Fine Design for India aka FDI

This mad outrage against introduction of FDI that is going on through the country is nothing but that; a madness. Those who are screaming their guts out in anger against the FDI, namely political groups fall in two broad categories: those who have a vested interest in the system of the middleman continuing, and the other group which is opposing because they don't understand what is going on but likes to stay with those who are shouting the most.

I see in this so-called outrage a similar one that erupted years ago when the government was thinking of introducing computers in the country. I remember quite vivdly the extent of furore that the  government's decision had caused. There wasn't a square inch of wall space that hadn't been graffitied on with strong bellegerent words against computerisation. Those were the days of writings of political slogans on every available wall space, be they private buildings or government offices. Political pundits and social scientists all joined in the chorus against all forms of computerisation. They all felt that thousands upon thousands would be rendered jobless. Industry would come to a halt. And in any case our country was not "ready" for computers, which were viewed as exotic inventions of a much more developed economy.

We all know what happened after that. The government pushed through computerisation. Jobs weren't lost. In fact more jobs got created. Efficiency in banks and all public sectors improved a thousandfold and there was just no looking back. Can we even imagine a world without computers today?

Cut to the present day fracas over the issue of the FDI. In simple terms what is happening is that the farmer, who is actually growing food with his own hands is having to sell the product to this middleman or 'phorey' (in the local dialect). The middleman pays the farmer, let's say Rs 2 for an item. That, the middleman sells to the wholesale trader (mahajan- again in the local dialet), let's say for Rs 15. The wholesaler sells that in turn to the retailer for Rs 20. The actual consumer of the item, you and I, have to buy that product from the retailer for Rs 25. And the poor farmer who actually produced it is left holding his miserable Rs2.

Can there be greater injustice?

Now if the FDI comes in, the foreign investor, let's say Wal Mart goes to the farmer directly, lifts that very item from him for Rs 10. And then Wal Mart, which has its own retail outlet sells it for Rs 15. The result is a win-win situation for the farmer and the actual consumer, both of who are happy. The FDI in one fell swoop has thus obliterated the phorey and  the mahajan. The transaction is simplified, products reach farm fresh to the ultimate consumer, you and me, and the entire business becomes vigorous and healthy. No more blood sucking phoreys who have been exploiting the poor farmers all this time with political patronage. The political patronage has been there for the obvious reason that the phoreys have to share their loot with the political group that is in power.

Is it any wonder then why certain political groups are so hell bent against the introduction of the FDI, which in fact is one hell of a Fine Design for India?

Can opener

Somebody presented me with a canned tin of sardines and also a can of tuna. I relish these two fish as a sandwich spread. But to spread on the bread, I discovered, you have to get at them. The fish, I mean, that's sealed tight inside.

So I began to look for a can opener. I knew we had it somewhere among the spoons and ladles, and forks and knives and all the jumble of cutlery that one accumulates over the years and stuffs them all inside the drawer of the kitchen cupboard. I was sure we had a can opener somewhere in that jungle. But try as hard as I might, I just couldn't seem to be able to locate it. My missus was not much help either, whom I had naturally to turn to in this moment of crisis.

After two days of sporadic searches and raids into all the corners and crevices of the kitchen and pantry the truth finally dawned on me that we didn't really have one. And all this time we never even needed to have one. I wasn't too surprised at that knowing my wife's intense dislike for anything tinned or canned or any food that's not fresh. So it wasn't really surprising that we didn't have a can opener in our house. And even if we had one in the past, nobody knew where it was, or what had happened to it as this item has never been in use. Now suddenly, when I got an unexpected gift of these two canned fish items the problem struck home. There they sat on the pantry shelf, the two cans, grinning wickedly at my plight. The cans knew that without an opener I just wouldn't able to gain access to their insides.

I was now confronted with the question of where to get a can opener. Do you go to a hardware store or or an expensive shopping mall, or try your luck at the hundreds of stalls on the pavements of Gariahat with the hawkers selling their myriad wares on the pavements? I decided to ask one of my knowledgeable friends, who lives alone and seems to thrive well doing it. So last night I paid him a little visit and popped this question to him: where does one go looking for a can opener. The question seemed to shake him up. My friend, who was such a pundit, in surviving alone in a hostile world, went into a deep meditation. Upon emerging from his , what seemed to me to be a small nap, his pontifical opinion was as he had obtained his can opener from Germany, a gift from his wife there, he was equally clueless as to which shops I should be visiting to look for a can opener. So much for a friend's guidance.

This afternoon I decided to tackle the problem myself. Alone and without anybody's help, assistance, or guidance. I marched into the basement shops at Gariahat Market, a one and a half minute's walk from my house. I walked up to the first shop, which was a shop selling stationery items, clearly not a place that would be carrying a can opener. When I asked the guy sitting in that shop where I coud get a can opener he looked at me as if I had come from Mars. Then I explained what I needed that item for. Oh, he exclaimed, all smiles now, saying what I needed was a "tin cutter". He pointed to the stairs and told me to go up one floor and find a shop selling stainless steel pots and pans. It was there that I would get the "tin cutter" I was looking for. And that is precisely what I did. As I climbed up one floor, I came upon this stainless steel pots and pans shop facing me. I walked up smartly to the shop-keeper and said I was looking for a "tin cutter". Immediately he produced three or four different varieties of can openers. I picked one up and made the purchase and walked back home.

Looking for a can opener for me has been an eye opener. A valueable lesson learnt that one must rely on one's own judgment and decision and act on it instead of asking one and sundry and get nowhere.

Justice delayed, but not denied.

This terrorist along with several others sailed across the ocean into India in the month of November, 2008. They clambered ashore in Mumbai and went about their grim business.

We all know what happened on the night of November 26th, 2008.in Mumbai , and how a landmark international hotel went up in flames. Hundreds of innocents fell to the hail of bullets from the terrorists at several places. The entire country stood still and watched in horror as all our best and finest went into combat. A top police officer fell to a bullet of one terrorist. Of the ten or so terrorists who had come, only one survived our retaliation and was captured. Only one.

He was kept in the highest security prison cell after he was revived to face trial. The cost of all the security, just to ensure that this prize prisoner be kept alive till the last, so that we could squeeze as much intelligence out of him as possible, was astronomical. In fact an ex Army General was heard to say that this prisoner, who had waged an act of war against India did not deserve a free and fair trial. He should be stood up against a wall, no questions asked, and taken down as a common vermin, or an enemy of the state.

Though it was clear that our neighbouring country was where they had come from, there were violent denials from them and a lot of posturing between us and them continued endlessly. Years passed while the trial lingered on. Many thought that the prisoner would probably die of old age and natural causes in his cell without ever the trial coming to an end and reaching a finality.

 But the trial finally ended. Justice finally did catch up with this animal. The highest court of the land has confirmed the death sentence. Ajmal Kasab shall finally be put to death.

Justice may have been delayed, in the opinion of many. But not eventually denied.