Hindustan Times
Tipped in the Balance
So elections once again. State elections this time, and I don’t have much time to figure out where that vote of mine is going to go.
I’m always traumatised at election time. My days of innocence are long gone. I take nothing at face value any more. I’ve written about this before here, but that was only about the national elections. State elections are much, much worse, because you SEE the effects that politicians have on your life. Forget see, it affects you on a daily basis. You know for a fact that, whatever anyone says, one party is just as bad as the other. And this time, there really is very little to choose between. I’ve seen what happened when the Shiv Sena was in power and didn’t like it. I’ve seen what happened when the Congress was in power and didn’t like it. And my heart sinks at the thought of an angry man like Raj Thackeray in charge of the state. The thought just makes me sick.
So… This time, I’ve been thinking. Maybe this time… I will not vote. And I took this thought seriously enough to actually debate it in my head. Instead of who to vote for.
I was still debating it today when a couple of things happened.
My colleague Mignonne returned from a trip to McLeodganj, Kangra and Shimla. She had lots to say about her holiday (and got me a packet of Kangra tea, yippee), but also lots to say about the Tibetans she’d met at McLeodganj.
Most of them, she said, were recent refugees. Had arrived in India just three or four years ago. When they’d left Tibet, they told her, they had no idea that such a place as Dharamsala existed. That the Dalai Lama lived there. Even how big
Tibet is. They didn’t know. The Chinese allowed them no information.
Do you have a passport? Mignonne asked one of them. Yes, he said. A Chinese passport.
Imagine being the citizen of a country that is working hard to eradicate your culture.
I cannot imagine such a thing. I cannot imagine not knowing how big my country is. I cannot imagine living in a place where information is banned. I cannot imagine having to escape from my country.
Then a former colleague, Arlene, dropped by.
Arlene is Indian Chinese. Her family is ethnically Chinese, but have been Indian for generations. She’s the ultimate bindaas Bombay babe, and she worked for a few months in Beijing, at an English language daily there.
She’s just returned, and we’re beginning to hear all about it.
There are newspapers, but you publish what the government tells you to. Facebook is blocked, blogs are blocked, Google is blocked. Mail is monitored. There is no way you can contact the outside world.
She travelled a bit within China with another Indian, also working at an English language daily in China. Managed to get a permit to visit the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
At a dhaba she went to, slavering at the thought of real Indian-style kebabs, the proprietor looked right through her. Refused to acknowledge her presence. Then her friend walked in, and there were the usual ‘where are you from?’ questions. Arlene was identified as Indian, not Chinese, and attitudes changed. The Uyghur hate the Han Chinese.
It was a full 360-degree turn, she told us. Well, no wonder. That’s another community in danger of losing its culture.
Again, I cannot imagine it. I cannot imagine no free press – and not just because I’m a journalist. I cannot imagine no information. I cannot imagine hating my country.
And now I cannot imagine not voting.
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Kushal Rani Gulab on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Filed under india · Tagged chinese, congress, Kangra, Kangra tea, McLeodganj, Raj Thackeray, Shimla, State elections
Kushal,
I have a theory on the midset that you seemed to be momentarily inflicted with. And it is this :
A primary reason that, say, Gujrat is progressing so well in the last few years is that it has no Mumbai. Now you might think what is that? Let me explain.
One of the things that Indians have learnt very well from the West is to blame the politicians for all the ills that afflict the society. Curiously, this was not an Indian phenomenon even as late as the early sixties. But as the integration of educated India grew with the western world, many of the things that were in vogue there, naturally attracted our educated classes. Ridiculing the politician, blaming them for each and everything, calling them all sorts of names - this was one of things that we so very well learned from the west.
Our press learned this even better. One if the things that the West could justifiably be proud of was its free press. The most prominent way in which this manifested was the way the press took on their respective political class and the governments. It was during this time that the Watergate scandal happened and became a legend. Our press saw this. They learned from it. And what did they learn - that to establish their freedom they have to constantly bad mouth the politician.
This then began getting dished out on a regular basis in the media - initially in print and then with obnoxious regularity in broadcast. For proof, just see any of the 10 PM programmes on any of the prominent English channels. Just see for one week and observe how everything is pinned finally on the politician.
What is the affect of this constant hammering away? The average middle class voter becomes completely cynical of the political process and not ony begins to feel that he has no stakes in the elections but openely radiates this feeling as well. By making comments like all parties are bad, some are even worse, whoever wins my life will not change, so why should I vote ? And other such arguments.
Now why did I mention Mumbai? Because Mumbai has the maximum number of such middle class people. Cynical citizenary who have no stakes in the political process. It has the amongst the most dismal rates of voting percentage. And even those that vote are mostly lower middle class or the subsistence class.
So why will the politician who gets elected, waste his time on doing things that might appeal to the middle class voter, when he knows that in the ultimate analysis it will count for nothing.
That is why Gujrat is progresing so well. Because it has no Mumbai.
You might argue what about Delhi? Well, Delhi is a unique case becuase it a city state, and home to the top leaders of the country.
Alas, had our press not learned just superficially from the Western media, it would have realised that they stripped the politican when necesary, but never let that feeling permeate to a level of cynicism. That is why when a professioanl politician like Obama got elected, the same press could whip a national frenzy of support as opposed to an indifference that so permeates the Indian media space.
Thank God that you got over the confabulatory period quickly. India needs it’s eduacated and middle classes to vote. Journalists should invariably vote. Connoisseurs of good books like you must vote !!
Regards !
[Reply]
Akhilesh Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:39 am
“Facebook is blocked, blogs are blocked, Google is blocked. ”
Are you on facebook ?
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Signed up for a story, have never used it since. I’m a very antisocial element.
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Akhilesh Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Facebook is the best thing that happened to antisocial elements…it’s motto is / should be - nothing social about it !
Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
With respect, Akhilesh, my cynicism does not stem from any media conspiracy. It stems from being a reasonably thinking and aware citizen of this country who knows that political choices are more about selecting what you hope is the lesser of the evils than selecting what you actually think is good for the country.
That said, cynicism leads to nothing but a big full stop, so voting is certainly a must.
Re: your reference to Gujarat. I’ve read your comments on the blogs of my colleagues, so I know that whatever I say will have no effect on you except to possibly make you argue harder. Still, here goes.
Economic growth is wonderful and necessary, there is no doubt about it. A government that cannot make that happen can’t be a good government. But social well being is equally important.
Can I, as a citizen of this country, expect to be reasonably secure, free from discrimination, allowed to live my life peacefully and within the law as a woman and as part of a political, religious, linguistic, ethnic minority in the same way as I would if I were a man and part of a political, religious, linguistic, ethnic majority? In many cases, no. Because of the cynicism of politicians, playing one bunch of people against another.
A government that cannot make this happen is not a good government.
[Reply]
Akhilesh Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Kushal,
When I was commenting on the general cynicism that is pervading the Indian media, I was not in the least suggesting that you are afflicted by the same disease or ther is any concerted media conspiracy. Indeed you might have, surely will have, your views based on your own reading of situations and issues. Infact there are a host of people who make up their minds independent of any one else’s thinking. I am sure you are amongst such group of people.
And let me also say upfront - that there are a lot of things in politicians to be despised about
What I was suggesting is this -
Take the reportage in the media during the initial days of swine flu outbreak. Almost every news channel went beserk creating a great hype around it. That was good. It led to a great deal of awareness. But I distinctly remember various discussions on TV with this slant - the outbreak is a result on account of colossal failure of governemnt, the health minister is a bumbling wimp who must resign - our politicians are no good and we are made to suffer this terrible disease because of their incompetence.
The situation : Swine flu outbreak is because politicians are incompetent !!!!!!!!!!
The WHO some days later commended India’s handling of swine flu, pointing out that it probably has the best track record in containing the spread. Inside India, Delhi’s model of contact tracing and quarantining them was considered the best. WHO revided it’s guidelines to approve shutting down of schools during initial days of outbreak, learning from Delhi and India.
Did you remember any of the channels conducting full shows on this? On pinting out this success and how we can learn and build on it? None whatsoever discussed this - because by then they had found the next issue to pin the politician.
It is not my argument that politicians are not creeps that they are made out to be. It is my argument that this easy black and white description of them is a great diservice to Indian democracy. The ordinary person has no time to dwell on complexities of issues involved and then make a decision. He only has so much time for news in his packed daily schedule. And what his barraged on to him in that limited time is constant politician bashing. can anyone then blame him / her for amking a view that politicians are all scoundrels and votiing is ultimately a choice betwen two lesser evils?
Educated and informed people like you still make the decision to vote. But not a vast majority of people busy in their daily grind. They decide that it’s a waste of time. That’s why the most dismal rates of voting in the educated and well of cities and localities.
Regards,
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
This is not a cop out, but I decline to comment on what TV channels do for the simple reason that like you, I think what they do is almost always out of proportion to what has actually happened. For instance, since the great deluge of 26/7, when it rains in Bombay, the coverage almost always focuses on what have always been low-lying areas of the city - which, naturally, flood easily. But the fuss about them made is such, that I always, always have to take frantic phone calls from parents, friends and relatives elsewhere, who are worried that I am possibly drowning. Such a tiny thing - rain in a city - but what hysteria TV coverage causes.
So for me, there is a separation of print and TV in media.
I work in print, and print usually - though not always - at least attempts to find a balance between the strong desire to have an instant attention-grabber and the need to treat whatever is happening in some sensible way. Which is why I have no desire to ever work in TV. I mostly find it appalling.
That said, I agree with you. In the desire to simplify issues for readers there is always a tendency to reduce things to black and white with no shades in between. This I find not only in the media, but also in the opinions of practically everyone. And any attempt to introduce shades of grey, in opinion pieces, are always met with accusations that we are attempting to confuse the issue. So this, I think, is something we have to shrug about and live with.
Akhilesh Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I agree with you completely on the differentiation between TV and print journalists. Infact, in my above comment, I had started writing about this difference, but then thought that the comment was becoming too long and possibly unwindly and thus deleted it. Good that you brought it out.
The issue with TV journalism, according to me, is this :
The criteria for landing up a TV journalist job seems to be this - good language skills ( either Hindi or English), good looks and willingness to travel. No wonder then that most of the field reporters seem to lack depth or analytical skills. Is it a wonder then that they take the easist way out to make an impact ? If the issue at hand is about a politician - end the story with a witty one liner describing the scoundrels and their ills effects on our lives. Whoever will dare question such accepted conventional wisdom. Job done, go home. Why waste time in understanding or explaining things?
Print, I think, requires much more rigour. It requires great analytical skills, comprehension skills and above all, contextualising skills. That is why I have been a life long fan of print, and spend so much time these days on HT blogs
Work in TV : …” Which is why I have no desire to ever work in TV”…
Now this is sad. Experinece shows that all those print journalist who have migrated to TV, or continue to do both, have excelled. Examples - Vir Sanghvi, Shekhar Gupta, Karan Thapar, Swati, etc.
They excel because they bring in that much needed perspective that TV journalists lack. That is why they are so well respected.
You, I think, will also do an excellent job, not the least because of your style of easy wit and humour. Humour is the best way to connect to the audience. Look at how Vinod Mehta cracks those funny one liners before delivering his counter punch.
Add to it your undoubted good looks. I think there is a sure shot winner here !!
But as I guess, you will say I don’t have TV in me, just you don;t have a story in you.
Akhilesh Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Reply on Gujrat :
First of all to quote you : ” I’ve read your comments on the blogs of my colleagues…”
Doing research one me? Wonder why? Anyways, it’s interesting feeling to be reserached, for once. That too by a respected personality like you.
About Gujrat itself :
I sure have very strong political leanings. And because of the reserach, I presume you know it. But did you notice that when I was referring to Gujrat, it was merely in the context of the fact the Gujrat still does not have have as much cynical middle class as Mumbai or Bangalore. Middle class of these cities, who are the loudest in TV studios and conspicuous by absence and enjoying extended weekends during voting days.
Refering to Gujrat was not a political point at all and certainly not a comment on Modi and his politics.
But look at your reply. You fall in the trap of so called liberal writers. Even when the brief of such writers and their columns is to discuss Gujrat’s economic governance, they preface it with Modi bashing and his politics.
Have you ever seen the same yardstick, by same writers, for any Congress leader? Have you ever, for example, seen writers discusssing the NREGA success in Andhra Pradesh and in the same column denouncing YSR as corrupt?
That’s my only grouse with such liberal journalists, most of them your colleagues. Strip Modi by all means when writing about his politics or when writing about his entire political life. But why discuss 2002 riots even when the topic of article is the road construction and highways in Gujrat?
Do same writers always refer to 84 riots when writing about computer revolution brought in by Rajiv Gandhi?
My grouse is against this double standard.
And for proof, read my reply above. I have referred to the success of Indian government and Delhi governemnt in containing swine flu. Now you know my political leanings. Yer, did you see me bashing these Congress governemnts for their politics on say, terror.
All I ask is the same courtsey be extended to Gujrat and Modi. Is it asking too much?
Regards,
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Grin. I am not doing research on you. I read the blogs of my colleagues and the comments they inspire. I enjoy comments - there is such a variety of ideas and opinions and arguments. So I came across you long before you came across my blog.
Re: Gujarat. I did not deny the importance of economic growth, but merely pointed out that that is not the ONLY way to judge the benefits of a certain government. I grew up in Calcutta. Bengal was (is!) a Communist state. Technically then, government was all about economics. And horrible, gross things happened socially in the name of economics.
Re: Congress. Certainly I am not right wing (I think you’ve gathered that). But as I mentioned in my actual blog - I have seen the Congress in power in the state and do not like it. That’s now, that has always been. 1984 still requires a major explanation and justice still has to be done - what happened was unforgivable.
But that does not make what happened in Gujarat forgivable.
1984 was when I first learned of differences. I was in class VII and it was when I realised for the first time that a classmate who had been a classmate since we were both in Lower Nursery was a Sikh. Before that, she was a girl and my friend and my classmate. Now she was a Sikh. 1984 was therefore pretty much seminal in the way I thought politically.
Akhilesh Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
“So I came across you long before you came across my blog.”…
Guess it’s my political leanings that I was drawn first to to more political blogs and then only dicovered your blog. Also, I have always read TOI in print format at home. So, unlike many of the fellow regular contributors on your blog, I was not into reading Brunch and your print articles. That’s why I don’t call you Bunny, I guess, and never refer to Brunch
It’s however the quality of your blogs and the contrasting feeling of vibrancy that permeates this blog ( as opposed to many of the political blogs which are mostly morbid) that I have become a regular.
But again, a celebrity like you came across me long beore I came across her blog - interesting feeling !!
1984 : I remember that year as vividly. I was then in class II in Allahabad. My school, St. Joseph’s College, was celebrating it’s centeneary on 2nd November. Indira Gandhi was going to be the chief guest. There were hectic preparations on for the event, with us being trained daily in PT routines, etc.
I used to live in a hospital campus ( father a doctor). The hospital was owned by a trust, the chairman of which was Indira Gandhi. The hospital is memorial to Kamala Nehru and it has always been headed by a member of the Gandhi family.
Indira Gandhi was to come to my school in the morning of 2nd November and take part in the celebrations. In the evening she was to visit the hospital, where again there were hectic preparations on. I was part of both.
Indira Gandhi was assasinated on 31st October 84. Just two days before. There was curfew in Allahabad for 7 days and schools were closed for 3 weks. All our efforts went waste. Imagine the disspaointment of a 7 year old, who was dreaming to meet the Prime Minister of India twice in a day, to suddenly realise that the dream has been so cruelly shattered.
So yes, 84 was seminal to me too. Although you might wonder, how I became right wing from such a background !!
The central point of my arguments is - we have got over 84 and moved on. Progressed well. No real issues betwen Sikhs and Hindus anynore.
When will our “liberal” media allow us to move beyond 2002 ?
Kushal Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:39 am
So how did you get your right wing views, Akhilesh? And, er… Many, many politicians have not yet got over 1947. So I think getting over 2002 - only seven years ago - might take a little while.
More seriously, you’re talking about mainstream English language media which tends to hold anti right wing views. I imagine a lot of local language media hold exactly the opposite views.
Kushal Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Come to think of it, many, many politicians haven’t even got over the Battle of Panipat, 1526. Or even Mahmud of Ghazni, 1001-1027.
Sorry, don’t mean to offend, but I really couldn’t resist. Peace!
Akhilesh Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 10:34 am
How did I get my right wing views ? :
That is a long story and probably unsuited to a comment format on a blog. Maybe offline discussion is more suitable. I would love it.
Suffice it to say this : Historically, all nation states have made the maximum progress under a right of centre regime. It is because by mental make up, right wingers are committed to a cause and are determined to push it. Many tasks in nation building require tough decisions to be taken - they may not have have the immediate popular sanction, yet they are beneficial in the long run. Only a committed ideology can take unpopular decision. For example - popular mood in US is no longer for the continuance of war in Afghanistan. However, most realise it’s necessary. A Bush would have persisted with it whereas an Obama is most likely to dump the war in another 12-18 months.
Centrist parties invariably tend to be populists. Because by definition they try and please all, which invariably means also pleasing entrenched vested interests. In a way they then take the line of least resistance. Normally such an attitude will not lead to any big push on any of the tough issues facing the country. For example - look at the waafling in the centre government on the Ishrat Jahaan case. The motto - try and please existing vested interests. If that means, damning your own IB then , so be it. If that means saying that IB inputs to states are not conclusive - so be it. If that means - a state can tomorrow say that i will no longer work on IB inputs because they are not conclusive anyways - so be it !
You might ask what about left wing ? Historically again, they have been proved to be failures. Forget the fact that left wing governments world over have mostly been despotic regimes. Even at an conmceptual level the thought that all people muts rise of fall equally is bound to be a failure.
Thus nation states need right wing parties and surely centrist parties.
Akhilesh Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 10:40 am
By the way I am now even further amazed that you still do not want to do TV?
You can, so very well, destroy a man’s carefully constructed arguments, by asimple a one line razor sharp sarcasm. And end it with - peace !! That man is left completely defenseless.
How does one argue with a person saying - peace? Even if that person might have just dropped a cruise missile on you !
Such skills are best utilised in TV and not in the faceless media of print.
Deb Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Would agree wholeheartedly that print media is much, much better in balanced reportage and analysis. I generally avoid TV news, which is mostly full of out-of-breath ‘breaking news’ (which, as we all know, could be the police commissioner’s cat on top of a tree). And even if I know about a specific news, I prefer to read it in next day’s newspaper, which actually gives the whole story (rather than soundbytes, TV-ishtyle) with analysis and contextual information.
During the swine flu outbreak, I thought HT’s take was outstanding, reassuring us all the time and putting it all in correct context. That resulted in my son missing school only for one day (besides a day on which the school itself was closed when a case was detected). Kudos!
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Kushal Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:35 am
I’m going to tell ALL our news editors ALL over the country to read your comment, Deb. Thank you for the vote of confidence.
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Hi Kushal,
Wasnt expecting such dark stuff in your blog, but then perhaps your days of innocence are not entirely gone.
Look at HT today.
A manager is killed by drunken patrons for not allowing them to smoke in his bar. A young man is killed by a petrol pump owner for relieving himself on the pump’s outer wall……
Which of the two parties you are think you going to vote for ideologically stand against such incidents? They did happen in different cities, but are symptomatic. Hobson’s choice.
However, you can press the panic button. Other countries are not eradicating our culture, we are doing it to ourselves, and comprehensively at that.
And you can press the button again, for the pen may slowly but surely losing its battle to the sword.
Time for a cold drink!!
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Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Atul, you are hilarious!
I have two very consoling thoughts always in my head that work in any situation.
1. This, too, shall pass.
2. We’re all going to die anyway, so how does it matter.
These never fail to put things in perspective. Especially the second.
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Deb Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Or, as the (micro) economists love to say, in the ‘long term’ we are all dead!
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Kushal Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Hahaha! Given our obsession with health these days, no term will be long enough for people whose one aim in life is to live forever, Deb.
Arelene’s back? Tell her I’m dying to hear her stories.
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Yep, she’s back.
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Hi, Kushal,
are you checking yr blog on childrens’ books/ Re chalet school
sunila
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Hi Sunila!
No, I just checked. Angela Brazil is before my time, I think, but that never mattered at home. I had lots of my older sisters’ books, plus my mother’s and aunts’ books, not to mention the school library. So Angela Brazil was very much on my reading list. Though I was - am!- such a fan of the Chalet School that all other school stories paled in comparison.
Shall we take this conversation off the blog and into email? My email is kushalgulab@hindustantimes.com
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One thing I am proud of is how India has managed to resist Chinese pressure on Tibet to some extent. I mean sure, we don’t send guerrilla forces to fight its occupation of Tibet, but at least we have let the Dalai Lama live in relative peace here. And organize protest marches where they can do everything short of burning the Chinese flag! And the Dalai-lama-in-waiting is nice and healthy too.
And I totally loved voting this time for the Lok Sabha. Was my first time. My candidate won!
I tried to be a ‘good voter’. There were three major candidates and I visited two of their local party offices. Neither of them could give me a copy of their manifesto or even talk about it. One party’s boys could do no better than saying the candidate was of the same caste as me, so I “obviously” I should choose him! Gave up. They are all bleepholes but whatever, right?
Also, I refuse to buy the argument that unless I am a part of politics I shouldn’t criticize politicians. Thats like saying unless I am a chef I shouldn’t criticize the food I am served in a restaurant. It’s a very healthy part of democracy methinks - the right to criticize the ‘rulers’. We can’t ALL be politicians!
The media in our country is rather kind on the govt actually! Our Metro pages are filled with good news about all the good things that are yet to happen to our cities and every time something good does happen the press goes to town about it. I like that. Giving credit where it is due is needed.
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Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Abhiroop, you are a heart-raiser indeed! Grin, thanks for the thumbs up.
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It’s a sickening thought. A fugitive in your own country. It’s quite depressing to know that you don’t have much choice in the candidates in our own country. We do get this sadistic pleasure in voting with our middle or whatever finger once every alternate year. Some thought though !
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Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Well, Nutsure, apparently we get the governments we deserve. So there’s a very high chance that we’re to blame.
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Hey Bunny…
Nice post… Love it like I love all your others
Just yesterday in class, we had a debate on pressures on the media by the state and and owner/s of the media group. That’s when one of my Chinese classmates told us how everything that went on air at a TV channel she worked in was vetted by one person and even the live events they broadcast had a 10 second delay so that anything ‘inappropriate’ that made it to air could be bleeped out… that’s when another Chinese (and my class is full of them) said that no such thing happens in China and she strongly disagreed with her countrywoman…. and so on..talk abt indoctrination!!
Was thinking of Arlene and her experience there… would make a great piece methinks.
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Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Thanks Colleen. Arlene’s story would be wonderful - was thinking about it myself. Must speak to Poonam about it.
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“And my heart sinks at the thought of an angry man like Raj Thackeray in charge of the state. The thought just makes me sick.”
Vote we must, vote we will.
Nice post, hun.
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Kushal Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Thanks, Pervin.
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There is a very high degree of truth in the reference about media blackout in China. When I used to work for an international NGO, I once had an assignment in Sri Lanka with a lady from our China office. Coincidentally, it was an anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre. As stray shots of the massacre and related reportage kept rolling on TV, my Chinese colleague started crying, almost suddenly. On asking the reason, she said she never knew something like that had happened in her country. This shows there is total information blackout when the Govt. wants.
Another time, when I visited our China operations, I saw two people in the office occupying a cubicle, who were apparently not doing any real work, but occasionally browsing through hard copy and electronic communication. I was told that they were from the local Women’s Federation, who were ‘partners’ in the Chinese operation. It was quite transparent that in the garb of ‘partnership’, all they were doing was keeping a watch over the goings on so nothing out of Govt. line could get outside. It was the same operation where I also saw a stray reference to the second child of a villager being hushed up by volunteers as the family could’ve gotten into real trouble if news of a second child got to the Govt. officials.
I’d sure not like to live in that kind of an atmosphere. Although there is much prosperity now in urban China, it seems the urban elite have entered into an uneasy, unwritten truce with the rulers whereby they are allowed to earn their money (and it can be huge in certain circles, communism be damned) in return for total silence on matters political.
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Me back home too! It is good. Me will be in kohl-kah-ta in january. is it true that they have torn down all the little shops on college street because a ‘book mall’ is coming up?
HAPPY HAPPY DIWALI!!
i am going to sit on my terrace with mum and chomp on some crunchy munchies and watch the sky fireworks
also, i got mum to reading this blog and she likes all the articles and tells me that i should stop sounding like such a goody goody to ‘hide the fact that i am a certified monkey’.
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read* not reading*
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