The meltdown

"Bapu, the government spends a fortune to ensure that you live a simple and austere life," Sarojini Naidu had told Mahatma Gandhi sometime during the British rule. That, of course, may not be known to the howling brigade, who have clearly taken the borrowed right of freedom of speech and expression from the people for granted.    

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoped that history will be kinder to him than the contemporary media and Opposition. That will be known only in future, but would the history be kinder to Indian journalism of past few weeks, particularly in Delhi, must be a subject of debate now and right now. Because in the last four weeks, Indian media -- TV, wholly; and print, substantially -- have forgotten that their primary role is to report and critique.

An editor ranking journalist opined that BJP mascot Narendra Modi is finished and Aam Admi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal would make strong impact in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This would hardly concern, for each person is the king of his mental faculty, but what followed then should alarm most.

When asked if the same ferocious critiquing was being done for Arvind Kejriwal as had been done to Modi, the journalist startled with the reply. "No. We are not doing that to Kejriwal. He should get a chance. People are tired of corruption," he quipped, allowing a semblance of Aam Admi to take over his journalistic senses. 

He is not alone in his opinion that Kejriwal should get a chance. One TV editor tweeted that Kejriwal should get 100 days at least before he is judged. Other TV editors have given ample demonstration, that they would love to pamphleteer for AAP.

John Simpson, the famed BBC broadcaster, had chronicled and critically reviewed British journalism during two World Wars in his celebrated book "Unreliable sources". He found both shallow and brilliance in those period among the British journalists. 

If Simpson were to undertake a relatively simple task to review Indian journalism, particularly those in Delhi, for a period, say, four recent weeks, one may hazard a guess that he would find majority of the media houses with their pants down. 

AAP leader and lawyer Prashant Bhushan welcoming Kamal Mitra Chenoy, a Leftist, in his party.

Simpson would easily find that Delhi media were not only taking sides of AAP but were the campaigner of this party. Thus, the newspapers splashed AAP coverage, disproportionate to what it could have actually commanded, and thereby disadvantaged its political rivals, say Congress and BJP.

Furthermore, the constant drum-beating for AAP in TV channels without seriously examining its policies and in fact demanding to know them did succeed in establishing the party in Delhi, which has 99 per cent cable penetration. People discovered after Kejriwal was sworn in that his party favoured referendum on deployment of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and also in Maoist affected areas and that this outfit believed in subsidising the middle class at the expanse of the poor and so on.

In fact, on the first day of the iconic fast-unto-death undertaken by Aana Hazare at Jantar Mantar in April 2011, one TV reporter too had joined the Gandhian by keeping fast and working too. But his news channel did not know that the reportage was thus compromised and hence he was not sacked, as would have been the case with any professional organisations. Kejriwal then used to drum his support among reporters and liberally employed journalists at his Public Cause and Research Foundation (PCRF) NGO. And thus Kejriwal infiltrated media in a way, that no one could imagine.

And so we see a daily overdose of AAP in print and TV channels. So, the same story wearing the cloth of news appears that Kejriwal refuses security, launches helpline numbers, etc. Initially, they were falling over to brand Kejriwal another Mahatma Gandhi being the icon of simplicity, as he chose only a 10-room duplex for his office-cum-residence. If not for the social media, which reminded them of Mamata Banerjee, Manik Sarkar and Manohar Parrikar, just to name a few, living in much smaller homes, Delhi media would have by now certified Kejriwal another Gandhi.

"Bapu, the government spends a fortune to ensure that you live a simple and austere life," Sarojini Naidu had told Mahatma Gandhi sometime during the British rule. That, of course, may not be known to the howling brigade, who have clearly taken the borrowed right of freedom of speech and expression from the people for granted.    

Another brick in the wall

Hero worshiping and myth building are historically intrinsic to Indian psyche. And much of the air-thumping in Delhi is part of a pattern. That the people so joyously are soaking themselves in the opium of delusion is also quite normal and those having a taste of history know it well. 

Those who suffer from the disease called "short memory" may just recall a "hawai-chappal" and cotton

sari wearing woman in Mamata Banerjee uprooting and trampling over the more than three decades of the Left rule in West Bengal not long ago. She and the people of West Bengal had made history then.

Banerjee took just a little over a couple of years after the Nandigram killings to lay the graveyard of the Left rule led by the CPI (M). She rode on the slogan of "Ma, Mati, Manush". That the urban intelligentsia now seeks to distance themselves from her, who holds on to power with her strength in rural Bengal, is another story.   

Arvind Kejriwal, an NGO wallah before April 2011, head-hunted Anna Hazare to give legitimacy to the Jan Lokpal Bill, drafted by him in cohort with the ultra-judiciary activist Prashant Bushan. And the Gandhian did not disappoint the former tax officer and parted ways with him but before that he gifted the self-stated angry man the key to power in Delhi.

Kejriwal is now sworn in as chief minister and among others he has also taken oath not to be vindictive (maen kisi dwesh ke bhavana se kaam nahi karunga). This makes him quite a hypocrite, for he has been trumpeting that he would send the Congress ministers to jail. His sound bytes since December 8 have been sliced with vindictiveness only.

The lens of hypocrisy has not yet been applied on Kejriwal in any serious manner. About a year back, he began admitting with journalists, including this blogger, that Anna Hazare had been managed by the Congress. But for public consumption he has created a facade that he still worships Anna and that those close to the Gandhian have made a wall for him to block him directly connecting with him. He invites the accusation of being a hypocrite for being untruthful about his relations with Anna Hazare. 

Neither Anna is Mahatma Gandhi nor Kejriwal is a Nehru, as the social media paid volunteers of Aam Aadi Party would like emotional Delhi'ites to believe. 

Those who are blessed with good memory may recall that a couple of days after the people in Delhi had voted, Hazare in his presser reiterated that he had not been convinced by the explanation given by Kejriwal about the funds raised in his name. Anna also maintained that he could be dragged to court because of Kejriwal, who without his authorization sold SIM Card Scheme in his name. That was just four days before the Delhi verdict became known. And Anna had also shot a letter in which he made quite a lot of veiled accusations of financial impropriety to Kejriwal.

So, the man who gives certificate of being corrupt to others has not been able to convince Hazare on funds collected in his name. But Kejriwal, who is apparently that marketing wizard who has sold combs to bald men, has been treated by media with kid-gloves. That would be quite a generous understatement, as media was the biggest campaigner for Kejriwal and his party. In fact, editors of TV channels took pride to spend a few hours at Jantar Mantar during Anna agitation and to share later that they had had feelings of Tahrir Square in the narrow strip on the Parliament street. One of them wrote a book, with judgments that Anna was another Gandhi.

In those days, it was India Against Corruption (IAC) and there was a core committee, which included a lot of men, including Kejriwal. One of them has a few questions but is apparently shy to come into public.

His questions is very simple: Where did the money come from to publish Kejriwal's book "Swaraj".

One more question deserves to be added. And that is this -- if Swaraj was printed to be sold at Rs 25 a copy, with the motive of spreading the idea of self-rule, why is it now priced at Rs 150 (English paper book), Rs 100 (Hindi) and Rs 53 (e-book). So, now the social cause has been overtaken by the idea of commercial profit. And if that's so, it's more important to find out the source of fund used in publishing the book. 

But more important is to challenge the ideas to which Kejriwal is sworn to. That a very few have been doing is disturbing. 

Let's rewind to October 2011. One fine afternoon, Kejriwal took the microphone at Jantar Mantar and in his trademark fashion asked the crowd to raise their hands if they agreed to his accusations of about 16 Union ministers being corrupt. He was jury, investigating officer and prosecutor too. And what were the evidences Kejriwal submitted to brand 16 ministers corrupt -- Newspaper clippings. 

The crowd, consisting of 200 people, raised their hands and these ministers were pronounced corrupt. The idea of debate is not whether they are corrupt or honest but the manner to institutionalize crowd. This is not only dangerous but suggests heavy ideological leaning to Maoist thought processes. Even the Taliban could seek brotherhood from them. 

And it's also true that if Maoists opt to fight elections they will win Bastar, which is big enough to be a state, effortlessly.

People in Delhi are eating out of the hands of the handful leaders of AAP. They easily subscribe to their claims of newness in politics and a new approach to governance. Not much of critical faculty appears to have been employed to question these claims.

Seven hundred liters of water free for each family in Delhi! Yes, you have heard it many times to have become dumb to it by now. Is it a novel idea? No, just look at Tamil Nadu and check with the perfectionists (DMK and AIADMK) of this art. Mr Kejriwal, you are treading on quite a beaten track. 

And why should half the population of Delhi, who are quite rich and use 500 liters of water a day to clean their cars, should get it free. And that too when Delhi has no source of water and half the year is at the mercy of Haryana to get it. Why should the people of Uttar Pradesh part with water to let Delhi'ites waste it.

Next -- will regularize unauthorized colonies in six months! Had it been so easy Sheila Dikshit would have done it much earlier. How can you have a regular and legal colony where fire tenders can't enter, where ambulances can't reach in quick time, where there is no space for hospitals, schools and dispensaries and playground, if you think that kids need to play in the evening. Can Kejriwal make people in these colonies demolish their houses to create a minimum 20 per cent free space?      

The manifesto that Kejriwal authored is a recipe for misgovernance and irresponsible politics. In fact, the time has come for the Election Commission to ban such freebies, as they are nothing but open bribery to voters. 

But, yes, the 15 years long rule of the Congress had been akin to a piece of paper burning slowly. And in the end it was a burnt, black paper, which needed just a shove to turn into ash. That's no more a warning to the Congress and rather it's an affirmation that this party has lost another state to a regional party, as had been the case in Bihar, UP, West Bengal.

The BJP had been dismissive about the AAP and woke up quite late to name Dr Harsh Vardhan as chief ministerial candidate. The party, which had given Delhi its first Aam Aadmi as CM in Saheb Singh Verma, has been too defensive. No game can be won if no risk is taken, that the BJP should know and its Delhi leaders would do a world of good to themselves to start believing that they understand the city better than their colleagues in the Central BJP.

A lot of drama has taken place in Delhi since April 2011 and rightly the city has a lot of theaters near Mandi Chowk, including that of the National School of Drama.   

But the biggest challenge that India is now faced is the prospect of the country becoming a nation of litigation and litigants. That the judicial activism has enriched the civilian rights is well-known. But the attempt to establish superiority of judiciary over democracy is a dangerous recipe that the likes of Prashant Bhushan and Kejriwal are proposing.

Ironically, it's democracy that allowed the people living and working out of Ghaziabad in UP to win over Delhi. But the same democracy faces encroachments by a super-judicial bureaucracy, given legitimacy by mob driven leaders.  

However, the legal warriors are underestimating the power of democracy. And for that matter the historic Gettysburg speech should be recalled, which gave the concept of democracy, which has only gained in strength all these years.  

Amid the raging civil war in the America, it's said that Abraham Lincoln had locked

himself in a library for about three weeks. Emerging out of it, he gave the famous Gettysburg address, which lasted two and a half minutes. There he explained the underlying principle of democracy, that it's "for the people, by the people and of the people". 

The power of the people may be underestimated by activists at their own peril, as the blows do come and come very swiftly. 

India on short fuse

Argumentative India of Amaryta Sen fame is past. India is now on short fuse. The angry India is feasting on fire in the bellies of the youth. Fire is raging, because Indian dream has turned a mirage. With over 50 lakh jobs lost in the last five years and a glut of employment seekers, there is no patience left to argue but to explode. And the shrill from loud-mouthing Indians is only gaining more adrenaline, as hopes struggle to incubate. 

Roughly one per cent GDP growth translates into 15 lakh new jobs. From the high of over eight per cent growth rate, Indian story is grasping for breath. Because now even a five per cent growth is a steep challenge. With three per cent gone, Indian economy lost on opportunity to create additional 15 lakh jobs a years. 

And over 45 lakh educated and qualified job seekers join the mad rush each year for their stake under the sky. They include 7.5 lakh engineers, five lakh MBAs and 30 lakh graduates. The glut is overwhelming. More so

because, the economic survey for 2012-13, authored by Raghuram Rajan, informed jobs are merely being created in construction (labour) and informal sectors. The Planning Commission admitted in March that India lost 50 lakh jobs during 2005-10, while only 27 lakh jobs were created.

National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) found that those gainfully employed have come down from 42 per cent in 2004-05 to 35.4 per cent in 2011-12. The unmistaken verdict is that there is a deep cut in the job market.

If not for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and a relatively good spell of Monsoon since 2009, the Indian story would look more horrific. That is so, because MGNREGA alone gave jobs to over 23 crore households in the last five years, while agriculture continues to be the backbone of rural employment.

The story of rural and urban India is in deep contrast. While rural India is relatively better off, for reasons stated above, gloom in urban India is hard to miss. The Monsoon blessed rural India is better off by engaging largely in self-employment and trade, almost 75 per cent as per official estimates. 

However, urban India banking on Manmohan Singh leadership is left in the lurch, with a double whammy hitting them in the form of inflation refusing to be tamed despite singular focus of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and job losses galore.

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam had made Indian dreamy. He gave wings to their dreams, that India by 2020 would be brimming with a skilled workforce engaged in productive works to help the country become a developed nation by 2020. With Raisina hills now part of his autobiography, the dream is more of a nightmare, as poetry is no substitute to hard works for the policy makers.

In five years, China transferred 150 million of its rural people into the manufacturing sector, after imparting them relevant skills. In contrast, 14 million of Indians from rural areas, due to distress migration, were absorbed largely in construction sector in the same period -- no skills came their ways. These people soaking cement dusts will return after a decade with TB and lung cancer, with none to look them after. 

The apologists who shy away from comparison with China should reckon that India's new economy is no more a baby, a full two decades have gone by. It's an adult and still malnourished. 

While the rupee threatened to commit suicide over the fear that the US Fed would begin withdrawing stimulus, Chinese and Mexican currencies were least bothered. That was because their economies stand on their feet with robust manufacturing sector. India on the other hand deluded that it could become a superpower by tapping outsourcing business alone. Delusions are not permanent. And this is the stark reality of India now.     

While the corporate is on pill-induced sleep over job creation, government at various levels abandoned this responsibility long back in the name of liberalization. However, India continues to recruit much larger bureaucrats -- almost 10 time than of 2000-03 intake. No wonder the government is bureaucratic and red-tapism too obvious in its functioning.

Lanco, an infrastructure company, laid off 4500 staff last month. The reason -- projects in the pipeline could not take off even after much delay. Educomp laid off 3500, because the company is now ill. With Bangladesh becoming the new low price textile power house, those employed in India are in lurch. The count could be endless.   

The NGO man turned social activist turned politician -- Arvind Kejriwal -- felt the pulse of the simmering anger early. In Anna Hazare, he found an ably ally to turn the anger into a mass hysteria. With more air, the hysteria has turned into a wild fire. That threatens to rage down all who look to have derailed Indian dream. Kejriwal is capacity constrained to pipe this rage to blast the obvious suspects -- Manmohan Singh and the Congress led UPA government at the Centre. 

The man who watched the deepening rage from a distance for a couple of years is Narendra Modi. He knows that the ammunition had long been collected. He commands a cadre which can set off anti-establishment blasts in most parts of the country. 

And so India gears up for the most vicious elections in which shrill will drown sanity. And one must forgive the loud-mouthing Indians, for the fire in the belly is raging to cloud civility.