laxman strives to weather that patience... 


What my point is that we all get something to learn from this saga of brothers eagerly wanting to rape each other's reputation. Never let outsiders' into one's own personal family matters. No matter how intense things get. The public is devoid of hearty things to talk about, and getting into family issues of another - especially another this rich - gives them just about some intriguing gossip to pass their time...
I'm sure families of the likes of the Birlas and the Tatas have indulged in infighting over personal-business conflicts... but they kept it to INfighting... which is why they've held the  mantle of respect-worthy families for generations...


So what should have been an ideal Ram-Laxman jodi, has turned out to be the bitterer Kaurav-Pandav war.. here the only difference being that instead of a marathon spat between two cousins, real brothers blood-bathe in the same...

The BJP-Jaswant Singh Splitsville

I have been an ardent Bhartiya Janta Party supporter for ever since I began understanding politics. However, not even a BJP honcho like Narendra Modi can deny that his party is plagued with several problems... Right from the embarassing land-slide defeat at the Lok Sabha polls to the Vasundhara Raje ache in Rajasthan to the in-fighting on who-will-take-up-the-mantle-after-Advani and to the so on and so forths... In such anxious times, the BJP has created a much hyped controversy by expelling a devout BJP strong man, Jaswant Singh on accounts of one book... This just doesn't make much sense, does it? I'm sure the BJP cabinet was sensible enough to keep into consideration Jaswant's thirty years of devotional work towards the Party. Still, they sack him!?

Hmm... Maybe, all this controversy has been an ingenious detour, to distract critics. And perhaps, give the party some much needed privacy to think and work a way out this quagmire?

Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to me.. In times of deep-crisis, the BJP and Jaswant Singh are volleying insignificant cannons at each other.. where the BJP is giving press-statements after press-statements on why they felt cracking the whip on Singh was justifiable... whereas Singh is lobbying with Vajpayee getting key party members to put in their resignations...
The State-poll season is coming up, and I'm sure, the party would have been sensible enough to stay away from such a worthless controversy... however, they're heavily indulging in the same...
If the BJP says that it would lose its vote-bank due to the apparent pro-Pakistan expressions used in the book, that is a fallacy. Bal Thackeray did raise concern over Jaswant Singh, however the Shiv Sainiks would have continued to show their fidelity in Shiv Sena. As about the BJP vote-bank, most of the voters are illiterate! So it doesn't make much of a difference.. most of the voters are from catchment areas where they care about BJP supplying water and electricity more than a Mr.Jinnah... and the educated class, well, i doubt they would have turned disloyal because of the free-views expressed by one man...

Politics has had a mean history, be it Indian, Italian or Antarctican politics! Two-faced people, issues, and controversies are to politics as air is to lungs. Deceiving is an art which has ancient origins. The Chinese mis-guided the Huns as to their organization was a chaotic mess and their resources were meager. The Huns fell into the trap, inevitably staring at the face of defeat.  So, why not this apparent break-up in the BJP be a planned scheme?

In the times to come, we'll see if this whole event has been staged by the BJP..