By: Vivek Mohan
“We are a small, tiny, cute state…blah, blah, blah…Help us!” Thus keep speaking the powers that be time and again since times immemorial! “The sun never sets in the British Empire!”
I could never understand this piece of history taught in schools, while in the very next geography class they told you otherwise! I was confused…I still am…” Honesty is the best policy” (Ask me ?!) blah…blah…blah…
As I grew up and entered the school of ‘hard life’ the whole perspective started getting clearer or should I say murkier (W. Somerset Maugham says in ‘The Razor’s Edge’ – “I climbed the mountain in hope of the sunshine and all I found was the mist!”)
My wasted youth…’what they don’t teach you at the Harvard Business School’?! So finally the sun indeed set in on British India on 15/8/1947… of which Shimla was the summer capital! But the Commonwealth today is the reminiscent of that past.
Great! Great Britain…of Ireland, Scotland and the last but not the least England – the one ‘small, tiny, cute’ country with a small population ruled the world!
How come???
Their rulers, kings and queens had a BIG vision…to explore…to conquer…to branch out…to expand…to look beyond…to go out and seek…to cross the boundaries…to get out of the confines…blah…blah…blah…
One of the reminders of that legacy in today’s India is our corporate world, still wearing neck ties in the hot and humid Mumbai!
O.K.
Let’s come closer home…Japan.
‘The small, tiny, cute’ country with a small population ruled the economy of the world (though things are bad for every one right now). After the Pearl Harbor US port attack, the Japanese were flattened by getting atom-bombed, which ended the WW-II.
But they rose like a Phoenix.
How come???
The Emperor became the new constitution’s monarch… people showed enterprise, guts and character and gathered the shattered pieces of their remaining lives. They were small in size and stature but grew bigger and bigger day by day by producing small gadgets and ruled the entertainment industry too!
Now coming closer home, in fact coming home…
Our own ‘small, tiny, cute’ state with a small population…
Do we ‘think BIG’?! Do we’ve visionaries in positions of power who think beyond party/regional/factional lines?! Do we only have protestors raising the red alarm and offering nothing else?! Every time we rush to Delhi with a ‘begging-bowl’ to get our fair share of booty, which mostly goes into ‘maintaining’ the state by way of salaries to people with no accountability, let CAG keep crying hoarse! Their vision is limited to getting postings near their homes, whether plum/responsible or not, and most MLAs, MPs and ministers are happy offering them just that and do nothing else for the people…no, no, no, votes. Some detest the ‘small, tiny, cute’ Punjab, but will follow all their official rulings to be at par. Yes, we are a ‘small, tiny, cute’ state with s small population and will remain so even if we keep entering many ‘Junes’ sooon!
We are like that only. What to do?! Blah…Blah…Blah…
Please correct me if i’m wrong. Please forgive me if i’m ill-informed…love is blind, you see…can you?!
(The writer is a award-winning film maker based in Mumbai)
The thoughts penned down by Mr Vivek should not be termed as awakening. Every one knows about them but has no guts or will to speak about them. The non accountability of the state employees can be lamented by the fact that certain audit objections, which are as old as 1971 are still lying pending with the state departments. Most of the population of the state are government employees and the mantris and their santris use this to maximize their political gains. A well deserving person who may be posted at a specific office may be transferred because he did not budge under the pressure of a politically connected person and did not let someone else to interfere in the official matters.
Some people are made to face the wrath of these so called local netas due to their personal vendetta. The visionaries who can think BIG are somehow missing in this small state, or maybe they are overshadowed by these transfer happy babus. Postings near to one’s home may be necessary for some and it may also help in increased productivity; but the use of transfer card by politicians for appeasing or harassing someone is something which needs to be looked into very seriously. Sometimes a person may be transferred only for making him or his family members come to the local politician with a request to cancel his transfer.
A project started by one government is shelved when the seat of power changes hands. I am unable to understand as to why does the government starts so many new projects in the last couple of years of their tenure, when they are well aware that such projects won’t get completed before the next elections. A planned action during the first year of the tenure would help a project or a developmental work see the light of the day and thus contribute for the betterment of the people of the state.
The thoughts penned down by Mr Vivek should not be termed as awakening. Every one knows about them but has no guts or will to speak about them. The non accountability of the state employees can be lamented by the fact that certain audit objections, which are as old as 1971 are still lying pending with the state departments. Most of the population of the state are government employees and the mantris and their santris use this to maximize their political gains. A well deserving person who may be posted at a specific office may be transferred because he did not budge under the pressure of a politically connected person and did not let someone else to interfere in the official matters.
Some people are made to face the wrath of these so called local netas due to their personal vendetta. The visionaries who can think BIG are somehow missing in this small state, or maybe they are overshadowed by these transfer happy babus. Postings near to one’s home may be necessary for some and it may also help in increased productivity; but the use of transfer card by politicians for appeasing or harassing someone is something which needs to be looked into very seriously. Sometimes a person may be transferred only for making him or his family members come to the local politician with a request to cancel his transfer.
A project started by one government is shelved when the seat of power changes hands. I am unable to understand as to why does the government starts so many new projects in the last couple of years of their tenure, when they are well aware that such projects won’t get completed before the next elections. A planned action during the first year of the tenure would help a project or a developmental work see the light of the day and thus contribute for the betterment of the people of the state.
Mohan ji a very niece piece.
Mohan ji a very niece piece.
No doubt, population of Govt. employees is more, because there are less job opportunities in private setor. But this is also a fact that there is less urban and more rural population as per the census figures. Can some body do some study on the basis of figures as
1- What are the opportunities available to rural people;
2- What is the ratio of Public/Private jobs;
3- What is the figure of migrant youth who are professionally qualified/highly educated.
Himvani team may also plan such study.
No doubt, population of Govt. employees is more, because there are less job opportunities in private setor. But this is also a fact that there is less urban and more rural population as per the census figures. Can some body do some study on the basis of figures as
1- What are the opportunities available to rural people;
2- What is the ratio of Public/Private jobs;
3- What is the figure of migrant youth who are professionally qualified/highly educated.
Himvani team may also plan such study.
A new kind of transformation is needed for entire system. we hope this happens in our lifetime. No doubt love is blind vivek ji and ur pain for the failure of almost each of us is genuine. Our comparetavelly less population per k.m. and rich natural resources make us ahead of other states. Now is the time that we take new initiatives in almost every field to have overall growth of the state.
A new kind of transformation is needed for entire system. we hope this happens in our lifetime. No doubt love is blind vivek ji and ur pain for the failure of almost each of us is genuine. Our comparetavelly less population per k.m. and rich natural resources make us ahead of other states. Now is the time that we take new initiatives in almost every field to have overall growth of the state.
real good take indeed, Vivek ji.
real good take indeed, Vivek ji.
The rampant urbanisation of Shimla have made a mess of the landscape and tourists who come to see nature do feel cheated.
It is high time to invest in eco tourism, civic amenity, improve rural infrastructure and put an end to mega hydel proejcts that have disturbed the flow of rivers and natural landscape.
The niche here is nature's bounty of the Himalayas, not industry, and malls, a sustainable eco tourism alone can provide for the entire state provided it is promoted and regulated sensibly.
The problem in the present system in India is that everyone is accountable only to his boss. Only if officers and secretaries and accountable to the public equally through a transparent system of social audit, the system can become responsive. RTI has made a small dent, but is being abused by blackmailers in guise of information seekers.
Hard decisions, but who will bell the CAT? Isn't the begging bowl approach and pointing fingers EASIER and comfortable?
The rampant urbanisation of Shimla have made a mess of the landscape and tourists who come to see nature do feel cheated.
It is high time to invest in eco tourism, civic amenity, improve rural infrastructure and put an end to mega hydel proejcts that have disturbed the flow of rivers and natural landscape.
The niche here is nature's bounty of the Himalayas, not industry, and malls, a sustainable eco tourism alone can provide for the entire state provided it is promoted and regulated sensibly.
The problem in the present system in India is that everyone is accountable only to his boss. Only if officers and secretaries and accountable to the public equally through a transparent system of social audit, the system can become responsive. RTI has made a small dent, but is being abused by blackmailers in guise of information seekers.
Hard decisions, but who will bell the CAT? Isn't the begging bowl approach and pointing fingers EASIER and comfortable?
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