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Thursday 27 December, 2012

Creating a law-abiding society - Part 1

Creating a law-abiding society - Part 1


Recently, I had posted my thoughts on the need for judicial reforms in India. (If you missed it, you can read it here:


A thorough and complete overhaul of the legal system, the laws of the land, addressing the adequacy of the number of courts, judges, cops, etc. would take a long time.

In the meantime, we can introduce a whole lot of small/minor changes which will have a quick yet significant positive impact on the society.

I plan to come up with a series of suggestions in this endeavour, in what I hope to be a series of posts.

Here are the first few suggestions:

  • Create a course called "Essentials of Law" and make it mandatory at a few different levels:

    • "Introduction to Basics of Law" - For Class VI students. This should cover the need for law, importance of having a rule of law, the need for respect for law and a few basic critical aspects of laws.

    • "Exposure to Law - Growing beyond Adolescence" - For Class XI students - This should cover basics of criminal law, basics of commercial law, basics of civil laws, Legal duties and rights of a citizen.

    • "Getting ready for Responsibilities - Laws for being a good citizen" - For final year college students. This should include a more advanced and updated version of the above two courses.

  • Introduce a "Double or Half" system to de-clutter the higher courts. Today, the high courts and supreme court are having a plethora of cases and the numbers are overwhelming. We must identify some simple and elegant method of de-cluttering the higher courts. Here are a few suggestions:

    • When person (whether an individual or an organisation) gets a judgement at the first court in which the case was originally filed, the person who feels that he is the aggrieved party goes in for an appeal. This is perfectly legal, but results in cluttering the higher courts with too many cases. Hence, a system should be introduced where the punishment in the form of imprisonment or a monetary penalty or both WILL be at least doubled in case the earlier judgement is upheld and will be at least halved if the earlier judgement is overruled.

    • For instance, in case the initial judgement had called for the convicted person to be imprisoned for 4 years and levied a fine of Rs. 100,000/=, in the first appeal, if the earlier judgement is held to be valid, the minimum punishment should be 8 years of imprisonment and a fine of a minimum of Rs. 200,000/=. if the earlier judgement is overturned, the maximum punishment levied for the originally convicted person should be 2 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rs. 50,000/=.

    • This process will ensure that both parties involved in the litigation will think a hundred times before going in appeal.

    • While enacting the necessary modification in laws to implement the above suggestion, the constitution should be amended so as to enable and empower the judges hearing the case in every appeal to go beyond the maximum punishment applicable in the relevant acts as well as to go below the minimum punishment applicable in the relevant acts.

    • Let me explain this with an example - Suppose the maximum punishment for a specific crime is 10 years imprisonment; Further suppose that the original judgement in the first trial court had been 8 years. If the conviction is upheld in appeal, the judge should have the flexibility to go beyond the maximum punishment of 10 years, and should even be allowed to prescribe an imprisonment of upto 16 years.

I invite suggestions from all of you to make the judicial system quick, responsive and effective in providing justice.

Regards,

N

Wednesday 19 December, 2012

Delhi Gang-rape and Media Mania

Delhi Gang-rape and Media Mania


Well, the gang-rape of a 23 year old girl, about which I had written a while ago (Death Penalty should be imposed for rapists or not ... ... ...) has apparently been a particularly gruesome crime.

However, the way in which the English "National" TV news channels have been covering it, makes me wonder?!?!? Virtually, whenever I've tried watching one of these channels, they've been discussing about this particular news item and all kinds of "linked" news. This horrible crime certainly deserves mention (here I must emphasise the very same statistics that these folks keep talking about: Over 24000 cases of rape in India every year - almost three per hour). But should it be covered in a "non-stop fashion" almost to the total exclusion of all other topics? I certainly don't think so.

Look at a few other "newsworthy" items that have "got lost in the din":
  • Shiv Sena has, apparently, quietly agreed to let go of their original demand to convert the Shivaji Park into a memorial for their deceased leader.
  • Fairly significant protests by DMK against the electricity shortage in Tamil Nadu
  • Review (and mauling) of our defeated cricket team - After all, cricket is religion in this country
  • Financial Troubles @ Kingfisher Airlines and linking it (irrelevently) to the personal donation of a huge quantum of Gold to Lord Balaji @ Tirupathi by Vijay Mallya
  • The huge fire at Hyderabad Airport and the usual debates on violation of safety norms at our airports
  • The re-naming of the erstwhile Deccan Chargers team (and its prospects in the forthcoming IPL)
  • Banking Amendment bill being passed in Parliament, its implications (and whether it was debated adequately in Parliament)
  • Pratibha Patil committing to return a whole lot of artefacts to Rashtrapathi Bhavan by June 2013 

I must admit that a few of these news items might have been "mentioned in passing" by a couple of channels. However, despite checking with a few of my friends, I must reaffirm that none of us had managed to see any meaningful discussion on any of the above news items.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not trying to "underplay" the significance of either the Delhi gang rape or the protests that followed.

My curious query: What happened to that old-school term called "Perspective"? 

Regards,

N

Death Penalty for Rapists - Is it Warranted?

Death Penalty for Rapists - Is it Warranted?


There has been a national outrage (well, at least on all the TV channels that I was watching) about the gang-rape of a 23 year old woman in a moving bus in Delhi.

At the outset, let me make things abundantly clear that the culprits must be immediately brought to book, tried, and punished in accordance with the prevailing laws. (Today's laws can result in a jail term ranging from 7 years to a maximum of life imprisonment.)

Further to this horrific rape, a whole lot of people have demanded that the laws should be amended to enable the "Death Penalty" for rapists.

Personally, despite being a rather unsavoury punishment, in the Indian context, I'm still in favour of continuing to retain the "Death Penalty" as an option for the "rarest of rare cases". In this post, I will not go into the details of my reasons, which I can elaborate at a later point of time. In this post, I will restrict my arguments to proffer reasons as to why "Death Penalty" should not be allowed to be imposed on Rapists. Here goes:
  • Rape, as a crime, while being a horrendous one, already punishes the victim in the existing process of law where the victim is repeatedly questioned at length during the court hearings. If this is the situation presently, you can imagine the rigour of such questioning in case the law allows imposition of the "Death Penalty".

  • As it is, the conviction rate is pathetic for crimes of rape. If you desire to impose "Death Penalty", the judges (and the accused persons & their lawyers) would expect a greater degree of "proof and certainty" - This would further reduce the conviction rates.

  • A vast majority of cases of rape are, even according to the experts on human rights, acts of a perverted mind. The moment you concede that rape is the result of a perverted mind, there is always the scope to "reform" the perverted mind. If you impose the "Death Penalty", you are condemning the rapist to a punishment that eliminates the possibility to reform himself.

  • Unlike most other crimes, rape is "difficult to prove", with "your word versus mine" situations being quite common. In fact, in many instances, the rape victim is often so terrified by her experience that immediately after the crime, she rushes home and (sorry to say this openly) cleans herself up completely and thoroughly, because she feels so deeply violated - both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, in this very process of cleaning up, she often ends up destroying a whole lot of "evidence". Sad, blunt, but true. This again results in the problem of depending on "circumstantial evidence" to prove the crime. "Death Penalty" is seldom likely to be imposed based on such "circumstantial evidence"

  • The situation becomes far more confusing when you have a situation of rape by one (or more) stranger(s) in a dark alley, for instance. Proving guilt or innocence becomes all the more challenging. With advanced forensic technology and with a willingness on the part of a victim to lodge a complaint with the law enforcement agencies immediately after the crime, it may be feasible to nail the real culprits. However, I don't see that happening in today's India.

  • Now we need to look at the microscopic minority of cases where there is a FALSE accusation of rape. This could happen in a variety of instances ranging from a vengeful woman, a "ditched" lover, a commercial sex worker who did not get the money, etc. In such cases where the real criminal is the so-called victim, it would be quite feasible for her to "create the required evidence" to nail the "culprit" who is actually innocent. I repeat, in today's India, over 95% of the rapes will be horrible crimes against women. However, when you have over 24000 cases of rapes being reported every year, even the remaining 5% translates to a sizable number. And even if ONE innocent person is going to be punished, I'll much rather prefer if he is made to suffer a jail term rather than a "Death Penalty". For obvious reasons.

  • Finally, when you take a few years to actually execute a clearly "open and shut case" like Kasab, you can well imagine the kind of time that you are going to take to achieve "closure" of rape cases if "Death Penalty" is allowed. All said and done, in cases where we are talking about a jail term, by the time the cases reach the high court, the "period of imprisonment undergone" might have exceeded the intended jail term, and people may not necessarily drag on the cases all the way to the Supreme Court. However, if we are contemplating "Death Penalty", you can be rest assured that each such case where the accused is convicted, he will go all the way to the Supreme Court to escape the "Death Penalty". In fact, it may not even end there - There is always a "request for Presidential Pardon" - And the possibility of further litigation on the grounds that the accused has already "mentally suffered" due to the "inordinate delays" in the decision making process.
Keeping in mind all the above points, I am sure that "Death Penalty" is certainly not appropriate for rapists. Much better for all parties concerned will be to hasten the investigation and trial process and ensure that final closure is obtained within a maximum of a few months from the original date of complaint.

Regards,

N

Wednesday 7 November, 2012

The Parable of the Stinking BadCurry

The Parable of the Stinking BadCurry


A group of friends went to a restaurant attached to a five-star hotel for a nice dinner. Unfortunately, they ended up having an 18-course meal, all of which was spoilt by a recurring presence of a single BadCurry.

When they went back home, they told all their friends and relatives about their taste of BadCurry.

A few of these friends leaked the matter to the media.

The lousy stink of BadCurry was splashed around all over the print media, TV Channels, etc.

The matter went all the way back to the hotel.

The age-old Chairman of the hotel refused to believe that his hotel could have any stinking BadCurry. And refused to attend any review meeting. The other members of the board of directors, obviously, had an eye on the Chairman's position (at least in due course). At the same time, they also wanted to ensure that other hotels in the city don't exploit their weakness due to the stinking BadCurry.

Like the proverbial kingdom of yore where nobody was willing to mention the fact that the King was wearing no clothes, most of these board members "decided" that the BadCurry did not stink.

Again, like the small child in that very same kingdom, the child of a board member (who was also an Executive member) ended up shouting: "The BadCurry stinks!

The media went gaga over it.

The board memers decided to hold a meeting. With or without the Chairman.

And they reviewed the BadCurry.

After due deliberation, the members decided that they'll listen to the sage advice of Orwellian elders, and decided that they'll continue to maintain that the BadCurry did not stink.

And promptly issued a press release stating that the BadCurry did not stink. And issued an internal circular that none of the board members or others in the hotel should comment anything about the BadCurry - irrespective of whether or not the BadCurry stinks.

----------- ---------- --------- -----------

Sadly, the board members didn't realise that whether the BadCurry stinks or not depends on the BadCurry, and not on the opinion of the board members.

The media, of course, is waiting with bated breath for further stinks from the BadCurry.

----------- ---------- --------- -----------

Regards,

N

Sunday 28 October, 2012

The Anarchy that's India


The Anarchy that's India



One of the essential features of a just society is that the rule of law must prevail.

A guy who violates the law must be afraid that the law enforcement agencies will catch up with him and he'll have to be afraid that he'll need to face the consequences of his action.

Similarly, one who is innocent must have the confidence that even if the circumstances may portray him otherwise, the legal system will provide justice and declare him to be innocent.

And in both the above cases, the concerned parties must be sure that justice will not only be done, but will be done within a reasonable span of time.

Sadly, in India, we can't be proud of our legal / judicial system. With some benevolence, positive bias and affection towards our nation, we can claim that justice prevails in a majority of cases. However, when it comes to timely justice, we can't even offer such a benefit of doubt.

Take a look at this essay revealing startling data about the low conviction rates in our judicial system:



With the kind of low conviction rates that prevail in India, we face two very significant kinds of problems, both of which are critical ones:

  • Those who wish to follow the rule of law do not have an adequately strong motivation to do so.
  • Those who wish to violate the rule of law can, with impunity, go right ahead, with the confidence that the law may never catch up with them.

This results in situations which are quite crazy even for fairly rich and powerful individuals.

For instance, several public figures who have done so much during their life time for India were "named and shamed" during the infamous Harshad Mehta scam a few years back. The cases went on and on. A few of those who were so named were eventually declared to be innocent. Sadly, they had died by the time the judgements came. Their entire life from the time aspersions were cast on them would have been a mess, with all and sundry, kith and kin, relatives and friends, colleagues and classmates thinking and wondering whether they were involved in the scam or not?!?!?!?

If this is the fate of the rich and mighty who would have obviously been in a position to come up with a team of excellent advocates to argue on their behalf, one can only imagine the plight of the lesser mortals.

To quote a couple of examples from the western world, one just needs to look at Bernard Madoff and Rajat Gupta. Within a short period after the initial accusations, investigations were completed, trial was completed and sentencing was also completed. The former is presently in jail and the latter is likely to go to jail soon enough.

On the other hand, in India, Ramalinga Raju of Satyam (who admitted to violating half a dozen laws) is out on bail and I have a lurking suspicion that he's likely to stay free for a long time to come while the cases move from one court to the next. Possibly till he breathes his last.

If we, the people of India, do not wake up and improve our judicial system, the consequences would not be palatable to our future generations.

Regards,


N

Thursday 25 October, 2012

Scientists sentenced for not predicting Earthquake

Scientists sentenced for 

Not predicting an Earthquake!!!

I've come across stuff that's crazy.

I've certainly come across stuff that's incredible.

But then, I thought that the limits were reached when Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake in the year 1600 for such beliefs like "the sun is a star; there are several other stars like the sun; there are many other planets, probably including other planets with intelligent beings living in them;". (Do search the net for further details)

Apparently not. We still have ridiculous stuff going on around the world even today.

Take a look at:


And I was mistakenly thinking that we're now living in a world which, by and large, is rational and that we encourage a scientific temper.

Regards,

N

Monday 22 October, 2012

My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady

Just came across an interesting article about the good old Marshmallow Test and the new interpretation that some researcher has come up with:
I tried to think about a few other areas where the results and inferences from this test can be applied, and it looks like there are quite a few areas in the Indian context:
  • People litter on the streets, people spit around, people urinate liberally all over the place
  • People smoke in "no-smoking" zones
  • People don't bother to put their mobiles on "Silent mode" even in hospitals and theatres
  • People don't bother to obey traffic rules (like wearing helmets, stopping at a red signal, etc.)
  • People don't hesitate too much to give or take "minor" bribes
  • People are perfectly willing to violate virtually any rule or law if they are reasonably sure that nobody "out there" is noticing.
  • People either don't bother to vote in elections or don't hesitate to vote based on considerations such as a couple of hundred bucks, the caste of the candidate, etc.
Once you've taken a look at the link above about the Marshmallow test, you'll appreciate the connection!

Perhaps the solutions to many problems of the country depend on creating a virtuous cycle so as to successfully break the vicious cycle that we're currently caught in!

Regards,

N



Friday 5 October, 2012

Silent suffering of Assamese Citizens

Silent suffering of Assamese Citizens

We're repeatedly hearing stories about Gujarat Riots of 2002, Sikh suffering of 1984, Bhopal victims, etc.

These stories keep getting highlighted all over the media ad nauseum.

For the past several years (perhaps decades), there has been a constant "problem" of illegal immigrants from across the border into the North Eastern states, especially in Assam.

The recent flare-up led to lakhs of people being impacted. When I say "impacted", I mean "devastated". They've lost their homes, all their belongings, their certificates, their ID proofs, their property documents, their bank pass books, their clothes, etc.

There was some degree of media coverage while Assam was actually burning.

Unfortunately, I've not come across too many media stories following up on issues pertaining to:


  • The number of people actually impacted
  • The nature of difficulties faced by them
  • The number, adequacy and quality of relief camps
  • Whether any medium-term sustainable solutions are being thought of for those who are adversely impacted.
  • What happens to the school-going children?
  • What about the livelihood solutions for adults?

I could probably go on and on with further questions.

I don't have ready answers.

What I do know, however, is that our National media needs to take up these questions at least on a weekly basis and keep up the pressure on the Government to do the needful.

Or else, we're sowing the seeds of disenchantment which may, in turn, cause our Assamese brothers and sisters to think of options which will certainly not be within the realms of what we as a nation would be happy to live with.

Regards,

N


Friday 31 August, 2012

The Mighty Hero Falls

The Mighty Hero Falls

Sad, but true.

I was a major fan of Lance Armstrong.

To know that he had feet of clay is indeed sad.

What's worse is that apparently the evidence is so strong that he chose the easier option of leaving some room for doubt in the minds of his fans.

Read this one:



Regards,

N



Tuesday 14 August, 2012

Regulatory Delays

Regulatory Delays

We'll be celebrating yet another Independence Day in a few hours.

Certainly we'll be hearing lots of celebratory noises, nostalgic speeches, memories of "the good old days", and enough sermons.

In the din of all this noise, an important aspect will be forgotten - After all these years of political freedom, we've still not got real freedom from the clutches of injustice. I could certainly go on a rant about justice delayed and justice denied, but suffice it to point you to a wonderfully written article from the Capital Mind website:
As long as our regulators don't become truly independent and respond quickly, fairly and firmly to those who seek justice, we shall not be truly free.

Think about it!

Regards,

N

Saturday 28 July, 2012

Perpetuation of Violence in Society

Perpetuation of Violence in Society
I'd recently provided a link on my facebook wall to an article about the killing of a Maruti executive. In addition to condoling the death, a cousin brought this article about a whole lot of other deaths to my notice: Death and the Factory - From Kafila.org. This is a "must-read" article. Be warned, however, that the article, while well-researched, sounds like it has a built-in bias in favour of the "WORKER CLASS" and an equally built-in bias against the "MANAGEMENT CLASS". This appearance does not take away the merit of the contents.
Having said that, deaths - whether at the factory or elsewhere, especially the supposedly avoidable deaths, are increasingly becoming a recurring feature. The reasons, unfortunately, are complex and multifaceted. We need to take heed and do an indepth research into every aspect of the entire issue if we wish to have lasting solutions.
I've tried to pick up stray incidents (both from memory of actual instances which occurred in known circles and news sources) to drive home a few points:
  • Kasab is still languishing in jail. The case is going on. After a few years, people will question the appropriateness of keeping a guy in jail for umpteen years without being convicted. Unfortunately, that will actually be a right argument. Alternatively, someone will kidnap a politician or businessman or bureaucrat and ask the government authorities to release Kasab. If the government of the day releases Kasab in either situation, on the one hand, we can't blame the government concerned. Its choices would obviously have been limited under the circumstances. But then, one of the siblings / children / nephews of the victims of the Mumbai attack may very well turn into a violent human being seeking revenge. While he/she can't possibly attack the actual culprits, he/she may go and kill any Pakistani / Bearded guy / Muslim person / Urdu speaker / Spouse or child of one or more of the culprits. The circle of violence, revenge, mercilessness would have expanded its scope once more. Sad, but true.
  • The Hindu dated July 26, 2012 carried an article about a 37-year delay without acquittal or conviction of those accused of involvement in the killing of a central minister LN Mishra. If the accused is actually innocent, what frame of mind do you expect him to have when he eventually comes out? Love and passion for peace? Certainly not. On the other hand, the descendents of LN Mishra will be justly wondering as to why justice has not been done after all these years. What if one or more of Mishra's family members choose the path of violence? The circle of violence, revenge, mercilessness would have expanded its scope once more. Sad, but true.
  • Right now, Assam is virtually burning. A few hundred houses have been burnt down. Dozens have been killed. Over 300000 persons have been uprooted from their homes and are presently in relief camps. Wonder what will happen to their school/college life, their jobs, their farms, their belongings which survived the arson, their critical documents like a ration card, an education certificate, an insurance policy document, a bank passbook, etc.? Would those impacted in such a brutal manner for no fault of theirs be inclined to be men and women of peace?
  • The old case of the murder of Aarushi & Hemraj. Are the parents guilty or not? Either way, what about the others (like the other household servants) who were accused and tortured by police officials? Where's any kind of justice for them?
  • A couple of days back, I read about a little girl who was killed because she fell through a gaping hole in the school bus in which she was travelling. The mob that gathered around bashed up the driver of the bus. In what way was he even remotely guilty? Even if he can be held responsible in some manner, who gives such a right to the mob? Who was actually responsible to "take care" that the bus was in a "fit and proper" condition? Who was supposed to certify the bus and provide a "Fitness Certificate"? What action can we expect to be taken against any of those who are guilty? Even assuming that our legal system works, they'll probably be suspended for a few days/weeks/months - or at worst get thrown out of their jobs and may be spend some time in jail. While in every manner such punishment meted out would be in line with our existing laws, how is that ever going to compensate the enormity of loss of a human life? What prevents the victim's near and dear ones from becoming violent human beings?
  • Within walking distance from my home, in two separate incidents on two different days, two school-going children were KILLED while trying to cross the road or waiting to cross the road in what were termed "traffic accidents". One instance happened at a point where the bus turns from a narrow one-way road towards a slightly wider two-way road. (For those who are familiar, the turning point from St. Mary's Road, Mandaveli to Ramakrishna Math Road on the way to reach Mylapore tank). It is easy, for instance, to blame the bus driver who drove the bus that killed one of those kids. However a few points need to be noted about this particular incident:
    • At the time of the accident, it is physically impossible for any vehicle to have been "overspeeding". To even keep moving would have been a challenge for the driver of the bus.
    • Precisely at that corner, I remember having navigated a pothole on several days before and after the accident. A two-wheeler rider who is not familiar with the pothole would notice it at the last minute and swerve to the left or right. It would be very easy for a bus which is coming right behind to take evasive action to avoid the two-wheeler. I don't know whether such a thing happened on the fateful day. Who is responsible for the pothole at that spot?
    • Precisely at that corner where vehicles take a turn, the width of the platform (if any) ought to be measured in inches and not in feet. Who is responsible for this?
    • Right at that spot, there is a small shop that repairs bags (and I've been its customer on a number of occasions). Chances are bright that it is one of the many "platform shops" of the city which is perhaps violating a dozen laws pertaining to encroachment. Chances are bright that it might have been "regularised" at some point of time in the past several years either "officially" or "unofficially". Either way, it is as wrong as it can be. Who is responsible for the shop being there?
    • Diagonally opposite to that very spot that I've described above, there are enough and more "hand-carts" selling fruits. These carts have been parked right on the road. Permanently. Who is responsible for this? Obviously, another "accident" is waiting to happen out there.
    • School kids, elderly men and women, youths of all hues often cross the road precisely at this spot without bothering to look around at the traffic, often continuing their conversations with their friend with whom they are walking, or, worse still, chatting on their mobile phones. And then they blame everyone else when a vehicle bangs into them. Should we, the citizens, learn to maintain a modicum of discipline at least while crossing the road? Who is responsible for ensuring that all our citizens have some civic sense?
  • At Guwahati, a young girl was molested in public view, while a TV reporter was shooting the entire "scene". Without going in detail into other aspects, I just wish to highlight the proposal by the authorities concerned to actually take action against the bystanders who were watching the "incident" without trying to intervene?
    • What do those authorities think? Are all citizens Rajnikants and Jackie Chans rolled into one? Laughable, to say the least.
    • Wonder if these people remember Keenan and Reuben? If not, they ought to look at Keenan & Reuben fought for the right cause - Obviously, ordinary citizens are damned if they do and damned if they dont.
    • The very same authorities (and, for that matter, the Shobaa Des, the Suhel Seths, the Arnab Goswamis of the world) may not actually intervene in a similar situation. And if they do, they deserve to be appreciated for their courage, just as we appreciate Keenan and Reuben. But to demand that all of us should be like Keenan and Reuben? Crazy.
  • A few years back, two persons I knew were involved in a very simple case of a procedural lapse for which the authorities concerned had filed a case against him. Despite the entire case being an "open and shut case" involving an acquittal for one and a small fine for another, the case actually went on and on for a long period of well over 2 years and involved over 30 hearings and visits to the courts by both these persons. If our honourable judges are going to be kept busy for such stupendous lengths of time over such simple and petty cases, what hope does a citizen have for quick justice being delivered in criminal cases? Even minor criminal cases would probably go on for nothing less than a decade. That's assuming that the concerned parties do not take the case all the way to the Supreme Court. Apparently, crores of cases are pending in various courts in India. Who is responsible for this? Judicial reforms is a matter of urgency, and we need it yesterday.
  • When any petty theft takes place in any neighbourhood, the needle of suspicion falls first and foremost on the "deprived" segments of society - the poor, the servants, the labourer, the unemployed neighbourhood youth, the guy who got caught picking a pocket a couple of years back, etc. When the police round up the suspects, there are two possibilities:
    • The cops are nice, and refrain from using "third degree" methods such as torturing the suspects. The cops simply ask questions based on the suspicions. The innocent ones have nothing to admit. The guilty ones know that proving their guilt and getting convicted is such a Herculean task that they're likely to get away if they admit nothing. Further, they also know that if they do admit their guilt, they will not only be convicted, but they can also forget about any semblance of normal life forever thereafter. Once they come out of jail, they will be "branded" as criminals. They'll stand no chance of future employment. The society around them will ostracize them. The'll be left with no alternative but to choose the path of crime. Accordingly, in either case, none of the suspects admit anything. Very often, one has to depend on circumstantial evidence, which may or may not be sufficient in a court of law. In many such instances, no conviction takes place.
    • The cops use "third degree" methods such as torturing the suspects. Irrespective of who is actually guilty, one of the suspects quickly admits to guilt. The crime is "solved". Conviction is guaranteed. The case is closed. Or so we think. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. Once a suspect admits his/her guilt, he/she will not only be convicted, but can also forget about any semblance of normal life forever thereafter. Once they come out of jail, they will be "branded" as criminals. They'll stand no chance of future employment. The society around them will ostracize them. The'll be left with no alternative but to choose the path of crime. Who is responsible for this? Police reforms is a matter of urgency, and we need it yesterday.
    • There is, of course, a third possibility - that of "proper scientific investigation", followed by the real culprits being convicted. Unfortunately, even in this case, life is not so simple. Once a suspect admits his/her guilt, he/she will not only be convicted, but can also forget about any semblance of normal life forever thereafter. Once they come out of jail, they will be "branded" as criminals. They'll stand no chance of future employment. The society around them will ostracize them. The'll be left with no alternative but to choose the path of crime. Who is responsible for this? Police reforms is a matter of urgency, and we need it yesterday.
  • While I was going down the road in Nungambakkam, just opposite Hotel Palmgrove, a famous landmark near Gemini Flyover, I happened to see a building (if I'm not mistaken, the one that has the offices of Sri Lanka Airways) which had two gates - one for entry and another for exit. Right in front of these entry and exit gates, the building owners / tenants had "very conveniently" created a nice slope to enable their vehicles to move in and out smoothly. The only problem: The slopes were leading up right till the road, physically eliminating an already limited pedestrian pavement. It is easy to claim that everyone does it. Are we going to wait till someone is killed precisely at this spot because he/she happened to be walking on the road? This is just one example, and there must be thousands more in every part of the city.
  • Right across the city, I keep seeing speedbreakers which turn out to be back-breakers. I'm recently sure that a vast majority of them will not be designed properly nor would have obtained permissions. For instance, parallel to Ramakrishna Math Road & perpendicular to Venkatakrishna Road (at Mandaveli, again near my home), there is a small street called Thiruvengadam Street. To the best of my knowledge, normally, public transport buses do not go through this street. However, I remember not less than 4-5 speedbreakers out here! Not one of them appears to follow the standard design prescribed for speedbreakers. You just need to ask people like postmen, courier delivery boys, etc. to identify and report all such instances and in no time, you'll get a few hundred examples.
  • Entire areas in certain parts of the city have been de-facto encroached. You just need to go around areas like Parrys Corner, Pondy Bazaar, Ritchie Street, etc. to see what I mean. Are the authorities not aware of it?
  • Each year, we come across at least a couple of instances of deaths caused by dangerous "Manja-laced" Kites. Don't the kids / parents / sellers who are involved know that these kites are actually dangerous.
  • A vast majority of flats in our cities have NO fire extinguishers. Those that do, often do not keep them "fit-for-use" every day of the year. Even if they are fit, 90% of the residents (including me) don't know how to use them in case of need. And when a fire does choose to attack us, we blame everyone other than ourselves.
  • At any point of time, there will be a few thousand "unexpected" potholes, each of which is a potential cause for death. Death. DEATH.
Each of us would be able to come up with dozens of such personal examples. Every instance of violation of apparently trivial traffic rules, design laws, etc. would be superficially minor in nature. However, when the result is loss of life, should we not do something about it?
In our society, there is an insane degree of:
  • Violence
  • Tolerance for and acceptance of violence
  • Carelessnous and Callousness
Unless we identify solutions at every level for each time horizon:
  • Immediate
  • Short-term
  • Medium-term and
  • Long-term,
there's no chance for salvation.
Suggestions are welcome, but if each of us starts acting in whatever capacity we can at our individual level, that would be even more welcome!

Regards,

N

Wednesday 13 June, 2012

2500 Years old Industrial Estate found in TN

2500 Years old Industrial Estate found in TN

The TV channels are screaming about IIP (Index of Industrial Production) going down.

With the entire economy (global and local) in doldrums, we can't do much.

To top it off, there's a political paralysis in town, what with the nice Doctor MMS being kept busy by the likes of Mamata, Team Anna, etc. That's when he's not busy listening to Soniaji!

In any case, with all the energy shortage and power scarcity, we can't do much.

Nor can the global majors help us out - They're in an even bigger mess.

So, what can we do?

I guess that we can dig around - Either we'll find some useless muck.

Or, we'll discover something interesting and valuable. It might well be state secrets with which we can help the TV channels to increase their TRP. Or, if you're lucky, it may be something more worthwhile.

Like ... ... ...

Am sure you'll like it!

Regards,

N


Tuesday 12 June, 2012

First Greek Tragedy, Now Greek Farce!

First Greek Tragedy, Now Greek Farce!

Last Friday, I'd posted an article about how a Greek Politician assaulted two fellow (women) politicians on Live TV. In case you missed it, you can find it here.

Now, the very same politician who assaulted the two women politicians, has had the temerity to file a suit against the two women politicians accusing them of verbally assaulting him in an unprovoked manner.

Read on for further details:

Now, that's what I'll call a perfect example of a tragedy being followed up with a farce.

What's coming next?

Watch this space!

Regards,

N


Friday 8 June, 2012

Greek Politician Assaults Fellow Politician on Live TV

Greek Politician Assaults Fellow Politician on Live TV

Many of my regular readers of my financial blog would probably be sick and tired of Global Economic Problems, especially in Europe. The very mention of "Greece" or "Greek Elections" will probably irritate such readers of the present economic mess around the world.

However, considering the kind of image Indian politicians have created for themselves in our minds, the following article on the obnoxious behaviour of a Greek counterpart must be of interest to many of us:

Crazy, to say the least!

Regards,

N


Friday 18 May, 2012

Shocking Bias against "Typical" Indians!

Shocking Bias against "Typical" Indians!

Take a look at this one:

While the above link talks about a particular English Channel, from what I've observed, a vast majority of English AND a good number of regional language channels do suffer from a similar bias.

Is there any hope to expect them to change - during our life time???

Regards,

N


Sunday 6 May, 2012

North vs South

North vs South

Came across the interesting debate on:

Ruchir Sharma talks about the North catching up and even overtaking the South - at a rapid pase.

And, Srivatsa Krishna defends the South and claims that "All is well" down south.

Regards,

N


Some people are more equal

Some people are more equal

Came across this interesting article in The Telegraph a few days back:

While the focus of the article was on the Bollywood Badshah, an interesting titbit is about the fact that Ratan Tata has ben issued a diplomatic passport.

Apparently, in the Indian scheme of things, while "All people are equal, some of them are more equal than others".

A few questions come to my mind immediately:

  • Why should such a privilege be given to Ratan Tata?
  • How many other non-diplomats have been issued such diplomatic passports? (The same article referred to above talks about a whole lot of "friends" of a former PM having been issued such diplomatic passports.)
  • Is there any kind of a policy to issue such diplomatic passports?
  • If there's no documented policy, who decides (obviously on a discretionary basis) as to an individual's entitlement to a diplomatic passport?
  • How do we ensure that there is no petty corruption on the one hand and that there's no gross misuse on the other hand?
  • Do other frequent fliers who are equally "important" have such a passport? Some names that come to my mind include Narayanamurthy, Azim Premji, Sunil Mittal, Vishwanathan Anand, Leander Paes, AR Rahman, etc.

Most importantly, if such exceptions can be made to any "Mr. X" or "Ms. Y", is that warranted?

Regards,

N


Wednesday 11 April, 2012

My dog is like ... ... ...

My dog is like ... ... ...

Here's a gem that I received from one of the email-groups that I'm a member of.

While I was unable to verify the veracity, it is claimed that the stuff below was originally written by the famous Nani Palkhiwala.

To say the least, many of us would very well think along similar lines, considering the extent to which the political class have been taking the country to the cleaners.

Unfortunately, the better human beings among us consciously choose to "never enter politics" - When such is the situation, how do we expect the political system to be cleaned up??? I have no answers - at least as yet.

How true it is !!!!!! Nani Palkhiwala eminent Lawyer wrote on 16 January 1984.

"The picture that emerges is that of a great country in a state of moral decay. The immediate future seems to belong to the doomsayers rather than to cheer mongers. We suffer from a fatty degeneration of conscience, and the malady seems to be not only persistent but prone to aggravation. The life style of too many politicians and businessmen bears eloquent testimony to the truth of dictum that the single minded pursuit of money impoverishes the mind, shrivels the imagination and desiccates the heart.

The tricolour fluttering all over the country is black, red and scarlet - black money, red tape and scarlet corruption."

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.

He has his food prepared for him.

He can eat whenever he wants, 24/7/365.

His meals are provided at no cost to him.

By the way he does not need to pay for medical insurance He visits the doctor once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.

For this he pays nothing, and nothing is required of him.

He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than he needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep. If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.

He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.

He receives these accommodations absolutely free.

He is living like a King, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.

All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day. I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head.......

My dog is like the Indian POLITICIAN!

Regards,

N


Monday 2 April, 2012

How (and How much) the Internet damages the Environment

How (and How much) the Internet damages the Environment

Take a look at:

And all along we've been freaking out with our emails, tweets, facebook shares and what not, thinking that we're doing no damage to our beloved Planet Earth!

And what's surprising is that even this piece of wisdom came to me though the net and I'm further passing it on to all of you through the net!

Perhaps we ought to rethink our priorities and consider the necessity of the quantum of time that we invest on the net. Perhaps it would be better to go for a walk to the beach or the mountains!

Regards,

N


Friday 30 March, 2012

East vs. West - Myths that mystify ...

East vs. West - Myths that mystify ...

East vs. West - An interesting perspective of how different the cultures are:

A very interesting video clipping indeed;

Hope you enjoyed it.

Regards,

N


Saturday 24 March, 2012

Death with Dignity

Death with Dignity

Dr. Peter Goodwin, the famous doctor who fought to introduce the "Death with Dignity Act" in USA, is no more.

He was possibly among the first men who fought for the right to "Assisted Suicide" for terminally ill patients.

On March 11, 2012, he used the law to end his own life.

Here's an obituary that I came across: Obituary - Dr. Peter Goodwin, the advocate of "Death with Dignity Act", is no more

For highly advanced societies with very strong and timely law-enforcement agencies, for intellectually mature individuals, for emotionally strong and stable individuals, perhaps "Assisted Suicide" may be a law worth introducing.

In a country like India, it is prone to misuse. In any case, even in those very same advanced societies, "Assisted Suicide" may not necessarily be a great idea for at least two reasons that I can think of:

  • The disease which has impacted the patient may become curable after the actual date of death but before his preordained (by God, not by man) date of death
  • There may be a medical miracle and the disease might have very well disappeared "suddenly"

Should we have such a law in any part of the planet?

On the other hand, unbearable suffering or a state of coma or a life as a vegetable can be highly undesirable. Especially for a patient who has been "full of life and energy" till the other day. Especially if the medical condition is known to be irreversible.

Unfortunately, in this life of ours, there are no easy answers to such complex questions. At least, I don't have an easy answer for this question.

Regards,

N


Tuesday 20 March, 2012

Privacy Concerns - How Companies Learn Your Secrets

Privacy Concerns - How Companies Learn Your Secrets

Scientific advancement is an amazing subject. Came across the following article:

Apparently, certain retail companies have found the holy grail of marketing promotions: The ability to identify a customer who's probably pregnant and along with the ability to predict the likely date of delivery of the baby. And have started using the data to make special offers, discounts, promos on "baby items", for instance, to these very customers.

While the above is an interesting article at an academic level, it can be a shocker for expectant parents-to-be!

Considering the traditional perception of Indians being wizards in Maths, I'd not be surprised if some of our own Indian retail outlets have started using such "data-generation tools" already.

And, unlike western societies, we don't have adequately strong privacy protection laws. Nor do our customers have an adequate level of awareness about their rights.

Wonder what our young women will feel when they start getting targetted advertisements through email, post, SMS messages, etc. in the weeks before delivery of their baby!

Regards,

N


Sunday 11 March, 2012

Alleged list of TOP 10 Swiss Bank A/c Holders from India

Alleged list of TOP 10 Swiss Bank A/c Holders from India

I happened to get from some unknown "email forward" a link that makes a few outrageous claims about Indian VIPs holding huge sums of money amounting to thousands of crores of rupees. The names are ... ... ... hmmm..., rather well-known.

Here is the link:

I've got a few simple queries:

  • Are these claims true?
  • If the claims are true, considering the fact that an ordinary "aam aadmi" like me has received the above link, enough and more of powerful persons in the media, in different wings of law-enforcement agencies, rival businessmen, rival politicians, etc. are sure to have received the very same "information". Why has there been no hue and cry in the media? After all, names have been mentioned. Along with account numbers. What more is required?
  • Or, are these claims false?
  • If the claims are false, considering the fact that an ordinary "aam aadmi" like me has received the above link, enough and more of powerful persons in the list, their supporters, their "powerful friends", the media, etc. are sure to have received the very same "information". Why has there been no loud protests claiming innocence? Why have we not heard about "cyber-crime" law suits against "unknown persons"? Why have we not heard of defamation law suits? After all, names have been mentioned. Along with account numbers. What more is required?

Obviously, I don't have answers.

Do you?

Regards,

N


Thursday 23 February, 2012

Plight of Doctors - Damned if they do, Damned if they don't!

Plight of Doctors - Damned if they do, Damned if they don't!

Take a look at this write-up that appeared a few days back in The Hindu, Chennai edition:

If a doctor asks you to go in for a plethora of tests, he's promptly accused of being money-minded, and further accused of asking you to undergo a battery of tests with aspersions being cast on possible "commissions" from all those tests, X-Rays, scans, etc.

If the same doctor takes a quick look at you and prescribes a couple of simple medicines after seeking answers to a couple of questions, you look askance and wonder if you've come to a "not-so-modern" doctor and whether you need to take a second opinion from a specialist.

I could actually go on and on about the sad state of affairs of doctors who are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, but the above article that has been written by one Dr. A Aswini Kumar expresses many of my own viewpoints with adequate clarity.

Another interesting article linked to the same subject:

Do read the article and think a dozen times before blaming the doctors in future!

Regards,

N


Sunday 19 February, 2012

Out or Not out? Even the 3rd umpire is confused!

Out or Not out? Even the 3rd umpire is confused!

This one was indeed hilarious:

A wag quickly asked me: Why is it that such things happen only in matches that India loses???

And a self-proclaimed Cricket Expert responded: "Oh! No. These things always happens in matches won by the home team, irrespective of where the matches are played!"

Regards,

N


Friday 17 February, 2012

Mamata's views on alleged rape by cops

Mamata's views on alleged rape by cops

This one is a shocker:

Wonder if she actually believes her own statements?

Regards,

N


Thursday 16 February, 2012

Nitin Gadkare goes to vote on a scooter - Without a helmet!

Nitin Gadkare goes to vote on a scooter - Without a helmet!

Take a look:

Now that all the TV channels have flashed this news item, will the law-enforcement agencies take appropriate action against the violator? Or will he be let off due to his "stature"???

Also, I'd love to know whether he has a valid two-wheeler driving licence as on date? Would some investigative journalist go into the matter, perhaps with an RTI application to the RTO authorities?

Regards,

N