In the end Ajmal Kasab has got what he deserves. Four years after he became the face of terrorism against India, the slow wheels of the Indian judiciary and the dirt bed of the Indian political system have managed to together send him to his well deserved fate.
Kasab has maybe lived a better life in Indian jails than he would have in strife torn Pakistan. The four years might even have been more than he would have managed to stay alive back home. A four year holiday package with daily nourishment and security at the taxpayers expense might be what we gave him in the name of due process, but have we served a higher ideal by keeping him alive. I would like to think so.
Kasab could well have been shot that fateful day. No one could have blamed a spirited policeman for lodging a fatal bullet in his body that day. After all, Kasab was a Pakistani terrorist sent to mercilessly murder Indians. The police had witnessed civilians getting shot, their own colleagues dead, they would have been fully justified in being judge jury and executioner that day. The fact that it did not happen in itself speaks highly of he discipline and rationality of our security force. At least in the eyes of the world, we have passed the test of a law abiding society.
Bringing him in alive, albeit more for intelligence purposes that humanitarian considerations, served to give living flesh and blood to terrorism. Until then a common terrorist was just a monster bred in a training camp identified only by his bloodied corpse in an encounter somewhere. Only terrorist leaders and masterminds seemed to be rotting in Indian jails waiting for their Kandahar to get free. The foot soldier always arrived as a corpse. Kasab gave that monster a name,a village, a history.
The terrorist could now be separated from the terror. The common man reading the newspaper now knew how a terrorist grew up, that he has a family, circumstances no different than any strife ravaged region in our country. Without justifying his crimes in any way he taught us that he is also human. A bad human, to be punished with a deserving death, but human nonetheless. Kasab gave us a perspective we never had before. What makes a young man across the border willing to risk his life to kill us Indians in cold blood. The intelligence gleaned from him might be invaluable but so is the understanding.
Because one day we will have to stop treating the symptoms and address the problem. Why is our neighbour, with no provocation from our side that my history has taught us, so hell bent on destroying our society? What breeds these fanatic haters of our country? One day we will have to cross over and remove the hatred. Removing the guns in itself will not win us the war. Israel for all the technology and superpower support has learnt this the hard way.
There is no better way to remove barriers than education. By educating ourselves on the plight of the common Pakistani, distancing him from the militant leaders and bloodthirsty fanatics, we might yet be moving in the right direction. For in the end, for all the political and military manoeuvering, it is civil society that has to build bridges between the two nations.
Kasab has made me look at a terrorist in a new light. No longer do I see an evil monster. Only a mere pawn sucked into a game he does not understand. Swayed by illogical ideologies of heavenly glory and revenge, these pawns hide the true evil kings from their fate. Engage the common man and the kings will weaken on their own.
Easier said than done. To overturn the perception of our country from that of an enemy to that of a friend, a brother of common lineage will not happen in a day. But it is the long term vision we have to keep in mind in engaging Pakistan. Kasab might have been the start of an awakening in our society for the same.
Kasab might yet be worth the crores we spent on keeping him alive.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
The politics of retail
The Indian government is today a minority. It's one major ally short of a simple majority in parliament. Two years into it's term, it didn't take any huge scandal or crisis to make this happen, though there were no shortage of both, but just allowing FDI in organized retail. How the times have changed.
True, retail is an indispensable part of civil society and accounts for 11% of our GDP but it has never been a part of any five year plan or government scheme. With 95% in the unorganised sector, retail has been growing happily without any government intervention. If there is demand, whatever it might be for, there will be someone ready to sell it for a profit. Retail as an institution is easily far older than governments themselves.
When big Indian corporations came out with organized retail chains, there were but whimpers of protests. When full FDI was allowed in the back end, it barely made the papers. Why now this hue and cry against foreign investment.
Let us consider the various stakeholders involved one by one, the farmer, the shopkeeper, the retail employee, the customer, the country and the politician. Let us try to remove the hype created by the media and other political instruments and concentrate purely on the normal man's understanding of what is going on around him.
The common small farmer lives in a very micro level society. Tell any farmer in India about any government initiative and his initial questioning will be limited to four basic questions. Will I lose my land? Will I get more money for my produce? Will I get loans easily? Will I be able to work less? A positive answer to these questions and the farmer and family are happy. FDI as such will not be able to bring any change that Indian retailers haven't had the opportunity to provide. The farmer really doesn't care if it's an Indian or a foreign company. Why should he?
The shopkeepers are the ones the media portray as the biggest losers. But are they themselves so worried? A normal kirana owner has the pulse of his customers. He has with him the best of CRM techniques in person to person interaction which no large retailer can compete with. He understands that his share of the pie is large and growing enough to sustain him. While the big players cater to the top 20-25 percent of the income pyramid, he is the owner of rest of it. While his customers might grow up to visit the nearest Big Bazaar, there are enough growing up from below to sustain his shop. McDonalds hasn't exactly destroyed the local tikki-waala has it. Growing congestion and rising real estate prices have already taken the rich metro customers out of his reach. It's again the politician and the trade unions that are doing his worrying for him.
The employee is happy. The unemployment is growing and the job market is not keeping pace. Any new job opportunities are welcomed with open arms. The country has too many young skilled and semi-skilled laborers to sustain everyday. Foreign players are looked upon as saviors providing better pay and better working conditions. But considering the track record of major retailers like WalMart, they may be in for a shock. Under more liberal labor laws, retailers are notorious in the west for their treatment of employees. Expecting them to do any better here would be foolish.
The customer is ecstatic. Rising competition and rising assortments can only lead to cheaper products and more variety. The monthly grocery purchase now entails more than one option while products all over the world are available through multiple channels. Retailers are beginning to get more customers centric and customer satisfaction and retention are the new buzzwords. Foreign retailers used to serving highly demanding customers will surely bring something new to the table. The customer will remain the king.
The country really needs the confidence of investors. Terrible fiscal management and growing infrastructure needs has left the economy in dire need of foreign capital. FDI will increase FIIs boosting up the stock market as well as bringing much needed investment in infrastructure. More competition and efficient practices might drive down inflation giving the RBI more freedom to control our growing current account deficit. As the Kelkar report has put so explicitly, growth is no longer an achievement, it is a necessity our country needs to not collapse on the weight of its growing population. FDI across the board in all sectors previously protected is the need of the hour. We have a huge market. Now is the time to leverage it to fulfill the potential our country holds.
Last and unfortunately not the least are our politicians, the policy makers. The ones supporting FDI as well as the ones opposing it seem to have similar reasons and similar arguments. In the game of politics it is easy to take a stand or raise one's swords on issues whose gestation periods are long and the benefits or losses immeasurable. Thus corruption or price hikes get sidetracked as they might fall prey to immediate action which no politician wants. FDI will be seen as a boon or a bane depending on which side of parliament you sit while larger issues can be swept under the carpet across the board. Sufficient loopholes have been kept for manipulations and the numbers game in parliament has got a safe issue to hedge its bets on. What else do politicians want.
Thus neither is FDI in retail going to usher in any golden age in the country nor will it cause any catastrophic collapse. But as long as it makes economic sense, it could benefit the population. Whatever be the end result, the politicians rest smug in the knowledge that the Indian will move on and survive come what may.
True, retail is an indispensable part of civil society and accounts for 11% of our GDP but it has never been a part of any five year plan or government scheme. With 95% in the unorganised sector, retail has been growing happily without any government intervention. If there is demand, whatever it might be for, there will be someone ready to sell it for a profit. Retail as an institution is easily far older than governments themselves.
When big Indian corporations came out with organized retail chains, there were but whimpers of protests. When full FDI was allowed in the back end, it barely made the papers. Why now this hue and cry against foreign investment.
Let us consider the various stakeholders involved one by one, the farmer, the shopkeeper, the retail employee, the customer, the country and the politician. Let us try to remove the hype created by the media and other political instruments and concentrate purely on the normal man's understanding of what is going on around him.
The common small farmer lives in a very micro level society. Tell any farmer in India about any government initiative and his initial questioning will be limited to four basic questions. Will I lose my land? Will I get more money for my produce? Will I get loans easily? Will I be able to work less? A positive answer to these questions and the farmer and family are happy. FDI as such will not be able to bring any change that Indian retailers haven't had the opportunity to provide. The farmer really doesn't care if it's an Indian or a foreign company. Why should he?
The shopkeepers are the ones the media portray as the biggest losers. But are they themselves so worried? A normal kirana owner has the pulse of his customers. He has with him the best of CRM techniques in person to person interaction which no large retailer can compete with. He understands that his share of the pie is large and growing enough to sustain him. While the big players cater to the top 20-25 percent of the income pyramid, he is the owner of rest of it. While his customers might grow up to visit the nearest Big Bazaar, there are enough growing up from below to sustain his shop. McDonalds hasn't exactly destroyed the local tikki-waala has it. Growing congestion and rising real estate prices have already taken the rich metro customers out of his reach. It's again the politician and the trade unions that are doing his worrying for him.
The employee is happy. The unemployment is growing and the job market is not keeping pace. Any new job opportunities are welcomed with open arms. The country has too many young skilled and semi-skilled laborers to sustain everyday. Foreign players are looked upon as saviors providing better pay and better working conditions. But considering the track record of major retailers like WalMart, they may be in for a shock. Under more liberal labor laws, retailers are notorious in the west for their treatment of employees. Expecting them to do any better here would be foolish.
The customer is ecstatic. Rising competition and rising assortments can only lead to cheaper products and more variety. The monthly grocery purchase now entails more than one option while products all over the world are available through multiple channels. Retailers are beginning to get more customers centric and customer satisfaction and retention are the new buzzwords. Foreign retailers used to serving highly demanding customers will surely bring something new to the table. The customer will remain the king.
The country really needs the confidence of investors. Terrible fiscal management and growing infrastructure needs has left the economy in dire need of foreign capital. FDI will increase FIIs boosting up the stock market as well as bringing much needed investment in infrastructure. More competition and efficient practices might drive down inflation giving the RBI more freedom to control our growing current account deficit. As the Kelkar report has put so explicitly, growth is no longer an achievement, it is a necessity our country needs to not collapse on the weight of its growing population. FDI across the board in all sectors previously protected is the need of the hour. We have a huge market. Now is the time to leverage it to fulfill the potential our country holds.
Last and unfortunately not the least are our politicians, the policy makers. The ones supporting FDI as well as the ones opposing it seem to have similar reasons and similar arguments. In the game of politics it is easy to take a stand or raise one's swords on issues whose gestation periods are long and the benefits or losses immeasurable. Thus corruption or price hikes get sidetracked as they might fall prey to immediate action which no politician wants. FDI will be seen as a boon or a bane depending on which side of parliament you sit while larger issues can be swept under the carpet across the board. Sufficient loopholes have been kept for manipulations and the numbers game in parliament has got a safe issue to hedge its bets on. What else do politicians want.
Thus neither is FDI in retail going to usher in any golden age in the country nor will it cause any catastrophic collapse. But as long as it makes economic sense, it could benefit the population. Whatever be the end result, the politicians rest smug in the knowledge that the Indian will move on and survive come what may.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
India needs more such milkmen. Dr Verghese Kurien.
When Dr Verghese Kurien passed away, aged 90, India lost its leading innovator and visionary. One whose vision was able to transform the entire dairy sector, rewarding millions with quality products and all encompassing growth. But the lessons to be learnt from Dr Kurien’s life include more than just the dairy sector. It is an example of how India requires processes customised to our unique demographics and social indices and not custom made solutions peddled by MNCs and unabashed globalisation lobbyists.
The Indian growth story is unique. While opening up of the economy and a young population has led to excellent economic growth, infrastructure and social development remain bottlenecked in political and bureaucratic red tape and corruption. Compared to India, in China infrastructure and social development comes first, and they become the major force driving economic growth. We wait for the demand to arise and then build the infrastructure to satisfy it while in China the infrastructure is already in place to drive the demand. While this makes our economy more stable and sustainable in the long run, it has led to an income divide proportional to income growth. Today, strictly in numbers, India has more millionaires than most developed countries while at the same time is straddled with more poor than most under developed nations.
This glaring disparity has led to global corporations making a beeline to India to be a part of the bludgeoning upper-middle and upper class market, especially in the metros. The metros and other Tier 1 and some Tier 2 cities have the infrastructure and a growing population to leverage their global practices and brand values. This upper class market is large enough with enough growth for both Indian as well as global players to grow and prosper. Thus it is no wonder that the lower section, without access to the same infrastructure and purchasing power have been neglected. Even in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai, census data show that more than 40 percent of the population live below an income of Rs 2 lakh per annum. A market segment that will need innovative processes and long term investments to tap into.
All the large Indian corporations today are multinational players with access to global resources and able to compete with their western counterparts in their respective fields. They have access to funds as well as technologies available all over the world. But they lack the motivation to get their fingers dirty in the muck of the great Indian cattle class. Business considerations do not lend support to innovative ideas and vision in markets that involve huge efforts and low margins. To expect western MNC’s who built their businesses in developed markets to take this step is unrealistic to say the least. Thus we see that out of the box thinking is limited to small entrepreneurs who do not have the capital or other resources to operate on a large scale.
To ensure that advantages of globalisation reach the lower strata, it is imperative that Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs awake to the potential that these sections of society have. Fresh ideas designed and customised to the specific problem areas are required. The government, even if they do not build the roads, should ensure they do not build the roadblocks to new ideas. Dr Kurien was able to make a success of Amul incorporating the automatic milk bulk vending system re-engineered from a similar process invented originally by Rowe International of USA. Such a synergy of global technology and local customisation is required. India does not lack to brain power or the technological competence to ensure more such success stories. All we lack is the vision and commitment of the great man.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
An open letter to the Indian Olympics Team
Dear Olympians,
Lying on my bed, it is a little difficult to appreciate the effort, the sacrifices you had to do through to reach where you are today. But i am trying. So don't get me wrong. But I am confused.
It is true there are lots of other countries with infinitely more resources to match our infinitely larger population. Each one of you has reached where you are after competing with a billion others. That's more people than New Zealand might have given birth to over the last couple of centuries. But tell that to their hockey players whipping us in our national game. A lack of physical fitness, of technique, of talent is understandable. We do not have the resources, what we have are spread too thinly and the rest siphoned off by the corrupt Indian. Even talent can be excused as a lack of proper genetic material. But mental toughness is as much imbibed as born with. Then why do we lack so?
Why does a world number one fail to clear the first round? Why does a shooter placed in the top five until the last few minutes falter and end up eleventh. Why are two excellent tennis players who could have easily dominated the doubles game for a decade still squabbling at the ages of 38 and 39? Where are we going wrong?
Surely lack of sponsorships, poor training facilities, and illiterate associations should have made you stronger, not weaker mentally. Then what is lacking I wonder. Is there something lacking in the Indian diet that fails to nourish that part of the brain? Or is it the climate? Or maybe our culture.
Each one of you represents the best we have. The strengths of a Sachin Tendulkar or a Vishy Anand are in you. A Dhyan Chand is lurking in that Olympic village somewhere. Today an Indian can walk into any sphere of life proud of his identity. Then why do you fail at the biggest stage? After you have surpassed all those obstacles, obstacles athletes from other nations might barely comprehend, why do you give up before your time? Why do not the pressures of success spur you on? Has the effort put into participation fatigues you so much that you can no longer compete? Have you travelled too far to be able to go that extra mile?
The armchair critic tells me you have reached your crescendo of ambition. A medal is just a dream too far. But the Indian refuses to believe. And the Indian will wait. Till the last of you catch the flight back home.
Godspeed.
Lying on my bed, it is a little difficult to appreciate the effort, the sacrifices you had to do through to reach where you are today. But i am trying. So don't get me wrong. But I am confused.
It is true there are lots of other countries with infinitely more resources to match our infinitely larger population. Each one of you has reached where you are after competing with a billion others. That's more people than New Zealand might have given birth to over the last couple of centuries. But tell that to their hockey players whipping us in our national game. A lack of physical fitness, of technique, of talent is understandable. We do not have the resources, what we have are spread too thinly and the rest siphoned off by the corrupt Indian. Even talent can be excused as a lack of proper genetic material. But mental toughness is as much imbibed as born with. Then why do we lack so?
Why does a world number one fail to clear the first round? Why does a shooter placed in the top five until the last few minutes falter and end up eleventh. Why are two excellent tennis players who could have easily dominated the doubles game for a decade still squabbling at the ages of 38 and 39? Where are we going wrong?
Surely lack of sponsorships, poor training facilities, and illiterate associations should have made you stronger, not weaker mentally. Then what is lacking I wonder. Is there something lacking in the Indian diet that fails to nourish that part of the brain? Or is it the climate? Or maybe our culture.
Each one of you represents the best we have. The strengths of a Sachin Tendulkar or a Vishy Anand are in you. A Dhyan Chand is lurking in that Olympic village somewhere. Today an Indian can walk into any sphere of life proud of his identity. Then why do you fail at the biggest stage? After you have surpassed all those obstacles, obstacles athletes from other nations might barely comprehend, why do you give up before your time? Why do not the pressures of success spur you on? Has the effort put into participation fatigues you so much that you can no longer compete? Have you travelled too far to be able to go that extra mile?
The armchair critic tells me you have reached your crescendo of ambition. A medal is just a dream too far. But the Indian refuses to believe. And the Indian will wait. Till the last of you catch the flight back home.
Godspeed.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Rise up and Revolt!!
I am pissed off. Terribly royally pissed off. I stood by and watched when they destroyed it one by one. But now I am stronger. I can take it no more....
Their first attack was on the mouse. That cute little thing with big ears that Tom used to catch called Jerry. They took it and replaced it with a plastic blob with two buttons. Could have called it a rat, couldnt they. But I forgave them. Atleast they didnt call a keyboard a cat....
And they came that man Mr Gates. I bet he was tortured as a kid for his surname. Else why would he call that bland program Windows. Its supposed to let in fresh air, with beautiful hilltops in the background. Not error messages and black screens. Not fair....
The guts of these men. Did Edison call his light bulb a sun, or Marconi call his telephone a mouth. They knew how to respect a language. Not these computer freaks. And we the common man got too dazzled with the technology to care. And look where we ended up. A net no longer catches fish, spiders have lost ownership of the web, a tablet no longer cures you and soon a cloud will no longer cause any rainfall. And still nobody cares....
This lament will not be complete without alluding to one man. One Mr Jobs. The sadist stole from us the one thing that kept the doctor away. At least the blackberry is black. The apple neither red nor green is white. Heights I say....
But why this sudden revolt, this outburst of anger you may ask. Well not to be undone by the other big guns, Google has decieded to take away from us the one thing we thought would always be safe. ICECREAM. A tear in my eye. This is our last chance I say. Rise up and revolt....
Before it is too late....
Their first attack was on the mouse. That cute little thing with big ears that Tom used to catch called Jerry. They took it and replaced it with a plastic blob with two buttons. Could have called it a rat, couldnt they. But I forgave them. Atleast they didnt call a keyboard a cat....
And they came that man Mr Gates. I bet he was tortured as a kid for his surname. Else why would he call that bland program Windows. Its supposed to let in fresh air, with beautiful hilltops in the background. Not error messages and black screens. Not fair....
The guts of these men. Did Edison call his light bulb a sun, or Marconi call his telephone a mouth. They knew how to respect a language. Not these computer freaks. And we the common man got too dazzled with the technology to care. And look where we ended up. A net no longer catches fish, spiders have lost ownership of the web, a tablet no longer cures you and soon a cloud will no longer cause any rainfall. And still nobody cares....
This lament will not be complete without alluding to one man. One Mr Jobs. The sadist stole from us the one thing that kept the doctor away. At least the blackberry is black. The apple neither red nor green is white. Heights I say....
But why this sudden revolt, this outburst of anger you may ask. Well not to be undone by the other big guns, Google has decieded to take away from us the one thing we thought would always be safe. ICECREAM. A tear in my eye. This is our last chance I say. Rise up and revolt....
Before it is too late....
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