what's wrong with India??
An article in today' TOI said that government is thinking about prohibiting courier services from carrying mails weighing lesser than 300 gms. This is being done to protect the postal department which is in bad shape and because of which the livelihoods of a large section of society are in danger. The news particularly caught my attention because of the book "Atlas Shrugged" that I am reading these days - A good book except for the excessively elaborate description at times. In the book, Ayn Rand, the author scathingly criticises the philosophy of communism - from each as per his ability, to each as per his needs.
In the novel, the protoganists are ruthless capitalists for whom profits in their businesses is the only thing that matters, not that they are suckers of blood of poor people. They are intelligent, hardworking, honest people who deserve the profit they make. But their government is made up of self proclaimed humane moralists who cannot see the plight of people in poverty, in spite of that poverty being the result of inefficieny on part of those very people. And so they try to curtail the progress of the efficient capitalists in the name of equality of opportunities and responsibility towards under-privileged people. Indeed, communism is redistribution of poverty.
The novel was set in a different age, years ago when communism was gaining popularity, because people didn't have faith in their own abilites and wanted to piggy-back on the succes of others. But Indian government is doing a similar thing in today's world, where every body has been convinced that capitalism is the way to go. If postal department is not efficient, why should I care? Why should I be concerned about the livelihood of people related with postal department? It is their own problem and they themselves should gird their loins if they want to survive. For me, the important thing is that my letter should reach on time and in a good condition. If the services provided by couriers is more reliable, why on earth should I care if the postal department goes to dogs?? Competition is the name of the game today and those who cannot survive competition have no right to survive at all.
In a similar other situation, the government is mullin of quots in IITs and IIMs. Here again, the superficial ideology is the same - equality of offportunities to all, though it is apparent that the actual purpose is to garner votes. Equality?? Gimme a break!! What makes the politicians think that just getting into an IIT or IIM would make the OBC students equal to others? True equality comes when equality is achieved in terms of capabilites and not in terms of admission seats.You think someone who scores 30 in CAT and gets into an IIM will be able to compete with those who got 60? No way! His 2 years will be another experience in frustration and a reinforcement of his inferiority complex. If you want equality in terms of opportunities, work at the grassroots level. Improve the schools, have quotas there so that by the time the students appear for IITs and IIMs, every one is on an equal footing. What could be expected from those students who need someone's mercy even for post graduation? There are just 1100 seats at IIMs for general category students and you want to reduce further this number. Have you ever tried getting into an IIM? DO you realise how difficult a thing is it? if you had, you would have never thought of offering an IIM seat on a platter to some undeserving candidate who even after an IIM would still be very much the same because the problem lies with his fundamentals which are weak. You want a skyscraper when the foundation itself is in tatters! If you have great institutes, let their education serve only those who can really benefit from it and add to their greatness. And let's face it - not everyone is born to be successful. Some people have to face hardships more than others. Equality is a myth. Cest la vie!!
Actually, as one of my friends pointed out, the real problem is with we so-called educated people. We do not vote. And then we cry foul when such situations arise. But I strongly feel that apart from elections, we should have a referendum system in our country for such important decisions. No sane person is in favour of quotas in IITs and IIMs and yet I am afraid the bill will pass because the elected representatives who are sitting up there because we people didn't vote, are spineless traitors. But if there is a referendum, even those who don't vote would queue up when the matter concerned is as important as this one.
I wonder what PM Manmohan singh is up to. I understand that the idea has his nod. But I know it is because of political compulsions. He is educated enough that he would never be in favour of such ideas. Why then he does not resign? I know that his resignation would spell doom for congress and it would mean an end for his political career. But his resignation would bury the idea of reservations at least for a decade to come. He has an opportunity to do a service to the nation. Increase in quotas at IITs and IIMs would be a retrograde step for the nation. He is in a position to stop this step from bein taken, albeit at the expense of his political career. If he lets this opportunity pass, he would end up doing considerable harm to the nation. And hey, I understand that Manmohan singh has political compulsions. But why is kalam not speaking up? At least he should resign.
I participated in a protest march. I can't figure out what else to do.
Someone please save this country.
In the novel, the protoganists are ruthless capitalists for whom profits in their businesses is the only thing that matters, not that they are suckers of blood of poor people. They are intelligent, hardworking, honest people who deserve the profit they make. But their government is made up of self proclaimed humane moralists who cannot see the plight of people in poverty, in spite of that poverty being the result of inefficieny on part of those very people. And so they try to curtail the progress of the efficient capitalists in the name of equality of opportunities and responsibility towards under-privileged people. Indeed, communism is redistribution of poverty.
The novel was set in a different age, years ago when communism was gaining popularity, because people didn't have faith in their own abilites and wanted to piggy-back on the succes of others. But Indian government is doing a similar thing in today's world, where every body has been convinced that capitalism is the way to go. If postal department is not efficient, why should I care? Why should I be concerned about the livelihood of people related with postal department? It is their own problem and they themselves should gird their loins if they want to survive. For me, the important thing is that my letter should reach on time and in a good condition. If the services provided by couriers is more reliable, why on earth should I care if the postal department goes to dogs?? Competition is the name of the game today and those who cannot survive competition have no right to survive at all.
In a similar other situation, the government is mullin of quots in IITs and IIMs. Here again, the superficial ideology is the same - equality of offportunities to all, though it is apparent that the actual purpose is to garner votes. Equality?? Gimme a break!! What makes the politicians think that just getting into an IIT or IIM would make the OBC students equal to others? True equality comes when equality is achieved in terms of capabilites and not in terms of admission seats.You think someone who scores 30 in CAT and gets into an IIM will be able to compete with those who got 60? No way! His 2 years will be another experience in frustration and a reinforcement of his inferiority complex. If you want equality in terms of opportunities, work at the grassroots level. Improve the schools, have quotas there so that by the time the students appear for IITs and IIMs, every one is on an equal footing. What could be expected from those students who need someone's mercy even for post graduation? There are just 1100 seats at IIMs for general category students and you want to reduce further this number. Have you ever tried getting into an IIM? DO you realise how difficult a thing is it? if you had, you would have never thought of offering an IIM seat on a platter to some undeserving candidate who even after an IIM would still be very much the same because the problem lies with his fundamentals which are weak. You want a skyscraper when the foundation itself is in tatters! If you have great institutes, let their education serve only those who can really benefit from it and add to their greatness. And let's face it - not everyone is born to be successful. Some people have to face hardships more than others. Equality is a myth. Cest la vie!!
Actually, as one of my friends pointed out, the real problem is with we so-called educated people. We do not vote. And then we cry foul when such situations arise. But I strongly feel that apart from elections, we should have a referendum system in our country for such important decisions. No sane person is in favour of quotas in IITs and IIMs and yet I am afraid the bill will pass because the elected representatives who are sitting up there because we people didn't vote, are spineless traitors. But if there is a referendum, even those who don't vote would queue up when the matter concerned is as important as this one.
I wonder what PM Manmohan singh is up to. I understand that the idea has his nod. But I know it is because of political compulsions. He is educated enough that he would never be in favour of such ideas. Why then he does not resign? I know that his resignation would spell doom for congress and it would mean an end for his political career. But his resignation would bury the idea of reservations at least for a decade to come. He has an opportunity to do a service to the nation. Increase in quotas at IITs and IIMs would be a retrograde step for the nation. He is in a position to stop this step from bein taken, albeit at the expense of his political career. If he lets this opportunity pass, he would end up doing considerable harm to the nation. And hey, I understand that Manmohan singh has political compulsions. But why is kalam not speaking up? At least he should resign.
I participated in a protest march. I can't figure out what else to do.
Someone please save this country.
posted by Vivek Pabari at 2:08 AM
5 comments
