Howard Roark

The only hobby that I really have, in spite of quoting several in networking sites, is reading. Barring a couple of exceptions, I have never read the same book again. One of the books I cannot resist revisiting again and again is 'The Fountainhead', the classic by Ayn Rand.

Yesterday, I finished the book for the 'n'th time. As always, it left me dazed; the sheer boldness of the ideas and the presentation of such intangible thoughts have always mesmerized me, to say the least. As always, Howard Roark, the protagonist of the book captivated me, totally.

For years, Howard Roark has been one of the most popular characters in the world. Back in the days when the agents working in an Indian BPO had to take an American pseudonym to appeal more to their Western clients, Howard Roark was the most sought after name.

For the uninformed, Howard Roark is a brilliant young architect of the modern school, whose bold and innovative designs are rejected by large segments of society. He believes in the merit of his revolutionary designs and has the courage to stand for them in the face of an antagonistic society. He is presented as the author’s version of an ideal man — one who embodies the virtues of Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy.

Roark is the antithesis of contemporary belief that an individual is molded by social forces. He is not the product of his upbringing, his economic class, his family, his religious training, or his social background. He is a product of the choices he has made.

Roark is an example of free will — the theory that an individual has the power, by virtue of the choices he makes, to control the outcome of his own life. A man’s thinking and values are not controlled by God or fate or society or any external factor — but solely by his own choice. Others (like Peter Keating) may choose to submit, but Roark will not. He is his own man. He is a brilliant thinker and he acts on his thinking. He is not a hypocrite.


This got me thinking. What if, Roark, retaining all of his other characteristics, had not been brilliant? Could he have afforded to live like he did? What would he have achieved even if he had lived the way he did, had he not been the best in his profession? Simply put, can a lesser intellectual mortal hope to be a Roark?

I had a classmate (let’s call him R) in my MBA. R was 22 years old, the youngest in our class. Nobody in the class really knew him let alone be friends with him. Even the professors, for some reason, always ignored him. In fact, we realized his existence only when, one day in the second month of our first term, the finance professor made fun of him with his mid term answer paper. You see, we were asked to calculate the net returns on two investment schemes and suggest which of them was better. There were fairly complicated formulae involved and my solution which had received ten out of ten was three pages long.

R gave the solution (unfortunately, the wrong one) in two lines flat. It did not involve any numbers or calculations; it was in plain English and based on simple logic. When our professor asked him about the calculations, he said that there was no need of any. There was a considerable mockery of him, but he did not react or accept that his solution was preposterous. He reasoned that even with using all the formulae of the text book methodology, the final answer could still have been wrong. The same way, his approach and logic had not been incorrect. But the final result went astray due to a bad assumption he had made.

I cannot help but compare R with Rand's Roark. Like Roark, R was shockingly original. He always presented something very novel and revolutionary. He was subjected to considerable degradation and humiliation. Others either avoided him totally or tried to help him, which R always refused. He was considered arrogant, brainless and lazy. Still, he refused to yield to others' standards of academic excellence. He always stood for what he represented and at no point of time, betrayed any of his ideals. He was a very sharp contrast to some others who seemed to shine the professors’ shoes for research assistantships and scholarships.

But, was he brilliant like Roark? Well, if he was, he certainly did not seem so. Throughout the two years of MBA, R was always at the bottom of the class. Not even in a single course, did he manage at least a ‘B’. His CGPA was 5.67 (out of 10), the least in our class. Even in extra curricular activities, he never stood out. The last I heard of him, he was doing a distance course in psychology and working in a C rated B school as a part time instructor for 'Business Strategy'. A very mediocre life with no achievements of any sort, at all. Therefore, I am forced to conclude that he is not an intellectually gifted individual.

In 'The Fountainhead', Roark says that man has always been an independent thinker and all the progress of the world has been brought by independent and original thinking. Roark, himself, was brilliant and the best architect among the lot. Therefore, he was able to make a difference to himself as well as to the society. He could erect some architectural marvels which were hailed as the best by certain sections of the society. Thus, he got an opportunity to put forth what he practiced. But what about the lesser intelligent people? Can they afford to live like Roark? Even if they do, what do they gain out of it? How do they contribute to the society? In my previous example, what did R gain? What did the society, at large, gain from him? In such a case, is it not more worthwhile to, maybe, live like a Peter Keating or a Toohey? Why not?

History has given us many achievers. People resembling all the four principal characters of 'The Fountainhead' – Keating, Toohey, Wynand and Roark have contributed immensely to the way we live today. They were successful; many of them went to become immensely rich, most of them changed the way people were living. In my opinion, therefore, it might be wrong for everyone to try living like Roark. Not everyone can benefit out of it. Not everyone is advised to do it.

Incredible India

Let me start this with the following questions –

How many of us know where Croatia is? What is it famous for? What are its landmarks? Who are its neighbors? What are its currency and capital? In which continent is it, at least?

Well, when these questions first occurred to me, I had to use Wiki. For, I did not have the faintest idea what Croatia is, though I had a vague memory of hearing the name somewhere. Maybe, most of you have fared better than me. Now, why are we talking about a remote Central (or is it Southern?) European country with a population of just about an Indian city? We will see, in a couple of minutes.

With a culture older than more than five millennia, Egypt is a benchmark example among countries which are committed wholeheartedly to their tourism. Tourist police are almost everywhere and even help tourists settle payments with cab drivers. The job of a guide is taken very seriously in Egypt and there is a four year certified course to become one. All Egyptian guides are mandated to be multi-lingual and most of them can converse manageably well enough in international languages like English, Spanish, French, and German. Many can speak a reasonably good Hindi and Tamil too.

We have talked about two seemingly disparate situations and though they might seem so, they are not. Kindly allow me to elucidate.

India spends considerable budget on ‘Incredible India’ campaigns both in India as well as in abroad. Even, the buses of New York City are not spared of posters talking about how India is an irresistibly ‘Incredible’ tourist attraction. During the week of 22nd Dec to 29th Dec ’08, there was a series of ads in the New Yorker, marketing India and its tourism to prospective foreign tourists. Most of the ads are commonplace, ones which we normally don’t give a second glance. However, there was one sentence which refused to leave my mind. This is reproduced below –

“If you are seeking peace and fulfillment, visit India.”

Nothing can be a bigger joke. We have not forgotten the case of the young British girl, Scarlett Keeling in Goa, have we? On the last week of November, 2008, the multiple terrorist attacks rocked the financial capital of the country, Mumbai. At least 13 foreigners were killed. Besides these very specific ones, continual attacks on cities like Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad completely contradict the image of a peaceful and harmonious country we so desperately want to believe we are living in.

Actually, harassing a tourist visiting India, starts even before he lands in the country. A foreign tourist coming to India, sometimes, has to wait a month for an Indian visa. Pardon me for this, but heck, a US tourist visa was easier to get on a Muslim name in October 2001. Seriously. And, this is all happens before India even gets a tourist. Imagine what he will have to undergo after he actually arrives into the country. At the end of the day, the poor tourists who visit India end up hating the country. Not their fault really, you cannot blame them.

There is neither protection nor appropriate guidance to foreigners. The historical sites are badly littered and lazily maintained. The female tourists are leered at, openly. In fact, many guidebooks suggest that they wear loose, long clothes as a way of avoiding unwelcome attention. The Indian tourism ministry is highly incompetent and soporific. The infrastructure at most of the tourist spots is minimal and dismal. Still, we managed to coin a catchy phrase called ‘Incredible India’; and based on historical data and evidences, projected India to be the largest tourist destination by the 2020. If we go by the historical data, France, which attracts close to 20 times the number of tourists to India every year, will have the entire mankind in Paris alone by 2020. Okay, I am kidding. But you get the message, right?

In India, we boast of a rich heritage and culture which is at least 4000 years old. Probably, the only civilization more ancient than India’s is the Nile Valley civilization of Egypt. After reading about Egypt and its extended care to its tourists, I wish I can say the same things for Indian tourism and Indian guides too. I wish. I remember when I went to Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu; I was taken for a ride just because I could not talk the local lingo. How bad can it go for a foreigner? It can be hell, actually.

A relatively obscure country like Croatia gets more foreign tourists (consequently more global recognition and revenue) than India. In fact, double the number. India, on one hand, houses acclaimed monuments like the numerous palaces, forts, wildlife parks, sanctuaries, temples, and landscapes. Still, only half of the tourists what Croatia gets!

To summarize, what if we have a 4000 year old history? What if we have several thousand historical sites in the UNESCO’s care? What if we spend millions of dollars every year on senseless advertising and marketing of Incredible India? With a population and size of an Indian city, Croatia gets more than double number of tourists than India. And Croatia is the 126th largest country in world! Don’t we need to take a leaf or two from Egypt’s book, the way it treats its tourists who come to marvel at its age old culture and heritage?

What do we need to do then, to correct the existing problems? Well, there are really a bunch of activities that the Government of India needs to undertake. That also means that every aspect of the tourism industry needs to be worked on. Since I don’t expect the GOI to go through this article (and they are bound not to care even if they do), I will not go into the details. One more politically correct reason why I will not give my ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ is for the simple reason that I am not competent enough.

Probably a better question to ask is what we, a common and a middle class person like you and me, can do to help protect the country’s image and build a better reputation? Can we do anything at all?

Of course, we can.

Please help tourists feel welcomed in this land of ours. True, we being the helpless middle class of the country, cannot do everything for them. But, let us help them as far as we can. I have seen countless foreigners made fun of, in the tongue they can’t understand, when they try to ask directions for a place. Also, the prices are named exorbitantly for a foreigner, just because they can’t bargain well enough. Exploitation is rampant in all forms. And we can prevent most of these. Can we not?

Heck, even the beggars haggle with them when they are given Rs 2. They demand Rs. 10. Somebody selling trinkets for Rs 10 hikes the price to Rs. 100 when he sees a non-Indian. The conductor of a public transport facility does not bother to return the change to a foreigner. I had witnessed a highly ludicrous incident a few years back in Puri, a pilgrimage center in India. There was this foreign tourist who, by accident, walked into the temple with his footwear on. When he was pointed out his mistake, he apologized profusely and left the queue to do the needful. Still, a local policeman caught sight of him and he was asked to pay Rs 5000 failing which he was threatened with jailing for a month. Truly, India is Incredible!

A foreigner, wherever he is caught sight of, is flocked by people asking for money. I don’t understand how we manage to assume that all foreign tourists are rich? Well, most of them are on as a tight budget as we are. Not all of them are Bill Gates, are they?

How many times did we, you and me, try and stop the incidents of the above sort? Did we do our part in welcoming a guest? Unfortunately, these kinds of incidents are so commonplace to us that most of us don’t even give a second glance. We, the Indians with a rich heritage and culture, have always believed that a guest is God. ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ has been a guiding principle in our history. Still.

Recently, I came across the website – http://www.atithi.org.in/ reflecting some of the sentiments and ideas worded in this article. Though, in itself, this is a highly commendable initiative and a starting point, India needs more of these. Instead of getting hooked on to catchy phrases like ‘Incredible India’, instead of feeling proud of the millions of dollars spent in meaningless advertising and instead of fooling ourselves of the power of India Inc., let us do our bit to help welcome the tourists to our country.

If Croatia can do it, so can India.

Night Fall - by Nelson DeMille

What is common between Captain Jack Sparrow and John Corey? Both are the main protagonists of a form of fiction. Both are raunchy, sarcastic with a wonderful sense of humor. And both mouth wonderful one-liners.

‘Night Fall’ is a thriller written by Nelson DeMille that stars John Corey. This book has been in existence for a while now but I got my hands on it quite recently. At the outset, this book looks menacing, running close to 600 pages. But once you start delving into the story; the dialogues, the punch lines and the humor engulf you. Some of you may even curse the author for not making it bulkier.

This is a typical western thriller set around an ex-NYPD detective and his wife who go about investigating a plane crash that took place five years earlier. Though the official reason for the crash was documented as a mechanical failure and the case was closed, Corey has reasons sufficient and powerful enough to believe otherwise. Even coping up with numerous forms of political pressures and non-cooperative bosses, he struggles to get his hands on a piece of evidence which would help justice prevail.

The plot, in itself, is neither novel nor captivating. I mean, seriously, how many hundreds of books have been written on the above lines? Writers like Frederick Forsyth and Robert Ludlum must have written at least fifty books between them, with not very different plots.

Then, what makes this book different?

‘Night Fall’ does not have the serious tone akin to the other books of the same genre. At times, the grim tale is narrated to the point of being frivolous. Quite often, the reader is distracted to forget the main plot of the book and he ends up enjoying the humor in the previous event. The plot, in itself, is wafer thin and about a hundred questions are left unanswered. The ending could have been much better and more conclusive. It seems that DeMille suddenly ran out of both steam and ideas to bring the book to a more logical and justice-always-prevails ending.

The character of John Corey stays with you even after you have finished off the book. His witty one-liners and ‘pissing matches’ (as the author calls them) with his bosses and colleagues, not to mention his wife, are charming, to say the least. Just to give you an idea –

(John Corey is to go to Yemen on a special assignment)
Lady Lawyer: Who do you want to have the power of attorney?
John Corey: Who did Elvis Presley use?
Lady Lawyer: How about your wife?
John Corey: You mean if I am missing or kidnapped, my wife will have access to my checkbook, savings account, credit cards and my salary?
Lady Lawyer: That’s right.
John Corey: What if I show up a year later and find out I am broke?
(The lady lawyer laughs)

Go for this book if all you need is a good and entertaining read. Go for this book if even a lack of a strong and concrete plot does not bother you much. However, if you are also a serious reader like me and want a more profound and satisfying read, there are many better ones to choose from.

This 'Associate' is no catcher

‘The Associate’ is the latest feather in John Grisham’s cap. Figuratively, yes. Metaphorically, no. For, it is nowhere near the master’s best. From the author who has given us books like ‘The Firm’, ‘The Broker’ and others, this book is actually a disappointment.

Like most of Grisham’s literature and as you might have figured out by the name, this book is set in the world of law. The main protagonist of the story, Kyle McAvoy is fresh out of an Ivy League college and on his way of becoming a full-fledged lawyer. Like the rest in his class, Kyle is also in the process of picking up his career and future when a few bad men catch up with him with his dirty dark secret from the past. They threaten to expose his butt for all to see if he does not obey their orders. What follows is a brutal blackmailing game and the goons keep on getting more and more menacing. Whether or not Kyle manages to get out of their clutches forms the book.

The plot is thinner than a metal foil on Indian milk sweet. In fact, the entire book can be reproduced in less than ten lines without missing anything substantial. As said earlier, the story is set in the world of lawyers, law firms and law suits. This is exactly where John Grisham belongs to, but there isn’t anything either fresh or profound. After the first hundred pages, the book becomes annoying and the only reason why it is still bearable is because of the ingenious style of Grisham’s writing.

There is one activity that I must remember to do when I get my hands on a soft copy of this book. I need to Control F for ‘bill’ (as in ‘billing’) and see how many times has this word been used throughout the book. My personal bet is, close to a thousand times. Ok, I am kidding. But seriously, it must be at least five hundred times. I wonder, do law firms are really so notorious for billing their clients?

If this is the first time you are reading a John Grisham, ‘The Associate’ is not a bad place to start. But if you already are a ‘veteran reader of legal thrillers’, going back to ‘The Firm’ even though you have read it earlier, is not a bad idea.

My take on Oscars

The big wait is finally over. A. R. Rahman is the first Indian music composer to win an Academy award. He is the first Indian to win two Academy awards. 'Slumdog Millionaire' won 8 awards including one for ‘best motion picture’ and another for ‘best director’. India and Indians across the world are so proud that their chests may burst with pride.

But, what exactly should India be proud of? What did we actually achieve? Well, as always, I have got a little different view of the whole thing.


First –

When and where did India or Indians win 8 Oscars? Rediff had an article titled "India conquers the Oscars". Congress described SM as a 'film of India, by India, for India and for a global audience'. The father of the obscure lead girl of the movie, Friedo Pinto said 'The film has done everyone and the country proud'. This was a headline in another popular news website, Yahoo. It was a 'clean sweep' at the Oscars, according to many media sources.

I fail to understand this completely. SM is a British film made with most of the crew being non Indians. Yes, the actors are all Indians. Yes, the film is based on India. Yes, the Mumbai slums have been captured quite 'brilliantly' on camera. But, let’s face it. Neither India nor Indians have won 8 Academy awards. There were only three awards won by Indians. If winning an Oscar is truly a monumental achievement, let us be proud of the 3 awards that Indians won. In our quest to 'prove' to the West of what we are capable of, let us not inflate our achievements.


Second –

India is a country with around 1.2 billion people. Picture this with 0.3 billion of the US, 0.02 billion of Australia, 0.08 billion of Germany and 0.06 billion of UK. In 2008, an Indian won gold in a singles event for the first time in Olympics. Till date, only 8 Indians won a Nobel. Compare this with Ireland which also has won 8 Nobel prizes while its population is a little over 4 million, about 0.3% of Indian population.

Though winning accolades tastes sweet, I think the logical question that should precede is 'Why the hell did it take so long?' This question, when attempted to answer, would be more helpful, rather than puffing out chests in pride and try staying un-burst.

Just an analogy to support what I am trying to say above -

Suppose, for a second, that there is a race among five people. Does the fifth person who finishes the race get any applause? Well, last time I checked, he does not. Now, extending the same analogy a little further, suppose that one of the five participants is running with a prosthetic foot. Even if he takes double the time than the winner to cross the finishing line, he gets a warm and encouraging applause. I am sorry for this politically incorrect comparison but this is how it feels.


Third –

Why the hell are we so desperate and eager to receive a pat on the back from the West? Like a school kid who wants 'Very Good' from his teacher, India is constantly striving to be worthy of approval from its big brother in the West. On one hand, we talk of being a superpower, the world's largest democracy and sustaining 8% growth every year; on the other hand we have this hypocrisy, if I may be bold enough to call such. What hell breaks loose if the panel at the Academy Awards does not like / understand the Indian music?

I still remember when Bill Gates was here in India for an event (nothing related to his altruistic activities), many major Indian newspapers carried a story saying that he ate an idly with his hand, instead of using a knife / fork / spoon. This was interpreted as if Mr. Gates fell in love with the spicy Indian food. Oh please, does it affect the country in one single way? What harm is there if a Bill (Gates or Clinton) does not like Indian food?


In the relentless quest of pleasing others, one tends to lose his individuality and identity. The same is true for a country as well. Though there is nothing wrong to be more westernized, in thoughts, actions and attitude; I am of the opinion that the approach we are taking is flawed.

On Sri Rama Sena and Valentine's Day

Thank God! Valentine's Day is finally past. Since the infamous pub incident in Mangalore, India on 24th Jan ‘09, the so called moral police have been threatening to intervene and impede the celebrations on the D Day. Police force (not the moral but the real one) has been alert and common people like me, apprehensive.

Yes, like everybody else in a democracy, I too have opinions, some very strong ones. I intend to put forth them. But first, a little background on the unfortunate Mangalore incident. A snippet from a popular news website says,


“A 40 member team allegedly of the Sri Ram Sena attacked a pub on Balmatta Road in Mangalore and assaulted two girls. The Sri Ram Sena justified the incident by stating that this was a spontaneous reaction against those girls who flouted the traditional Indian norms and levels of decency.”


Now, even as this piece is being written; the incident has been highly politicized while the core issue burns somewhere at the bottom of the rubble. Politicians are making accusations left and right, every person aspiring to assume a political office has a scapegoat in the opposition and everybody claims he is innocent.

Picture this. The Sri Ram Sena chief alleges that the media ‘blew the incident out of proportion’. I am totally lost. There have been innumerable MMSes evidencing the act. It is clear that two hapless girls were slapped, kicked and had their hair pulled. Then, how is the usage of the word ‘blowing’ relevant? These videos and MMSes are evidence of a crime committed. Am I missing something here?

The Congress is using this incident to tarnish BJP’s image (if there is one!). The BJP is accusing Congress of feeding unwanted information to the media and sensationalizing the issue. Almost every political party has taken a side particularly in light of the impending elections. WOW! What a mess. Maybe I am being a little too cynical but this can happen only in India. Still, the Indians are proud of their country.


“Mera Bharat mahaan”
(My country is the greatest)


Even as the pub incident is still fresh in human memory (at least that is what I would like to believe), warnings have been issued by Sri Ram Sena and Mr. Bal Thackeray (we all knew he would come into picture sooner or later) prohibiting celebrations of all sorts for Valentine’s Day. The common man (more aptly, woman) is urged to remind himself of the great culture India is the mother of. Valentine’s Day has never been part of India’s rich heritage and never will be. Unmarried couples, if spotted together in public places, would either have to embrace siblinghood or marriage. The reason? Elementary, dear Watson. Indian culture does not permit unmarried couples to loiter hand in hand.

There have been some bizarre statements made. Some of them are listed below for reference, in case they have gone unnoticed or forgotten over the time elapsed, since. For, the human memory is short and Indian memory even shorter.


"The women taking part in the Miss World contest were selling their bodies. We protested based on the principle that a woman's body is not available for sale."

"There is a BJP government in Karnataka and the Opposition would do anything to ensure that name of the government is tarnished. I think that this entire case has been framed."

"Girls should be taught better values and their safety should be ensured."

"There is a need to preserve our culture and there is no denying that. In fact, we will continue to fight to preserve our culture."

"The Sri Ram Sena is not a political organization. We are not interested in politics and we are not rowdies. We only preserve the values and culture of Indian society."

"Our team members would have a video camera and also a turmeric stub. If our team member finds anyone dating, we will force them to get married. We will take the couple to the sub-registrar's office and the marriage will be solemnized."

"If girls and guys could date in the open then I see no harm in them being married off."

"Valentine's Day is an example of anti-Indian culture and we urge educational institutions and the police to help discourage this."

"All the members (of Sri Rama Sena) have been directed not to intimidate the students and make them understand about our culture."

"What is this Valentine Day? In what way it is related to Indian culture? It is a rotten imported culture thriving on the neo-rich with easy money to squander."

"The day symbolizes a ‘materialistic and immoral' lifestyle."


Phew! This was something. I have neither conjured any of the above statements nor used them out of context. These have been picked from interviews given by the self appointed Indian moral police and published unabashed in the different forms of media.

The Sri Rama Sena and Mr. Thackeray seem to be obsessed with the rich Indian culture of past. But what exactly are the cultural aspects that they are trying to uphold? Am I the only person who is clueless here?


Indian Culture


Please do correct me if I am wrong. I am neither an expert nor a historian. What all I am is a voracious reader and an avid researcher.

Indian culture had never preached against affairs. If this is false, and indeed, if Indian culture talked against having affairs (both pre-marital and extra-marital) then how did Kama Sutra come into existence? The entire epic was about having sex with someone other than a wife. Most of the cases, it is a prostitute or a concubine (mistress). Of course, a woman used to be butchered if she dares to think about a man other than her husband. Most of them still are.

Also, polygamy was in such a common abundance that it was never deemed to be wrong, for a man. Every man of a reasonable high social standing and affordability had multiple wives. In addition to this, he also had a list of mistresses. Of course, a woman was supposed to have only one husband. A woman could not marry again even if her husband had passed away. Worst of all, she was expected to cease living along with him. This practice is called Sati; the wife was burnt along with the corpse of her husband, alive.

Now, coming back to our day, as per the protests raised by Sri Ram Sena, pubs are not discouraged, per se. Men are not being pressurized not to go to pubs, dance and get drunk. Men are not being beaten by the Sri Ram Sena volunteers in the name of upholding Indian tradition. Women, on the other hand, are being punished. Beaten for going to a pub. Assaulted for having a boyfriend / lover. Is it a naïve attempt to drag back the country to the Stone Age, when the so called rich Indian culture was rampant?


Valentine’s Day is not applicable to India


This is one of the most preposterous statements I have ever heard in recent times. For argument’s sake, let me accept this. Then, what about Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Children’s Day, Martyr’s Day, Republic Day, Christmas and so on? This list can go on and on. If India is celebrating Valentine’s Day due to the heavy and unwanted influence of the West –

a) Celebrating Independence Day on 15th August is inspired from the Independence Day of the US, 4th July.

b) Celebrating Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October is inspired from Washington’s Birthday celebrated in US on the third Monday of February.

c) The Martyr’s Day celebrated on 30th January is inspired from the Veteran’s Day of the US.

d) Christmas and New Year’s Day are also inspired from the West. Why are we not proud of our ancient lunar calendars and celebrate New Year’s Day based on them? Why do we need to follow Gregorian calendar for celebrating the first day of a year? If we are celebrating Christmas just because India is a secular state, how about Moharram, Bakrid, Mahavir Jayanti, Id and so on?

Furthermore, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are also inspired from the West. India never had these in place before it started to ‘learn’ from West. Why are these days not being opposed?

So, basically, it is ok to learn from the West. What is not ok is learning the ‘bad things’. If this is the argument, then who will decide for the country as a whole on what is good and should be learnt and what should not be? Tomorrow, if I along with a group of fanatical friends decide that every house should feed at least two destitute and homeless everyday and we go about forcing and assaulting people who do not obey this, am I committing a crime or not? How and where do we draw the line what a common man can do and what he cannot do? Can a common man decide what the country as a whole should do and what it should not?


Mass Marriages on Valentine’s Day


This is so ridiculously amusing that the people who said this need to be institutionalized for a shock therapy. What have these people got to do against love? Are all these men broken at heart once upon a time in their life?

Married couples can display affection for one another in public. No problems with that. However, unmarried couples cannot, as the Indian culture and tradition do not allow this. Where and why? What is the reason and rationality behind it? Is it saying that a couple cannot be in love before marriage? As I have already said earlier, this is outrageously insane.

And, if this self appointed moral police force spots an unmarried couple, they will be ‘forced’ to embrace either siblinghood or marriage. There are at least four different and very specific incidents on 14th Feb ’09 which are hard to ignore.


a) A man was forced to ‘mock’ wed a donkey amid cheers and boos in Rourkela.

b) In Belgaum, a girl was forced to tie a rakhi on her partner’s wrist to prove their siblinghood.

c) Both the faces of a couple were blackened with soot as they were, no doubt, failing to live upto India’s rich culture.

d) A 16 year old boy and 15 year old girl were forced to marry in Patna, India.


Is there any sense and rationality in these actions? Well, I fail to find any, if there is. In the name of democracy, we are killing it.

Solution, then? Ok. I will attempt to give my version of a solution. As always, there will be people will refuse to agree with it, but then, this is a democracy where everybody is entitled to an opinion and a voice.

Round up the people responsible for this stupidity and lock them up in prison before their powerful political sugar daddies even get a hint. Stop taking their interviews and publishing their views (which are insane and dangerous). This will help not turn them into overnight heroes. Let us be patriotic of our motherland and proud of being citizens of this great country but let us refrain ourselves from being chauvinistic. Every culture and tradition has pitfalls and over a period of a time, people learn imbibing from other cultures and incorporating in their culture. I guess, Charles Darwin called this as ‘Evolution’. In management parlance, this is called ‘Change’. As all know –


“Change is always constant”


Let us learn, albeit little, from countries like China and Japan. The way in which they retained most of their traditions and culture in spite of such a rapid pace of advancement, industrialization and westernization are commendable, to say the least.