An Alternative Approach

"Shubh Muhurath" means an auspicious time. In Hindu tradition there is an auspicious time for everything. It's scary to think that some points in time are discriminated against by God. But that is exactly what the astrologers say and hence people get busy rearranging their lives around that supposition. As things stand, no one wants to rub the almighty the wrong way and especially so when seeking the optimal time for getting married. After a week of attending Hindu weddings and engagements, it has come to my attention that past December 2nd 2009, the next window of nuptial opportunity opens up only around 4 or 5 months into 2010 (or so in Andhra).

We are told that all this winter the planetary alignments are unfavorable for weddings. Therefore November has seen a rash of weddings and engagements all across India - a mad rush to beat the calender. The wedding industry is at fever pitch and the prospect of waiting has caused the prices to shoot up. Although the idea of waiting for the right time might look to be archaic and superstitious to some but there are a few positives for the Government of India here.

In a crude and non-scientific manner the logical conclusion of no/less marriages in the 1st quarter of 2010 means there should be a dip in the babies produces in the last quarter of the year. Or in the least there ought to be fewer first-borns among Hindus in that period. Thus paradoxically birth control finds an unlikely ally in superstition. Again, there is a parallel argument that the spike in weddings pre and post the dreaded time will offset the missing babies. But this small 4 month baby-buster period still remains.

Ignorance and illiteracy have always been seen as India's shame and in most respects along with poverty they are the root cause of many evils in the society. But the lessons from the "auspicious time" syndrome is that everyone irrespective of education and sense will avoid actions which the society frowns upon. This attitude can also be good news for policy makers i.e. by exercising control over people's beliefs, desired behavior can be cultivated. Although this may border on exploitation, but so long as the end justify the means, little harm is done. Also by not shoving rhetoric down the public's throat, the government can avoid popular resistance. Therefore in the case of the impending inauspicious period for marriages, the authorities could publicize the perceived "bad timing" to prevent and postpone weddings now with the hope of reducing birth rates later.

Disclaimers:
1. May not apply to the whole country
2. Not well researched

More reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomer

Being Certain

Buying insurance for my bike is a question hanging over my head for a few months now. The old policy expired around march and for various reasons I have not bought a new policy. Factoring in a 10% depreciation over the last years value owing to wear and tear, the annual premium would come to around Rs. 1100. More than the amount, I have not been able to convince myself of its need. Ofcourse if I get caught on the roads on that bike, I will be fined for not currently being covered.

Insurance is a science with its origins in human psychology, it is a materialistic method of dealing with uncertainty as opposed to the spiritual method - religion. In this regard insurance today is a powerful force leading people away from simply having "faith". Instead of ignoring its corrosive effect on religion like most other religions do, Islam is one faith that deals with this threat to belief with tact. Therefore Sharia law permits "Takaful" as form of basic insurance. This provision is useful in circumventing the contradiction between a benevolent God's omnipotence and human effort to mitigate perceived uncertainties. Yet the primary form of insurance that Islam prescribes is the goodwill of fellow believers.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" - Hebrews 11:1, The Bible


Insurance is an area where psychology, statistics, marketing, finance and economics converge, perhaps even a bit of metaphysics. But the pessimistic, morbid and cold approach insurance adopts towards its subjects is what puts off most people from trying to understand its need. The statistics behind life insurance is the use of actuarial tables which ascertain the probability of the subject's demise before his next birthday, hardly a cause for cheer. Therefore according to the World Health Organisation's actuarial tables for 2006 in India for a 24 year old male, there is a 1.3% chance that I would not make it to the age of 29 (assuming average health).

Coming back to my bike, my reasons for not buying insurance are more mundane. Firstly, the risk of theft. For this threat, I have a simple safeguard mechanism - my dog. Blacky guards and sometimes even chews on parts of the bike as it would a toy and hence I am assured of the bike's safety. Next, damages - with the kind of policies that are on offer for motorcycles, it is practically impossible to get insurance to pay for damages to the vehicle. It becomes too tedious and the amount paid up is paltry. Third party coverage - with the decreased use and shorter trips that I take these days on the bike, third party involvement is a remote possibility. Hence the only good reason for me to get auto insurance is that the law requires me to do so if I plan to use public roads.

More reading:
1. http://www.vakilno1.com/bareacts/MotorVehiclesAct/S146.htm
2. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Excerpt_from_CDC_2003_Table_1.png
3. http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l264-Third-Party-Insurance.html
4. http://www.slowpokecomics.com/strips/insuranceinsurance.html

Devil / Deep Blue Sea

Today is poll day in the Hyderabad Municipal Elections. For those who are not convinced, here is an option: Not to record your vote. It is allowed in the system and as strange as it may seem it can be done through Section 49-O of the Conduction of Election Rules, 1961.

How such an exercise of one's franchise enhances democracy is still a question. Maybe it is similar to walking away when nothing on menu is desirable, but the problem of hunger remains.


Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 -

Section 49-O: Elector deciding not to vote.
-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.


Update, 11:30 AM, 23rd Nov 2009, Jubilee Hills, Ward No: 109, Hyderabad:
On inquiring the returning officer about the provision for casting a "not to record" vote, I was told that it was not possible and that I had to either choose among the candidates available or go home. This time I did walk home unlike the last general elections.

At the cost of seeming to promote anarchy, I can atleast claim to have no part in the sins to be committed in my name. A la Pontius Pilate?

The Romantic Weapon

Here is a piece of communication which sends mixed signals. I can't understand the language and the bad date music seems out of place in a weapon sale pitch. No wonder the shooter has those earmuffs on!



The Belgian made FN P90 is one of the weapons that is used by the Special Protection Group (SPG) in India. The SPG in India, like the US Secret Service is charged with the protection of the Prime Ministers (present and former), their families and top officials. My guess is that the SPG guys would need similar ear protection around that crowd.


Related Links:
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_P90
2. http://www.spg.nic.in/

Greater Good

Civic bodies being the oldest form of government have a special place in human societies as opposed to the governments of the state. They exist to act, there is less of a deliberative or legislative function. Citizens cannot avoid interaction with the workings of this last tier of government and the result of large scale apathy can lead to what game theorists call the Tragedy of the Commons. This situation is illustrated in the photograph taken near KBR park in Hyderabad today : What happens when each person leads his Buffalo to graze in public parks?

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Election will be held on the 23rd of November. The last election was held way back in 2002, the council was dissolved after the expiry of its 5 year term. The Corporation was run by the state government through the Commissioner for the past two years until the courts forced the government's hand, hardly a beacon of democracy. The spectacle of mini-rallies are now suddenly seen around the city and suddenly we have "leaders" on every street corner. Post general elections all this seems like comic relief.

Although local body elections are of lesser consequence than state and national elections in the Indian scenario, yet after the 74th Constitutional Amendment of 1992 there is renewed focus on municipal and panchayat elections. Consequentially there is more politicizing of issues which are essentially of a resource distribution and service delivery nature. Therefore there is a huge police bandobust around the city and residents see more security forces out and about than after a bomb scare. All the 5000 licensed weapon holder are directed to surrender their arms during the elections and history sheeters are to be monitored.

Issues that plague Hyderabad are infact no different from any city of a similar size and class around the world - electricity, safe water, roads, affordable housing, sanitation, taxes and so on. What is different though is the composition of the new corporation, GHMC has been expanded to include vast tracts of land (and people) around the city and hence is all the more powerful. With the expanding role of the local media as an extortion agency, the small time politicians too have more mouths to feed before they get their piece of the cake.

GHMC's annual budget of around Rs. 31 billion is controlled by 150 corporators. If done right, the corporation could in theory be looted for about Rs. 200 million per corporator each year (if swindled to 100% efficiency). Therefore the citizens of Hyderabad have to hope that there might yet be some progress on the civic amenities front since attaining such a high hit ratio by the politicians is improbable due to lack of coordination, incompetence, prevalence of individual over collective greed or simple guilt.


More Reading:
1. Indian Express: 20% of Licensed Gun Owners yet to be deposited arms
2. GHMC 2009 Elections Link
3. The Hindu: Media greed during elections causes serious ethical questions
4. Science Magazine: Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin, 1968

Ramayana and The Searchers

It is interesting to juxtapose stories from different cultures and times to observe the varying conclusions drawn from very similar circumstances. These conclusions serve as a mirror of the values held dear by the different cultures and help us understand how we view the same world from different places. Here is an exercise in this endeavor.

Ramayana
The ancient Indian epic by Valmiki is centered around the abduction of Rama's wife Sita by Ravana of Lanka. The word "Ramayana" mean Rama's Journey. It narrates the tale of Rama's search for his wife. In this search Rama is aided by his brother Lakshmana and disciple Hanuman. The posse set out to ascertain the abductor's identity and then make the journey to Lanka to confront and defeat Ravana. On rescuing Sita, Rama asks his wife to prove her chastity after which he accepts her.

The Searchers
The Searchers is a 1956 western movie starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford. The story is about Ethan Edwards whose young niece Debbie is abducted in a Comanche raid by Scar. Ethan then wanders the American West along with his kin Martin Pawley for years to find Debbie . On finding her, they kill Scar and after initially trying to kill the now Comanche-raised Debbie, Ethan has a change of heart and accepts her.

Commonalities
The common threads running through them are of violation, abduction, retribution and redemption. The stories are primarily told through the eyes of the wronged man and not the woman who was the target of the act. Both Ravana and Scar are seen as savages, one as a demon king of Lanka and other a wild Native-American Comanche chief. The abductor in both stories have a back story which explains their actions and project them in a new light of moral ambiguity. In a more primal sense, they depict an innate fear of dispossession. Finally towards the end, the main characters of Rama and Ethan are shown up to be less than impeccable and fighting demons of their own.

Contrasts
Given the similar situations encountered, the tales do diverge in many aspects. Sita never accepts her fate and believes that her husband will come to her rescue while Debbie is forced to live her new life as one of Scar's wives. Rama is portrayed as someone who can do no wrong yet on succeeding in his quest he doubts his wife. Rama's behavior though is regarded as somewhat understandable by both the characters in the story and the audience at large. Whereas in The Searchers, Ethan is an outlaw and the motives of Ethan's search turn from finding his niece to killing her within a few years with the realization that she must have turned more Comanche and less "civilized". His fellow searcher, Martin does not approve of Ethan's intentions and this disapproval is reflected by the audience. Therefore we see Ethan as a character more true to his beliefs irrespective of others' approval as opposed to Rama.

Another point of contrast is the climactic transformation. Rama has historically been seen as an avataar of God, hence all character flaws have been brushed aside. Throughout Ramayana, even when asking Sita to prove her chastity Rama does not doubt his own actions. Whereas Ethan with his sure intention of killing, when finally facing his now Comanche niece has a change of heart. Ethan goes from a man who is sure of his action to a man doing the right thing - an antithesis of Rama's Dharma.

Interesting Readings:

1. Review of The Searchers : http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011125/REVIEWS08/111250301/1023
2. Read the Plot of The Searchers here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Searchers_%28film%29
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana
5. "Epic Proportions" by Ethan Gidsdorf : Contemporary themes and interpretations of Epics

Opportunities in the Indian Setup

Here is an interesting Times of India article narrating a blow-by-blow account of Mr. Madhu Koda's activities as the Chief Minister of the State of Jharkhand between 2006 and 2008 (the story is still unfolding , so the narrative may be incomplete).

Beyond the scale of corruption, it is an interesting story of a man's rise and now presumably his fall . Yet there are bigger fish in the country, it's a shame that so many times it is left to our imagination to assimilate their stories of plunder and adventure.

Nuvvu or Meeru

My mother tongue is telugu and after listening to (without always understanding) many Indian languages, I realize that most Indian languages are copies of each other. Any unique feature of a language is immediately plagiarized and presented to its new consumers as original. The syntax is all that varies while the semantics finds parallel in other languages.

This process works so long as the feature that is adapted can locate a void that is to be filled in the linguistic and cultural context of its new host language. After many centuries of this process of assimilation, we see that the mythology, folklore, songs and more recently movies have such close resemblance in the various linguistic cultures that these linguistic communities become parallel mirrors of each other.

So it is that although we have been constantly informed of our linguistic diversity, we find that the talk in these Indian languages is about the same things. All this comes as no surprise. But with a foreign language such as English in the midst of these native tongues, the translations tend to get interesting. The prevalence and acceptance of a foreign language in India too can be explained through the paradigm of a sibling rivalry among the native languages that could only arrive at a truce wherein the lingua franca was foreign, hence everybody lost but no one complained.

But in the bargain, we forget the quirks of our native tongues that define each of our identity. One such central character in many non-western language (or atleast in telugu) is with regard to addressing others (the 2nd and 3rd person singular). The practice of using the plural grammatical number when referring to a single person denotes reverence or submissiveness or respect towards the listener, sometimes a salutation is also used.

e.g: "Nuvvu" and "Meeru" in Telugu (both singular for "you", but the 2nd one uses the plural form).
This is similar to "Tu" and "Aap" in Hindi for "you". But it is taken to another level in hindi/urdu when the singular 1st person is sometimes referred to as "Hum" meaning "We".

Therefore when using an Indian language to address a listener, the speaker looks to pick up clues on background and status so as to accurately place the prospective listener on the social ladder. All the while, the speaker himself tries to project verbally and non-verbally his own perception of self-worth to the listener, so that he is not mistaken for a lesser being. Ofcourse, there is an opportunity for explicit course correction (singular to plural or visa-verse) when this complex dance fails and the judgment is inaccurate but that just shows up the lack of social faculty of the speaker.

This feature is by no means unique to India or even the continent. But to be able to use this single feature, the speaker has to possess vast amounts of social knowledge and skills. It is difficult to always identify where to use the straightforward single grammatical number and where to use the tricky plural grammatical number while faced with a situation demanding a conversation with a random person. Thus the grammatical demand for social information about the listener forces the speaker to get more involved in the society and its hierarchy resulting in better communication.