The Things that are happening

(i) SEA Shores were ever so porous- There was a coolie who used to work on a dock yard. With assistance of an upcoming politician, he smuggled some textile machines that produced cloth at speed 10 times faster than the existing machines. Since the import duties were about 500% then, buying and importing the new machines was almost impossible. Both the smuggler (industrialist thereafter) and the politician became icons in their fields.
In the times of increasing corruption at the top levels, paupers became kings in no time and there were so many of them.
However, old habits die hard. From land, to electricity, to water, to security, to roads, they still looked towards the Government for everything while their Accountants worked over time to dodge the taxation agencies. They and their children thus became amongst the richest people in the world while the average (honest) Indians slogged to make a decent living (and many a times for them). The channels of media, feeding on their money, provided precious place to them covering invariably every alternate day a new ‘riches’ rankings.

(ii) This elite gang of neo riches gambled in Las Vegas, lived in London, vacationed in Bahamas, shopped in Paris and F%^*ed in Seychelles (ok sorry, just had business meetings and networking with models), but until one day when fate caught on them at the ‘Taj’.

Then, the ‘conscience of the nation’ was “beaten” to come to life through ‘their’ media and for a change some men in khaki were treated like martyrs and got the respect they deserved (they did deserve it but so did their other brethren who were dying every day in mine explosions in Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh but for whom not a single tear was ever shed).

It was evident that people ‘who mattered’ were panicking as they saw and heard of death of people ‘they’ knew. Death had never been so close. For if it had happened to one of them, it could also happen to anyone of them.

For first time, they saw from close what was happening to the people working in the Naxal affected districts for poll duties or for imposing law and order- for years running now.

In contrast, for years the elite had been unscathed as they didn’t travel by train and they didn’t shop in crowded roadside markets. If ever they were forced to buy something in India, Taj and its luxury branded shops was the place! You know!

But once the incidents happened in the Mumbai Landmarks, the news paper columns were being filled, page after page and page after page.

(iii) That was a strange country. The batch of brightest of the bright people, some 50 people now, had an average salary of Rs 24,000 per month after 9 years of service. They ‘were’ the cream of a nation and their head- at the peak of his career (or verge of retirement)- had recently been valued at a salary worth Rs 100,000 per month which was less than the least salary amongst the new joiners in the corporate world- a batch of 425 from a renowned B-School.

To be blatantly honest- the batch of 425 of ‘would be corporate leaders’ had not a single JEE 100 types (leave aside single digit rank holders) and had never cleared a Prelims or a CAT. Yet they had an average salary of Rs 160,000 per month.

It was indeed good that at least some people in the country were prospering but what was a cause of concern was the high pitch groans that the industry had produced when the Cabinet Secretary of India had been proposed a salary of Rs 100,000 per month.

Group loyalties are obvious.

While ‘the young ones’ in the corporate were doing their bit of service after the Mumbai mayhem, from lighting candles to shooting angry mails against the red tape and bureaucratic hurdles- one should be informed that inhuman pay package to the best in the country is like a cosmetic face chopping the limbs, the heart and the head in the body. It is outrageous and outright stupid. A corrupt bureaucrat suits a bloody politician, it doesn’t suit a Nation.

(iv) Every coin has two sides. The fear is genuine that the act of ten mad men could motivate so many more brainless fellows like them, and the situation may aggravate in the days to come.
But the other side is also true, the crises is of our own making. The policeman is still armed with lathi! If 1 man in 10,000 has a bullet proof vest, it is a third class one; something similar to the Night Vision Device on the LoC in Kashmir.

Though the choice is still open to us.

We sang laurels for Privatization when the revenue earning departments were snatched from the Government. Now from the money made, business houses sitting on piles of dollars should dole out some and privatize the internal security of the country (or atleast within their organizations). It will generate new jobs, and provide better trained staff armed with better equipments.

My feeling, however worthless, is that this is high time that the industry (where the money is) takes some responsibility. The amount spent in one evening on an individual in a cocktail party at Taj could buy a good weapon for a policeman. One ‘Corporate strategy and brain storming session’ for 1 head in Goa, can buy a good bullet proof jacket or a night vision device for people whom we call for to lay their lives for us. (The other option is to spend that money on the marriage of the daughter of CEO.)

Benefits should not stop at the advocate of beneficence; it should also trickle down to the person next in the line.

Governments today are stark naked of resources to even pay the salaries of the left over employees, clearly internal security is beyond their agenda. Raising the issue of spending resources on the security of politicians is like entering into an infinite loop, because as the masters of the present system- they cannot be expected to finish themselves (however worthless they may be though). We have to work on implementable solutions.

(v) But are the people really bothered (or just smartly led into some fit of anger and made to believe they matter when they don't)? Or this hue and cry is intelligently being created by some politicians and their business partners as an occasion to settle some old scores?

STRANGE COINCIDENCE! The first head that rolled was of the person who was a long term target of the people who pump their money (and make many times more) in running dance bars (and in all the ‘legal’ businesses done from thereof).

But these are unending debates, you know as well as I know. Unless some sincere steps are taken (beyond the superficial ones) chances are high that the story of lapses might become so common that there will be few viewers interested to see the live telecasts in days to come.

Or maybe you and I are like the rats dancing to the tune of a Pied Piper, we shiver with fury when they play some music, we shiver with remorse when they play another tune. Who knows? For like you, I am as sad and as disillusioned with the things that are happening.