Oh why such malaise in such an "independent" country?

In a country where people starve to death because their safety net is routinely siphoned off by corrupt officials, one can argue the government is directly culpable as a Hitleresque mass murderer, and that too annually. The recent spate of corruption scandals (affectionately referred to as "graft" here), and their enormous scale, are now bringing home this point.

So why is there no outrage? Why can a people's leader like Anna Hazare be so easily marginalized? And why as a people do we sit on the sidelines and watch the potential for a critical democratic control - the Jan Lokpal bill - fizzle out right in front of our eyes?

Here's why I think corruption so acceptable in India. This should be especially interesting for those who need to be entertained in order for their curiosity and conscience to be aroused. And for those that like word play.

Karmasharma: Many in this grand old spiritual country view the poor and "dirty" (thanks Maureen Chao) backward castes as living into their Karma if they suffer and die... and for those that may care about the plight of the underprivileged the media does a pathetic job of "showcasing" their anguish and interests.

Disenchantmentality: The common man is already so disenfranchised that he has no redressal mechanisms to fight for his basic human rights, far less fight for anyone else's. This could explain the apathy and lack of personal initiative that leads informed and educated Indians to proactively not exercise their right to vote. Do you know any Indian that knows who their local MPs are?

Victimism: We like being victims, because "victims" are absolved of all responsibility and are allowed to sit around crying like a bunch of babies. And oh did I forget, a victim can't sit around crying unless it has an abusive somebody to point its quivering little finger at. Its sad but its true, we're a nation of crybabies not doers.

Religionry: Religion in India has evolved into a scary, bloody and self-inflicting phenomenon that keeps us from progressing as a self-aware and responsible nation. An age-old belief system in the bountiful sweetness of mother nature and its animal children has been subverted into a belief in warring God-systems. And in the process, everyone not only has to look to God for fear and fortune, but treat politician leaders as Gods rather than the social servants that they are meant to be.

Richypoor: A vast majority of India has been led to believe that India is a "poor" country, and therefore convinces itself that poverty and mass corruption are but a natural part of India's developmental evolution. When in fact we are already one of the largest and wealthiest economies on the globe, with scores of dollar billionaires living large at the expense of everyone else. By the way, did you know we were the richest country on the planet till the Brits came and looted us?

Purgings: The Brits didn't kill enough of us when they ruled us, except for the 1770s Bengal Famine that took a meager 10 million Indians - God bless their souls. Our lack of sustained extermination, unlike most other cultures who have died of plagues or slaughter, never created the kind of renewal that brings with it collective mobilization against failed policies and institutional corruption.

Distractionation: Early in our evolution as a republic, Partition was used to create a fake enemy and distract us from the potential to actually create something better and stronger in India. The state of our own failed democracy, and its pathetic attempt at regional policy, is also to blame for the situation Pakistan finds itself in today. We cannot wash our hands of facts by asking only them to "look within."

Conflictionation: Many large businesses fund the election of corrupt politicians who then serve their interests, and the laws are not strong enough to protect citizenry from a broken system chock full of special interest loopholes. Where in the civilized corners of our planet does a democracy allow a billionaire liquor baron to be an MP while also running a vast and influential commercial conglomerate?

Unconstitutionment: And finally, India's constitution is all talk and no walk, and has been this way for decades. It is a worthless piece of paper full of false promises, at best, and is a court order for the upward re-distribution of power and resources, at worst. Our constitution, along with a massively subverted bureaucracy, is arguable the world's largest system for institutionalizing cruelty, hunger, disease and death.

So, on this our 64th independence day, lets step back and think about ways to individually

- shed our KARMASHARMA and DISENCHANTMENTALITY

- stop blaming our VICTIMISM and RELIGIONRY

- stop believing the RICHYPOOR myth

- replace DISTRACTIONATION with responsibility

- be thankful for few PURGINGS

- and then break the back of CONFLICTIONATION and UNCONSTITUTIONMENT!

Otherwise, India will burn, fall apart at its seams, and be forgotten as an experiment in the dreams of textbooks. No more, and no less. And quite a sorry prospect for the next generation of Indians.

-vikram

The truth be told about driving in India

Why do random people in India prefer to walk in the middle of the main road instead of on the side of it? Maybe they lack excitement in their lives? Maybe they have so much faith in their destiny of survival? Or are they just plain suicidal because they’ve got nothing left to lose? Regardless of which it is (and yes all 3 conditions are very very sad), the end result is it sends drivers like me careening around them and putting everyone around at risk. Aside to the cops: stop these asinine few and squeeze your weekly quota of bribes out of them instead of me when I’m trying to cut lanes to avoid maiming them.

Why do Indians never use their side-view mirrors, or completely remove them?! Do they not understand their use and value? Do they really want to skin another car a few inches closer without breaking their mirrors? Or are they just so “forward looking” that the mirrors don’t matter once they’ve skinnied past the last auto or freaked out mutt… and they’re on to their bright new future of other vehicles to skin by? Regardless of which it is (and yes all 3 conditions tell me Indian drivers are amply insane), the end result is it leaves drivers like me begging for mercy as we shinny our skinnies past them, and of course puts everyone on the road at risk. Aside to the cops:  stop these asinine few and squeeze your weekly quota of bribes out of them instead of me when I’m peacefully engaged in an illegal though much less dangerous phone conversation with my giggly girlfriend.

And why do stray dogs and cows lie and doze off smack in the middle of the street? Are they mocking us humans? Are they so bloody bored with the world we give them that they feel safer on the road? Or have they too gone stark raving mad in this land where chaos was invented and Murphy is re-born every few seconds? Well, maybe it’s because they don’t give a flying woof (or moo), and the cops can’t squeeze a penny out of them :). Ok ok I will stop here now. Let’s not drag our poor and adorable pi-dogs and holynesses, respectively and respectfully, into this mid-week rant of mine.

So there you have it. Randoms, side-view mirrors, and animals – all staking a claim to a road that my taxes go toward diligently repaving 8 times a freaking season. Keep and eye on road and your truth will be told too!

vikram