My response on Nilekani interview in CNN-IBN about protest for Jan Lokpal Bill

This post is in response to the interview of Nandan Nilekani available at : http://www.firstpost.com/politics/nilekani-slams-team-annas-campaign-as-naive-simplistic-64103.html

Hmm….Frankly, I am not competent enough to argue with someone of Nandan’s stature (as per my expectations). But then, there are some things, which are part of what he said and they are the ones which might be fuelling the protests.

1. I firmly agree that corruption needs a holistic approach for prevention and/or at maximum removal (I strongly believe it cannot be eradicated fully). This holistic approach does not end with passage of Jan Lokpal bill. Frankly speaking, it does not even start with drafting of the Jan Lokpal bill. There are so many things in daily life that many of us do some mistakes, have to pay fine and look for opportunities to reduce that fine part. This is where the feeding part of the Corruption starts. Unfortunately, the Aadhar card cannot make files move in a public office. The Jan Lokpal bill is to ensure that if we don’t want to be the feeders and are still being forced to, then we have someone to provide an arm to lean on. Say it…get the extortion part out. It’s to ensure that people with responsible public roles, do not succumb to various tendencies. It can ensure that so many laws our parliament passes are adhered to. If not adhered to, why to have laws.
2. But when you want to ensure something, something people can take help of, obviously you want that helping hand to be available. That “availability” factor is very important. A system (software or otherwise) may be an excellent one, but if not available when required, I will term it “flash in the pan” one. The Jan Lokpal bill has better way of handling that availability factor. As has been correctly pointed out by Nandan sir, the middle class is most affected a lot of corruption. And where does the middle class get in touch with corruption, and its flag bearers…..when they want certain essentials services to be available….health, public infrastructure, law and order (not including the investigation part) and local administration (for various essential licenses). If these essential services were provided in timely, user-friendly manner, I bet that you definitely would not have seen so many people on the road. The agitation would have been an “uncalled for”. Leaving the user-friendly part still to the Executive, the Jan Lokpal bill ensures the “timeliness” part is taken care with each public office having a citizens charter enlisting SLAs for each thing, including penalties if not done.
3. I feel good that Nandan also agrees that Lokpal is part of those 10-15 things we need to do for handling corruption. When we have decided that a Lokpal is required, why not have one which is better of the solutions on the plate. In the future, if we have better solutions, we can do amendments. In regard to his point that a Lokpal bill is before standing committee, and what is the need to argue. I sympathize with our politicians and amount of time they put in for real public life. When something is being discussed, why not put before the standing committee, and the both houses of the parliament the other one also. If the standing committee and houses of the parliament do not want to take up suggestions of the Jan Lokpal bill, Ok fine. But then even not putting the valid points of the Jan Lokpal bill forward for discussions is the point which is inappropriate.
4. If you have a Venn diagram for corrupted people, there are many from legislative, judiciary and executive, who will fall into the other circle (of non-corrupt). But then making the other circle populous is the main intention.

I have put forth some of the points from my own knowledge.

And last but not least, this mail is only to share my viewpoint.

An advice to Taliban

Hi Talibanians,

Good Morning.

I am Hemanth Diwakar Pallavajula, living in place called Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

I am not sure of how you are after so many U.S. strikes. I am also not sure what kind of effect those strikes really had on you, as the mortars used in bombing/shelling were actually meant to be dumped by the U.S. authorities. Since they were to be dumped somewhere, they thought that your place is apt, because it is very near to their past and present enemies, viz., Russia, Iran and Iraq. My feeling that the bombs were outdated is amply helped by the fact that most of them didn't explode even after falling on the ground.

Anyway, it seems that you are getting good scapegoats for showing to the world, remembering the world that your habits of savagery is still holding good. You get onto your list of foreign-nationals-killed-after-publicity one more Indian.

An Indian who has no other goal in life, but to earn more money. The Indian, who has left his home, his parents, wife, daughters and kindergarten studying son, only to earn those few more bucks so that he can marry his twin daughters to well-to-do guy. Those few more bucks which can ensure that his son studies in a good college, whose fee rises can be compared to inflation trends of Zimbabwe. And then he also has to serve his parents. His father is a retired deputy collector which gets us a feeling that he might have money for taking care of medical needs of him and his wife (victim's mother). But the emotional feelings, the love and affection to all of them cannot be done any guy around.

If his fault was that he was an Indian and mainly, was that he is working for the development of Afghanistan, then I definitely agree with you. Yes, its fault. Yes, it’s his fault.

But, if as per the news he was killed when he has tried to runaway. I think that was more an act of courage rather than cowardice. An act of practical thinking rather than escapist ideology. Because he knows that the Indian government will never accede to the demands or at least hold discussions using all its diplomatic, strategic, and artillery forces.

So, I suggest you to hold captive a prominent Indian politician, or else close-relatives of an important Indian Politician. Because, only then there can be some way that you can get what you want. No matter, how many more Indian workers you kill, I assure someone somewhere is getting ready to replace Suryanarayana, and chances that he is an Indian are also high.

This suggestion doesn't hold if your motives behind this kidnap are not strong. If you just want to kill some Indian worker in the name of some or other reason, then definitely this suggestion doesn't hold good.

Thanks for patiently reading my letter to you.

With best wishes to Homosapiens in your group,

an imagineer,
Hemanth...

From "Globalised India" to "Indianised Globe"

We Indians have grown listening and memorising the figures which establish that "Globalisation is giving Western mammoths, bigger cake to eat". Now, I believe that the day is not far when Indians can be proud that there are many Indian companies which will be controlling better part of world's commerce. I still remember the day when I had hard time in making my friends at a seminar on Globalisation while doing MBA to feel that our perception towards globalisation should change, that it is giving us also an opportunity to arrive on a bigger stage, and we are getting near to the concept of "Indianised Globe".

There are many examples for proving this. The Indian companies are not only exporting to a global base of OEMs*, they are reaching to the actual consumer. The achievements are not only in IT sector, where the Indians have proved their worth. The world’s No. 2 Tea company is Tata Tea. The best steel maker of the world is Tata Steel. The Indian business conglomerates like Birlas, Reliance, Bharti Televentures, Bharat Forge, and many more, are making their presence globally. And many of these companies are having their manufacturing base worldwide which is an indication of their vitality and inherent nature of working in cross-culture work environments.

Having said so many great things about the Indian companies, I feel that more Indian companies need to start taking their products to the consumer at a better cost, service ensuring that their products qualify for any quality test. As is an Indian saying, “Win at home for being victorious outside that”. The present Indian companies, most of which are established by the engineers who have gone through their academic careers through the years of India’s transformation from a debt-trodden nation to forex-surplus, and tenth largest economy in the world with GDP worth $692 billion.

Through the shades of changing sky color,
Through the spades working in various fields,
We woke,
We arose,
Creating a new world order,
Compounding peace and growth.

*OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

Here 's a link supporting this article which was published Sep-18-05 in "The Business Online":
www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories.aspx?StoryID=19A21027-E269-42C0-958F-C27C97BFED5B&SectionID=BA48E3D7-CCB9-4976-883F-EE19F9206FB3