Friday 18 December 2015

FOSSIL OF TODAY OR A CHAMPION OF TOMORROW



Thomas Szasz, the famous American psychiatrist writes “Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.”

Powerful words, truly transformational and that’s why I salute the brave thinkers among us. Remember how vociferously the surgeons doing cholecystectomy and hernia repair by open technique objected to the introduction of laparoscopic surgery? Remember how they cautioned that we were unnecessarily trying to complicate simple surgeries? Where are those open surgery advocates and stalwarts today? In the pages of history, and may their souls rest in peace! The very act of learning something new disrupts the way you’ve always seen things-and the way you’ve always been. A fresh idea pushes you out of your comfort zone and threatens the very foundations you’ve built your view of the world on.

That’s scary for nearly everyone and truly frightening for the vast majority! So rather than experience any form of discomfort of rowing in the turbulent waters of the unknown, most people regress – and return to their ‘Safe Harbor of The Known’. It feels better, seems safer and infinitely more cushy and comfortable. But, in truth, it’s not.

The problem is that refusing to learn and grow is the beginning of the end. Life is all about making tomorrow better than today. The progressive mind of a professional is obsessed with the idea of stepping into your next level of excellence with every passing hour. To cling to the thoughts and ways of performing that you’ve always known is to resign yourself to being average and mediocre. You are no more playing the game but being a mere spectator.

Neuroscientists will tell you that a single new piece of learning actually changes the very nature of your brain. The circuitry shifts. And the wiring expands. But in order to reach these new lands, we must lose sight of the shore-even for just a little while. Dare to be a Columbus or a Vasco de Gama and explore the unknown. And that takes guts. And there in lies professional leadership!

‘I know that’, ‘that is what works best for me’; ‘I have been doing that since ages’ are the utterances of a professional on the verge of retirement, a living fossil. He/she is on a slow and steady spiral downhill course and deserves only your sympathy, not your attention and admiration. The persons, who tell you that they are still learning and are not yet satisfied with their results and are sure something better can be offered, should be closely followed for they are the champions of tomorrow!


So, as we, along with countless others, look east with absolute awe and admiration towards the resilience and fortitude of the brave men and women who have dared to leave the beaten track and found one of their own to champion the world, what have you decided to become, a fossil of today or a champion of tomorrow?

Wednesday 16 December 2015

ANTI AGING …..IT IS NO MORE A MYTH



Can you imagine living a healthy life well into your 120s? That could be a reality sooner rather than later. We all want to live a much longer, much healthier life. We want our friends, parents, and children to live long and in vigor. Aging saps our strength and ability to enjoy life, cripples us, and eventually kills us. Tens of millions die from medical conditions caused by aging each and every year. Serious scientific efforts are presently underway to understand and intervene in the aging process - not just to prevent frailty and disease, but to also repair and reverse the root causes of aging. And this is the cutting edge of research today.


The theory is that if the aging process is slowed down, then all the diseases and pathology associated with aging can be slowed down as well. Scientists believe that this can be achieved because all of our cells contain a DNA blueprint that could keep our bodies functioning correctly forever. In the decades ahead researchers will assemble new biotechnologies that can defeat aging, restore the old to health and vigor, and prevent the young from ever suffering the ravages of age. But how can we achieve this goal?
  • Step 1: Stop Damaging Health
  • Step 2: Adopt a Better Diet and Lifestyle
  • Step 3: Support and Advocate Longevity Science

Step 1: Stop Damaging Health
Tobacco in any form – smoked, chewed or sniffed, is harmful to longevity and so are all the recreational drugs. Any beverage beyond the levels of moderation and a sedentary life style are totally unacceptable for maintaining a healthy life.

Step 2: Adopt a Better Diet and Lifestyle
If we do not forget to take our car for servicing periodically then why do we forget to visit your physician? This is particularly true for doctors themselves, and they have, over the years, proven to be the most careless. Fortunately, it's neither difficult nor expensive to use diet and lifestyle to live a longer life. Fast food catered by the multinational food chains are making you fast disappear from this earth, and hence their name. It is best to avoid them and stick to home cooked nutritious diet. Fruits as God have sent them, instead of packaged fruit drinks and beverages and regular balanced diet will prevent you from getting overweight. A  calorie restricted diet, daily exercises, brisk walking and some health supplements are what we can do at our end, but some steps need active interventions by the government and the society like reducing carbon emissions and increasing the green belt. Instead of spending our retired life in busy metropolitan cities, choosing quieter and cleaner suburbs or rural housings with appropriate health back-up may go a long way in increasing longevity.

Step 3: Support and Advocate Longevity Science
Today with newer science we can envisage how aging should be repaired and reversed. Aging will one day be cured, just like any other medical condition, but will that be soon enough and will we still alive, healthy, and active to see it. A revolution in biotechnology is presently underway, the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) but right now they do not have much to show.

Naturally the first question in longevity science, that comes to our mind is – why do we get old? What is the cause of ageing? Scientists have today trimmed down the list of causes to the following eight:
·         Accumulating AGEs
·         Buildup of Amyloid Between Cells
·         The Failing Adaptive Immune System
·         The Failing Innate Immune System
·         Declining Lysosomal Function
·         Mitochondrial DNA Damage
·         Nuclear DNA Damage
·         Buildup of Senescent Cells

The US Food and Drug Administration recently gave the go-ahead for clinical trials to be conducted on the world’s first anti-aging drug Metformin, used widely for treating Type 2 Diabetes.  
The drug has already been proven to extend animal lifespan, and the FDA has resultantly decided that trials should be conducted to see if it has the same effect on humans. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence was found last year by researchers at Cardiff University, who observed that patients with diabetes taking metformin were living longer than others who were not diabetic, in spite of diabetics having an average life expectancy that’s eight years shorter. Metformin is believed to have life-extending possibilities for humans because of its ability to increase the number of oxygen molecules released into a cell. This process is believed to boost cell robustness and longevity.

You might feel that Anti aging science is very noble and so must face no opposition from any quarter. Unfortunately that is not the case. It means different things to different people and all these interest groups have their own axe to grind.
  • For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the aging process. There is, as of 2015, no proven medical technology that allows this goal to be accomplished in humans nor is there any currently available method (short of waiting for people to die) to accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti-aging therapy.

  • In the medical and more reputable business community, anti-aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases. This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself, and a wide array of strategies and therapies are currently available which goes into the various health corporate check-up packages.

  • The wider business community - including a great many fraudulent and frivolous ventures - views "anti-aging" as a valuable brand and a cunning way to increase sales. At the worse end of the scale, this leads to snake oil and tiger bone salesmen, "anti-aging" creams that scream hoarse to make skin look younger and free of wrinkles and age blemishes! If I choose to be very charitable with them then their concept “to look and feel younger in some way" - has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.


So Anti-aging is both a valuable brand and important science that all these groups are attempting to control or profit from it and in many cases their aims are at odds with one another. Scientists feel, quite rightly, that the noise and nonsense coming from the anti-aging marketplace is damaging the prospects for serious, scientific anti-aging research. If people are under the impression that anti-aging means high-priced cream from Revlon marketed to the gullible and brand-aware, no government is going to give funding for a serious proposal in aging research. Government too are silently scared that if the longevity really increases exponentially then the pensioner hands may outnumber productive hands, as has already happened in many developing countries. It is getting more and more interesting, isn’t it! 

Sunday 13 December 2015

KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM



Wisdom and knowledge, both recurring themes in Bhagwat Geeta, are related but not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.”  Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun; wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered. Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes. Knowledge sees the quicksand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorizes the Vedas and the Upanishads, wisdom utilizes the essence of these scriptures to enrich the life of one’s own other’s!

Knowledge is merely having clarity of facts and truths, while wisdom is the practical ability to make consistently good decisions in life. We often use words we think we understand, until someone asks us to define them. Then we are faced with the startling realization that we're—well, not quite sure; not definite; well, it's kind of like this; or God, I think I need a dictionary. Even then, sometimes, the dictionary just doesn't quite fill the bill. We read the definition and find that something is still missing. And that's the way with wisdom.

Lord Alfred Tennyson has very rightly said that "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers". Knowledge is gathered from learning and education, while most say that wisdom is gathered from day-to-day experiences and is a state of being wise. But who wants to be wise today? People want to be other things instead - practical, successful, rich, respected - that don't involve wisdom, which is reserved for old people, the wise gray heads of society. And yet the way someone's life turns out depends on making wise choices. Every culture that values consciousness also values wisdom. T.S. Eliot lamented "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" And that is so true today. Google is the answer to all our quests in life and this source of information diarrhea has deluged the traditional source of knowledge, and wisdom appears to be hit even worse! We are gradually loosing the passion for solving problems but instead looking for the solved answers on the internet!

Wisdom and knowledge are linked. Wisdom is enhanced by knowledge and the ability to acquire knowledge effectively. But wisdom is also the ability to use knowledge in a practical and productive manner. Knowledge is often considered to be "externally generated," meaning that it comes primarily from outside sources, such as books, classroom lectures, videos, etc. On the other hand, wisdom is deemed to come primarily from "internal sources," meaning one's own introspective thinking, analysis, and judgment. Wisdom cannot be acquired and applied without knowledge, but knowledge isn't necessarily guided or enhanced by wisdom. An example of applying knowledge can be found in the development of nuclear bombs, which were the end result of thousands or perhaps millions of steps. Following this development, the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is sometimes understood as being wise, under the notion that these acts shortened World War II and thus saved thousands or even millions of lives. In terms of knowledge, the end result (the atom bomb being made) is obvious, but in terms of whether applying that knowledge was wise or not is still unclear and subject to intense debate.


Contrary to the popular belief, the wise do not always preach……though they are infinitely more capable of doing so. As Oliver Wendell Holmes in The Poet at the Breakfast-Table says "It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen” Wise people have accurate, perceptive insights into human behavior and understand how things work. They are observers of human nature, are master psychologists with excellent emotional intelligence. They have learned what they know from real life experience, not from academic study. They generally keep what they know to themselves, but are willing to share what they know with certain individuals. They are available to give advice to open-minded learners. They have a talent for asking questions that lead to new understanding. Are conscious of themselves, and can communicate what they know when they choose to. Knowledge is knowing the indication of a surgical procedure, but wisdom is when choosing not to operate even when indicated, because the risk associated with surgery may be more the risks associated with the disease.

So how does a person acquire wisdom? It develops from life-long, child-like curiosity and a playful spirit. Wise people are happy rather than hostile, no matter how badly life has treated them. You gain wisdom when you ask questions, explore, want to know how thing work, and learn valuable lessons from rough experiences.  The application of knowledge is often a matter of finding or knowing the right facts, meaning that there is a distinct difference between the "right" and "wrong" facts. In contrast, wisdom often requires much more than facts to perceive and choose the "right" action or to avoid the "wrong" action. The factors involved may include speculation, feelings, and moral or ethical values. In this general sense, applying knowledge tends to be a much simpler process.


Wisdom is the ability to use the best means at the best time to accomplish the best ends. It is not merely a matter of information or knowledge but of skillful and practical application of the truth to the ordinary events of life. It is awareness to be sensitive to this situation, to this person, uninfluenced by any corruption of the past. The knowledgeable but unwise hold out a false sense of happiness rooted in money, possessions, and status, and tell us that the best way to avoid the painful side of life is to devote hours to various distractions. But the world's wisdom traditions teach something very different, that there is a level of the mind where the potential for creativity, intelligence, peace, and joy is unlimited. 

Monday 7 December 2015

AN URGENT NEED TO RELOOK AT OUR EDUCATION POLICY



Education is what remains with us once we have forgotten everything that was taught in classes and written in books. The books and the classes are just the vehicle of education and not prime beneficiary, our children should be the beneficiaries, and yet the system lays so much importance to the vehicle and so little to the beneficiaries. The fact that higher education is in deep and profound crisis is undeniable. Higher education is fast becoming a commodity by its very nature and is being limited to a package. No wonder the process of commoditization of education is going hand in hand with the process of its destruction. By this faulty process, creating students with open and inquisitive minds is fast disappearing.

Books and the internet are only sources of information. When this information is processed by a good teacher, made simple to grasp and easy to understand for the young and impressionable minds, what they get in turn is knowledge. Then in the children utilize this knowledge in their day to day life, season this knowledge with values they imbibe from their homes, their schools and the society, then what they acquire is wisdom. Wisdom, once acquired, is never lost. This entire journey from information to wisdom is what we call education!

So today, when we find students burdened with books and notes from their colleges, tuition and coaching classes on one hand and with the Frankenstein expectations of over-ambitious parents on the other, it is not surprising to see that they have no idea about the world around them. They are continuously trying to learn a package of things, which they memorize and reproduce in the examinations. In this vicious way we are only ensuring a complete destruction of their creative minds. But the very purpose of education was just the opposite of this, and today we seem to be absolutely oblivious of this big picture!

Remember how as children we would go outside the lines with our crayons while filling colours in our drawing copy. While to the Gurus of yesteryears that was creativity of the young mind, not ready to be confined by lines drawn by someone else, in today’s grammar it is indiscipline and dirty! The main objective of education - to open up the minds, is failing miserably by compelling every child to chase the same standard format of perfection. And now this malady, something that began very early at the school-level, has permeated the higher education system as well. Our education system is proceeding fundamentally in a direction opposite to one that was committed to by stalwarts like Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Prof. Ashutosh Mukherjee.

We must have a system that produces the intellectuals of free India, and not of the colonial order. We need young men and women, who are committed to the building of the nation and not yet another horde of clerks to run our offices. And for this we have to redefine our goals of higher education.

Whether one considers higher education to be a commodity or a human right is often determined these days by one’s philosophical, ethical, political, or economic outlook.  There are divergent views on this issue which spark polarization and fierce controversy.  In many western countries higher education was treated as a right for many years and some countries are still trying to maintain this tradition although it places an increasingly large financial burden on their governments.  The reality is that, today, higher education has become a commodity which is for sale.  Post dated certificates, diplomas and degrees are now saleable items of high value and they are in great demand in the national and global marketplace.  Developed countries create vast income by exporting education and cunning investors in India have realized that education sells like hot cakes!

The main drivers of this commodification or commercialization of higher education are scarce public funds, the knowledge-based economy, the prevalence of information and communications technology, and globalization.  Many governments are now unable to fund post-secondary (tertiary) education and they are now charging their students expensive tuition fees.  Austerity measures imposed by governments in these harsh economic times have led to deep cuts in higher education budgets. This is the reason why we see a mushrooming of private Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges, Engineering colleges and Law colleges.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passed on December 10, 1948, declares in Article 26 that “Everyone has the right to education” and further declares that higher education “shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” To this, because of our peculiar social milieu and our commitment to upliftment of the backward and disenfranchised, we have added the rider of reservation. Since higher education is a right, governments must do everything in their power to facilitate it and make it accessible to working-class and lower middle-class students.  Higher education is a public good which empowers individuals and communities to understand, relate to, and improve their existence.  It is an avenue for individual, social and economic development.  In the interests of preserving democracy and equality of opportunity in higher education, governments need to prioritize the provision of higher education for students in the lower socioeconomic brackets.

In the era of Privatization today institutions and teachers have become providers and students have become consumers in the growing higher education commodity market.  This has changed the nature of teacher-student relationships in a negative way and medical colleges are no exceptions.  The marketplace has also changed the value we place on different subjects and forms of knowledge.  Knowledge and skills are being taught more and more for instrumental reasons such as getting specific jobs.  Private companies are becoming more and more involved in the funding and curricula of higher education.  In this context only knowledge and skills relating directly to the marketplace will be taught.  Critical areas will be neglected and genuine education will suffer.  Already, more and more students are abandoning the humanities as getting a job is easier with a professional degree.

Some of the ideals of education have been forgotten, such as the upliftment of the masses, and concern relative to social and ethical issues. Governments must find creative ways to protect equality of opportunity for all students in higher education.  Teachers must inspire the weakest student in their class and remind him time and time again that he or she is precious and has a sacred purpose to fulfill in this world. Parents too must do their bit and every time I hear about yet another young man or woman committing suicide in the coaching factories of Kota I see yet another set of grief stricken parents who have miserably lost out in the exciting and gratifying game of parenting.

Sunday 6 December 2015

MY GENE POOL….WHY AM I PROUD OF IT?



I am very proud of my gene pool and like many others from my Alma mater, I too believe that I have been a witness to a golden era, which will perhaps never come back. I know, this is what seniority does to you, makes you nostalgic and brings out the good old stories from your cerebral library. So here is one such story I have heard from my seniors.

A senior colleague of mine, who is senior to me by quite a few years and has been holding the post of the Head of the Department in a premier medical institution for over a decade now, was the topper of the Combined Pre-medical Test (CPMT) of his year of admission. He did not belong to Lucknow, but as every topper would do, he chose to join King George’s Medical College. He came from a very modest background and though in those good old days their tuition fee was Rs. 16.00 and the mess bill was around Rs. 40.00 even that was a burden on his family! To top it, he needed books and clothes and as there was no mess service on Saturday evening, and he did not have the money to eat out……. he would simply fast! This process continued for about a month but soon he came to the conclusion that this was impractical and as there was a Medical College in his native city, he wrote an application to the Principal of our Institution and requested for a transfer to his native city.

Now, the story takes a twist. What do you think was the response of our Principal, who besides being the Head of the Institution with all its academic, social and administrative responsibilities was also the Head of the largest department of the College? Do you think that the high and mighty had the time for a nervous and aggrieved freshman? He surely did. What struck him was why should the topper of CPMT choose to leave his institute and opt for something lesser? What is bothering him? Why is he not feeling at home in his institution? Fortunately, the Principal’s son too got selected through the CPMT that year and so was in the same class as my senior colleague. He made some enquiries about him and came to know that the CPMT marks were no fluke, this fellow was truly brilliant in studies and extremely polite and soft spoken. So he did the next expected thing, called him to his Principal’s office.

He made my senior colleague sit comfortably and read his application, which was in front of him. In very few words he reminded him about the glorious traditions of our institution and how blessed he was being a member of our family. Then asked him why he wanted to give up this family without giving it a chance. With moist eyes my senior told him the truth, his family background and how it was very difficult for his father to run two establishments, one at home for his siblings and one in Lucknow for him. In his deep and concerned voice the Principal asked him if this was the only reason for his request. And when my senior said yes, he curtly told him that it was not a good enough reason and he would have to stay in our college. He granted him full scholarship i.e. exemption of tuition fee as long as he would study in the college, book allowance for all semesters for purchase of dissectors, manuals, books and stationeries, and finally told him that every Saturday afternoon after college he will have to come home with his son, so that they both can study together. He reminded him that just as he had a father back home, in the campus he, the Principal, was responsible for his wellbeing and will remain his father. He then folded the transfer application and returned it to my senior and asked him to rush back to his class.

This is how he nurtured the gene pool!

Saturday 5 December 2015

WHO SHOULD BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT?


Have you ever given it a thought as to who should be the next President, after Pronob da leaves office at the end of this term or the next term? I have and here are my criteria.
1. He should not be from politics. 
2. He / She should be inspirational - a role model like Kalam. 
3. He / she should be of impeccable integrity 
4. He / she should have excelled in his/her chosen field.
5. As India is a young country he should not be very old
6. He should have an international presence and recognition... not like Pratibha Patil. 
7. His image should convey the image of the new aspirational India.
8. He / she should be linguistically blessed with proficiency in English and Hindi 
9. He / she should have excellent man management skills and an open mind without prejudices.
10. He / she should not be afraid to swim against the tide if that is good for the nation.
Now that I have given you the 10 commandments give me your choice. I have narrowed down my choice to three, but I will tell you only after hearing your choices.
Don't bother about who will be politically correct. Tell me who is your choice? By rattling down my criteria of an ideal President I am not fixated on one name. What I have done is encouraged you to make your choice of the first citizen of this country who will encourage one and all and be an embodiment of an ideal Indian. He should be a person who will make us all proud of being an Indian.
So, let us hear from you. Share this with other discussion groups so that we start discussing in a mega scale. Remember, if you choose to remain silent a not so deserving President may be thrust upon us........ it has been done in the past. So speak up and make your voices heard. This is democracy of 21st. century and your e-participation matters.

This is a blog which I posted in 8 discussion groups and waited for a response for the next 72 hours. I managed to collect just over 200 responses.  I told you that I have my three choices and I will tell you after I hear your responses, so these were my three choices:
1. Ratan Tata – He fits almost hand in gloves with all my ten commandments. An honest businessman whose heart bleeds for the country, he showed his mettle after 26/11 when he not only assisted in the rehabilitation of all his own employees in the Taj, but also showed exemplary social responsibility towards all those who were affected including people working at other unfortunate sites and the policemen, the firemen and the general public. Radia tapes failed to dent his reputation of an upright and emotional patriot, with his heart in the right place and when I analyze all your responses he remains the most popular choice.
2. Rahul Dravid – I sincerely believed I will be the only person rooting for a President as young as him, but you surprised me. This only goes to prove that goodness of his heart shines through for all to see. A thorough gentleman, an achiever extraordinaire, one who is ready to do anything for the team, and yet raise his voice against any wrong without any fear, Rahul is an outstanding orator and a man of vision. His Bradman Oration a couple of years ago and his Pataudi Oration a couple of days back has shown how fearlessly he can swim against the tide of deceit and fraud all alone, without bothering if others will support him.
3. Kailash Satyarthi – He was my third choice, but I must admit he is not very high in your list. I think he is a brave crusader who was discovered by the world much earlier than he was discovered by us, and we can undo the wrong and give a very big boost to his crusade against child labour by making him our President. After all how many countries have chosen a Nobel laureate to be their President!
While you all were with me on Ratan Tata and Rahul Dravid, the third person of your choice was N.R. Narayana Moorthy. I think he will make an excellent President for he satisfies all our ten commandments and is much more. I respect your choice. The fourth person in your list was the Metro Man E. Shridharan. With Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro among his conquests, this wizard of engineering and management surely stands out truly Presidential! Kailash Satyarthi was your fifth choice.
A lot of you have quite justifiably been skeptical and opined that politics and not talent will be the criteria for selection and suggested mostly Lal Krishna Advani and Mohan Bhagwat’s name. This may well be true but by your responses it is clear that they are not your choices. So at least this microcosm of literati is thinking in the right direction.

Thursday 26 November 2015

SECULARISM AND TOLERANCE………ARE THEY SYNONYMOUS?



These two terms – ‘Secularism’ and ‘Tolerance’ have been thrown up in the air on more occasions than one like speed breakers on our road to progress. Using these two words an attempt is being made by the sponsored media to create a rift in our society. That is the reason why I am of the opinion that these two terms have to be understood unambiguously by us.  Irrespective of the fact that who is in power Indians are secular as this is in our DNA. We embrace pluralism and celebrate excellence in all spheres of life from all Indians without ever bothering about their religious preferences. So a century by Mohd. Azharuddin receives the same applause as one from Sachin Tendulkar and a movie hit from Sharukh Khan gets the same recognition as one from Ranbeer Kapoor. Smt. Najma Heptulla is as respected as Smt. Sumitra Mahajan and Ustad Bismilla Khan is as revered as Smt. Lata Mangeshwar.

The left and left of centre thinkdom (LLCT) in our country is of the belief that just like Islam and Christianity, Hinduism too is a religion. This is simply not true because had it been so one would not have had the liberty to mock it and abuse it at will in books and in celluloid. Hinduism is a way of life and so is open to such criticism. Can Mr. Amir Khan think of making fun of Islam in his next movie without getting the fatwa that was served on Salman Rushdie? Till today our secularists, the LLCT, have succeeded in sustaining their relevance as the protectors of the interests of the Minority. But these secularists have never tried to teach secularism to Muslims. As a result of this, today some of the Hindus are trying to convert Hinduism into Islam by becoming more and more intolerant. The LLCT have an agenda of keeping only the Hindus tolerant. So, chopping off the hand of a teacher in Kerala or murder, rape and persecution of Kashmiri Pandits is not intolerance. In fact, the perpetrators of these acts have a right to be intolerant by the virtue of their religion! The fact that their religion never teaches all this never crosses their mind.

Even the LLCT has on rare moments of sanity challenged the ‘secular’ theory. Demand for common civil code becomes cultural politics or an attack on pluralism, especially when the demand is put forward by the Sangh Parivar. But when Romila Thapar says that common civil code is a necessity in a secular country, the LLCT maintain an embarrassing silence. Amartya Sen says that if Muslim women suffer because of Muslim personal law, it should not bother Hindus. Why not? Why when the Sachar Committee blames the society, or in other words the majority community Hindus– for not giving access to Muslims. If almost 50 per cent of the population -that is to say women- of one community are not encouraged to work outside in the name of religion, how can the economic condition of such a community improve? And why does a Nobel Laureate in Economics fail to gather this bit?

Now let me discuss the term ‘tolerance’ in some detail. Right at the outset let me tell you, this is not a good word and one need not be proud of it. Thinkers like Swami Vivekananda and Ananda Coomaraswamy have deliberated on the problem in the concept of tolerance.  Ananda Coomaraswamy says: “..the word (tolerance) is not a pretty one; to tolerate is to put up with, endure or suffer the existence of what are or appear to be other ways of thinking than our own; and it is neither very pleasant merely ‘to put up with’ our neighbors and fellow guests, nor very pleasant to feel that one’s own deepest institutions and belief are being patiently endured”. So how can tolerance be a virtue? How does accepting others with pain (tolerating) become a great virtue if you believe that other faiths also have equal right to exist?

If we simply tolerate the minority community and not celebrate their existence in our midst we are being hypocrites. Thankfully despite provocations by the terrorists, the jihadists and the religious goons on one hand and a bunch of rumor mongering journalists and unscrupulous politicians on the other, we in India don’t just tolerate the minorities but celebrate their existence. The question today is do they do the same? They failed the litmus test in Kashmir where they were in majority and have time and time again sided with the LLCT despite being cheated by them repeatedly. And Hindus blundered in Babri for asserting needless dominance,

I find particularly interesting when the LLCT uses the terms secularism and tolerance as synonyms. Nothing can be far from truth. There are many examples of tolerant religious countries and intolerant secular ones. The recent rise in Islamophobia in the West highlights the fact that a secular society does not equate to a more tolerant one. The ban on the burqa in France, the ban on making minarets within Switzerland, and the movement in the US to ban Sharia law (whatever that means) are all indicative of intolerant secular societies. On the flip side, you have examples of tolerant Muslim countries, such as Malaysia where people are seen eating in public during Ramadan, women roaming in miniskirts and alcohol being served openly in bars in Penang. While all of these are superficial indicators, they strongly go against Muslim sensibilities. Our neighbors, Pakistan and Bangladesh are perfect examples of non-secular and intolerant countries. They have all misconstrue the term secularism and interpret it as atheism and hence unacceptable to their Islamic foundations.

After years of French controversies over headscarves, pork has become another battleground in the nation’s uneasy debate over national identity and the place of Islam. Bacon and sausage school dinners are being used by rightwing politicians to hammer home what it means to be French. They are sending a message to Muslim or Jewish children that to be truly French, they must eat roast pork. Sociologist François Dubet recently warned that “talking about secularism has now become a way to claim a white Christian France, where everyone shares the same values and traditions, a way to say we don’t want Muslims”. No wonder Paris has seen communal unrest of the worst type, but they are in no mood to give in to religious terror. But then again, is terror versus terror OK?

Canadian state of Ontario has made the prayer of Lord Jesus compulsory for all school children, much to the displeasure of the Muslims and the legendary Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had in fact given marching orders to all Muslims who felt uncomfortable with the Australian way of life!

I’m not an enemy of religion, but to me, religious belief is private and the public service should be secular and neutral……..not pseudo-secular but truly secular. Intolerance of a very small group can cause conflict in a large society and we need to find a mature and strict way of handling this issue. Imagine somebody saying that he or she does not want to live in the country if Mr. ‘X’ becomes the Prime Minister even if he is democratically elected! Isn’t this intolerance? Do they not have faith in democracy? An increasingly literate electorate after the largest electoral exercise in the world has thrown up a majority government and thrown out a corrupt and inefficient one. Now instead of assuming Nation building responsibilities of an opposition they choose to be intolerant and recalcitrant obstructionists. But that is how the LLCT has always been – it is their way or the highway!

Friday 13 November 2015

WHERE IS OUR HOME? WHERE ARE OUR FRIENDS?




Friends, we inherited a very large 10 room house from my parents, a place we have called home for more than half a century. I distinctly remember that when we were children the house never appeared to be that big. Even two decades back my parents, me, my wife, my brother, my sister and our two children would occupy every nook and corner and our playthings still overflowed out into the garden, and on the roof and all around to the utter displeasure of my mother. The window panes were broken almost every month by the cricket ball and the mirror on the dressing table was changed every year because of our indoor football prowess. The expensive porcelain flower vases were always in locked show cases but were still not safe and the attempt at owning an aquarium once was an absolute disaster because of our WMDs!  

Evenings were meant for outdoor sports with neighbors and friends and staying indoors was unthinkable. Relatives and friends would be visiting all the year round. My parents were local guardians to who so ever from the hinterland was studying in Lucknow, and they too would come and spend their weekends at our place.  Saturday evenings had no mess services in our hostel and my friends from Colvin and from medical college – seniors, juniors and batch mates would visit our home without a hint of concern. Even if it was well past midnight a friend, a relative or a guest was always welcomed and I still don’t know how, but there was always food for them in the kitchen or the refrigerator!

Today however ours is a very neat and clean house with things displayed in proper place and there is order and tidiness all around. The porcelain and the bone china are so safe that they have become antiques! But, had they been alive, I doubt whether my parents would have loved the cleanliness, the order and the deathly calm that prevails today. My siblings and my elder son have left the nest for good and are occasional visitors. But my biggest grouse is with my friends. I was talking to one of my batch mates and after Diwali he lamented that though there were innumerable messages and posts on What’s App and Facebook, except a couple of neighbors no one bothered to visit his home and convey to him the Diwali greetings in person. It struck me that I was in the same boat, just two friends in two days, and that’s all! Some friends couriered sweets and some sent their drivers or clinic assistants with gifts, but only two friends visited us in person. My thumb muscles have gone into a spasm answering to all the messages, that kept on pouring in and deluging my phone but their senders were nowhere to be seen.

Our home is no more what it used to be. To tell you the fact, if hospital is our work station the home has become a sleep station. We work all day and when we are tired we come home to rest and relax. It has become an R&R base from where you launch yourself to work every day. The home now belongs to the owners only and exclusively and it is sadly losing all contact with the society. Staying in flats we often do not know our neighbors and even if we do it is to the extent of Hi and Hello.

I quite agree with my Diwali friend when he says that soon a time will come when homes will not have lounge rooms but simply a space for two work-stations one each for the gentleman and the lady of the house, equipped with a large screen computer, mike, earphones and software galore for communication and infotainment! Even today we live in 3 rooms and clean the remaining seven, so why should houses of tomorrow have all these rooms and for whom? Relatives visiting Lucknow choose the comfort and privacy of a five star hotel and only come to visit us formally for a dinner perhaps. Now marriages are held in marriage halls, birthday parties are held in Mac Donald and Pizza Hut, the sick and the elderly are nursed in nursing homes and even when someone dies, people choose to go to the cremation or burial site rather than their home! With the prevalence of ATM and Debit cards, forget about guests, even thieves and robbers do not bother to pay you a visit!

The virtual friendship in the virtual world has undoubtedly brought many of us, staying worlds apart, quite unexpectedly together after a very long time, but this has come with a heavy price. Those of us who are staying close by and who would meet almost daily when we were children and at least weekly when we were in college, and at least once a month when we started our professional career, now do not meet for months and even years! And no, we are not busy; we are just managing our time poorly and drifting apart. Friends are best stress busters and a home that has not seen friends howling, screaming and celebrating together is almost a haunted house.

So friends, pick up your car, and despite the fact that you are tired, the roads are choked, it is pouring outdoors, give your friend a call and tell him you are coming over to his place to wish him Happy Diwali! For that is what friends are supposed to do….they care two hoots about invading some friend’s privacy. In friendship the only privacy that is allowed is in the depth of the grave.

Thursday 12 November 2015

WHY HAVE WE GROWN UP SO DIFFERENTLY?


We were cut out of the same cloth, then why did we turn out to be so different after 68 years of independence? True, we both have large populations who remain below the cursed poverty line, we both have far too many illiterates for comfort, we both have shameful maternal and infant mortality rates, and we both have impoverishing malnutrition and rampant corruption, but still……..why are we shaping up so differently?

In the recent UNGA the Pakistani PM was clueless and harped an age old issue which has been used by their successive establishment as opium for the masses lest they start asking uncomfortable questions about lack of development, unemployment and unrest. He may have gladdened the hearts of his generals who keep him propped up, but was the Pakistani Diaspora even 1% enthusiastic about his visit as compared to the deafening crowds in Madison Square Garden? Is it not time to look beyond Kashmir and plan a future for Pakistan?

Yes I will be the first to admit that though we have reached the Mars, a very large section of our population remains hungry, but we are doing something about it. We are not blaming others for our miseries; we are facing it head on. So why should I be concerned about our neighbor? Well simply because we are the same people, we have the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs. Some of my best friends reside across the border and I love them.

We are 4.12 times larger than Pakistan and have 6 times their population. Our problems too are bigger but still our GDP is 8 times healthier than that of our neighbor. A quick look at facts listed below, sourced from UNESCO and World Bank, highlight how Indians have better educated themselves than Pakistan.
1. India, despite a population 6 times that of Pakistan had fewer or just 3 million out-of-school children at Primary level in 2010, compared to some 7.0 million in Pakistan.
2. Net Primary School Enrollment in India is 92.1 per cent, whereas it is just about 70 per cent in Pakistan
3. Primary completion rate in India, both for males and females is 95 per cent, whereas the same for Pakistan is only 67 per cent for males and under 60 per cent for females.
4. India spends over 3 per cent of its GDP on education, while Pakistan barely spends under 2 per cent.
5. Adult literacy rate in India is approx 63 per cent; in Pakistan it is just about 55 per cent.
6. Youth literacy in India is 81 per cent. Pakistan: just 71 per cent.
7. Female literacy rate in India is 50 per cent; it is less than 40 per cent in Pakistan.
8. Indian scientists excel in areas of defense technology, space research, electronics and avionics, genetics, banking and telecommunications. India produces 10,000 PhD s every year, about 4,000 of these in the faculties of science and technology alone. Pakistan produces just about 800 PhD s altogether.
9. India produces more PhDs every year than Pakistan has produced in the last 20 years.

Education perhaps is one single factor that has pulled us ahead in the last 68 years. Imagine, 12 percent of all American scientists are of Indian origin; 38 percent of doctors in America are Indian; 36 percent of NASA scientists are Indians; 34 percent of Microsoft employees are Indians; and 28 percent of IBM employees are Indians and 3 ministers in the Canadian government including the Defense Minister are of Indian origin. This is what education can do to a nation’s clout and respect in the world.

Democracy, the ability and the right to choose a leader, is the second advantage which India has and Pakistan only wishes it had. India has had an unbroken chain of democracy since its inception and adoption of her constitution in 1950. On the other hand, Pakistan has had an unbroken chain of ineffective democratic governments, followed by dictator-led ineffective governments since its inception and adoption of their constitution in 1956. Dictators build and develop only enough to keep their constituencies happy; they keep the rest for themselves or for their pet projects. The ineffective democratic counter-cycle is not really a democracy of the people for the people. It is an oligarchy of the dictator’s opposition. In the end, the people get nothing. Moreover, the longer the duration of dictatorship, the longer it takes the new government to govern on behalf of the people and the longer the new government remains in payback mode. Only 3 countries – Portugal, Spain and Chile have transformed successfully from Dictatorship to Democracy, because instead of payback the concentrated on reconciliation. Conversely the other glaring example of failure of this transformation is Iraq, and it is there for all to see!

In a democracy the politicians occasionally take time off from fighting each other to actually govern. They are compelled to build roads, schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure so they can get votes to try and stay in power. When the opposition comes into power, they direct resources for their constituencies, but they do not tear down the opposition’s work: they just preferentially support their interest groups. This is democracy at work: slow sputtering progress, but progress nonetheless. This is the central reason why India has managed to progress over the past sixty seven years and why Pakistan remains so far behind.

Religion undoubtedly is the third reason of Pakistan’s inability to keep up to expectations of its people. Muslims believe in the edicts from the Koran and would prefer to be ruled by Sharia law. The Koran does not make any accommodation for democracy and therefore democracy cannot prosper among people whose gospel does not support democracy. Further, Muslims have a strong sense of rule of law and justice, but because Sharia law supports the second class status of women, this is something just not acceptable in a modern, pluralistic economy. Democracy cannot germinate in such barren lands. Turkey and Indonesia have understood this and have learned to keep religion out of politics, and may I say with a word of caution that this is also a lesson for India. We are progressing because we are secular and we give equal opportunity to women.


India is by no means an economic giant today, but we are in the right course because of our stellar record of stable parliamentary democracy, world-class scientific and technological talent, and contributions to mankind’s progress by sheer entrepreneurship of her middle class. Pakistan has not taken off because of its inability to elect national leaders, focus on destruction of another nation as opposed to construction of their country; and obsession with religion and religious wars and not with education.

Thursday 5 November 2015

A CLEVER PLOY


The intellectual one up-man ship in Independent India has always remained with a particular section of the society, educated in English medium Christian schools and inbreeding mediocrity relentlessly and yet considering the rest of the countrymen to be too naïve to understand ‘the essence of India’!

Led historically by the left of centre Jawahar Lal Nehru, this intellectually elite has traditionally labeled a contrarian view as ‘un-Indian’, and needless to say, they were totally cut off from the heart of the heartland. So though Nehru was a diplomatic failure in Kashmir in 1947 and a humiliating military failure in 1964, with considerable loss of territory and prestige on both occasions, his pet elite group who wrote our history and literature still praised and projected him as an apostle of peace with the white dove and the red rose and everything else! Peace at what cost, no one bothered to ask.

The cornerstone of Nehruvian politics was non-alignment, which in the eyes of those who chose to keep them open was heavily aligned towards communist friend U.S.S.R and away from capitalist villain America. This suited the local communists perfectly well and so they always remained his trusted intellectual bed-fellows. The fact that Nehru was allergic to a dissenting voice and an alternate opinion is amply evident in the history of Indian National Congress when he orchestrated the ouster of a duly elected Netaji Subhash Bose from Congress Presidentship. His arrogance and his ambitious obsession of becoming first Prime Minister of India was the single most important factor that resulted in the partition of our country. His political pussy-footing and appeasement of the elite Muslim class resulted in the still festering wound called Kashmir, and had it not been for the astute and efficient Sardar Patel, we were almost sure to have another one in Hyderabad. The Left and Left of Centre Thinkdom (LLCT) still considers the Nehruvian era to be the golden era of Indian politics.

This was the era when cream-de-la-cream picked and chose members to be included in their elite club, and excellence and performance were most certainly not the only criteria of selection. One had to think like them, eat like them, drink like them, write like them, recite like them, create like them and perform like them to qualify for membership to that club of pseudo-intellectuals. So we had a bunch of politicians, babus, authors, playwrights, historians and socialites who were intellectual carbon copies of the accepted ‘elite model’. They were the ones who got all the cushy jobs, important positions, prestigious awards and the responsibility to document history as they deemed fit! Thus the contrarian view never saw the light of day in geopolitics, in society and in history. So actually the champion of ‘Unity in diversity’ was never fond of a diverse point of view.

Mrs. Indira Gandhi was a step ahead. She could not see the contrarian world beyond the tip of her historic nose. Any disturbance to her tranquility was treated as a fly on that nose tip. The contrarian view was now hunted down, penalized and incarcerated and that is what the infamous Emergency was all about. As he dared to think differently from the establishment, a Gandhian like J.P. was thrown behind bars. The pet courtiers of the ruler – the politicians, the babus, the journalists, the intellectuals, the authors…all toed the line and those who dared to think differently heard the proverbial ‘mid-night knock’ on their door and were behind bar in no time without any recourse to justice. Incidentally even after this blatant outrage of democracy only one author, Fanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ had returned his National Award.

Mrs. Gandhi’s rule was followed by a non-descript phase of coalition governments which were more concerned with their mere existence and exist they did in a unique way. Steeped in deceit and stooped in corruption they looted the exchequer but even while doing so they kept the pseudo-intellectual elites satisfied by throwing at them mostly bones and at times leftover meat in the form of awards, promotions, positions and distinctions! Their job in turn was to lick the master’s feet and bark at all those who dared to offend.

Then there was a tectonic shift in May 2014. A very old political dispensation, which was licking its past wounds in the wings, got an opportunity to govern with absolute majority and the Left & Left of Centre Thinkdom (LLCT…remember) was thrown into oblivion. The present government had a past experience of governance and knew by now what all was wrong and what all needed corrections. Whether in history or literature, religious or social interactions, science or arts, business or politics they were poles apart from the LLCT. Friction was bound to happen, but they did not have the numbers in the parliament. People had rejected their ideology of inaction, preferential action, coercive action and perverse action and voted for a proven performer. It should have ideally been a ‘no contest’ and we should have surged ahead like the PSLV rocket into the next orbit……..but alas that did not happen!

There were two factors responsible for our failure to change gears – one in each thinkdom. The government was burdened with a few loose nuts which threatened to dismantle the rocket – who speak before they think and who have grossly misinterpreted the mandate for growth and progress. The LLCT were now bereft of political patronage and left orphaned. Many of them were being undeservingly pampered as they were fruits of the same political dispensation and now were owners of newspapers and TV channels, procured by the corruption money they had looted all those good old days. So how do they pay back their LLCT masters – by sabotaging the Indian growth story by planting the story of intolerance on His Master's Voice! As if on cue the entire pseudo-intellectual literati and glitterati started chanting the ‘intolerance’ mantra and returning their National Awards, which they might have never received had they not been fruits of the elite tree!


So yes, this is a clever ploy……if you lose politically try to harm your opponent extra-politically. But who is being harmed most? It is always the poor farmer, the yet to develop villages, the unemployed youth, the closed mills and the clueless middle class. But again, has the LLCT ever cared for them? When in power they looted and cheated from fodder to coal to games to the entire spectrum (pun intended). And now that they are out of power they disrupt parliament, manufacture disinformation campaign and make a mockery of the mandate of the people! When was India not intolerant? Nehru, Indira, and their LLCT tribe are the epitome of intolerance. Could you call any of them a fascist and a ‘maut ka saudagar’ openly in the last 68 years? Think again…….who needs to be tolerant?

Monday 2 November 2015

BOOK REVIEW - Anything to Look Hot

Anything to Look Hot



Author: Jas Kohli






Srishti Publishers and Distributors
Total No. of pages 196


The author in his debut venture has produced a captivating storyline of which he, being a qualified and accomplished Plastic Surgeon, is himself the protagonist, wittingly or unwittingly! He relives his memory of training in Plastic Surgery in a large multi-specialty hospital in Delhi and consequently comes up with a plot which many doctors will find not only familiar but very interesting. To the general public this book is a window into the life of struggle, sacrifice and dedication of a highly qualified professional and could not have been more timely considering the plight of doctors in the society today.

The protagonist is a first generation doctor in his well planned middle class family of four – father, mother a married sister, staying in Chicago and the way he has most lucidly narrated his experiences with his parents, relatives, friends, seniors, teachers and patients, it so seems that I, the reader, has been in this journey with him most of the way……and this I believe is the hallmark of excellence of any author! When the reader starts resonating with the author and his creation and is easily transported to the author’s world as his obvious protagonist, then you can be rest assured that the book will be a hit!

Every medico will identify with the joy of being selected for a super-specialty training programme, the trials and tribulations of residency days, the tireless and treacherous duty hours, the thankful and the thankless patients and their relatives and once in a lucky while eye candy interns! Every medical specialist worth his salt will remember the final examination viva-voce and the examiners, who on that day appeared like devil’s incarnation. The campus stories, the juicy rumors, the flirtations and the failed affairs on one hand and the innumerable skipped meals and the absolutely revolting dressing duties in the Burn ward on the other, all form a part of the thick plot, woven exquisitely by the author. Even the newly blossomed romance with his lady love being brutally interrupted by her selection for post-graduation in a medical institution 2000 Km away is also so very familiar. The sub-conscious comparison with school pals, who have by now settled in cushy jobs or doing business and earning humongous amounts, is also a feeling which no honest health professional can deny.

Leaving the safe harbor of home and sailing out to the uncertainty of a big city is again a fact in the life of every ambitious professional. So when the protagonist chooses to move to Mumbai to start his Cosmetic Surgery practice one is bound to feel the old butterflies in his/her own stomach! The contradictions of establishing a practice – to advertise or not to advertise, to remain only in one’s yet to be productive unit or to spend time in some other hospital additionally to make both ends meet are all so very familiar and difficult choices which many of us had to make once. To be helped unconditionally by a senior and to be duped and conned by smart Gen Y junior are also experiences which many professionals have faced themselves.

The spice of Bollywood that has been added to the plot has also allowed the author to introduce virtually all the cosmetic surgery procedures that is being offered today to not only the upwardly mobile but also the middle class ladies, and hence the title ‘Anything to look hot!’So whether it is the whims of the ambitious film starlet or the insecurity of an established star, the tantrums of a one film wonder  or the desire of a superstar of yesteryear to look like a modern day Diva all find an answer in cosmetic surgery. So whether it is rhinoplasty or face lift or lip augmentation or liposuction or abdominoplasty or hair transplant, lasers, botox, fillers or thread lift the protagonist very judiciously offers them to his patients from the film world and very intelligently tells the readers the scope of each procedure.

The infatuation with a patient, which could almost ruin his happy marriage and the firm and swift admonition by the wife, is beautifully portrayed. The manner in which every step up the ladder of success eats into his precious family time is all too real and is experienced almost every day by all professionals.

All in all this book is a wonderful work of fiction though certain places and characters can be easily identified around us and this again is a unique quality of the author. The author shows how dominance and submission shape every relationship—friendship, romance, even parenthood. This is an impressive debut novel, easily read in a few sittings. The showcase narrative is sensitive, meaty, and varied, and the author  has not only invested in laying out multiple intriguing plots but has also tried to tie all the loose ends together and you are not left with questions like ‘what happened to that character?’ The writing is exquisite and in my opinion and the story line kept me glued to its pages till the very end.


The 196 page book is a paperback, single volume and has been published by Srishti Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi. Waseem Halal has created an eye catching cover in glossy colours. This is a stunning book and I enthusiastically recommend it and I will most surely look forward to his next book.

Thursday 15 October 2015

WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR FOOD?



I may not be an expert in understanding the nuances of food economics, but I am infinitely better informed than the self proclaimed agro-economists who aimlessly discuss on television, the rising prices of onion and pulses, as the season may be, and invariably take a stand that best suits their political masters. I say so because in the journey your food takes from the farm to the plate I am present at both the ends. As a small time farmer I am struggling to keep my farmland economically viable and as a food consumer I am feeling the burning hole in my pocket! It is very much akin to being squeezed in a vice, and I shudder to think what would have been my plight if farming was my first profession.

It was onions a few months back, and it is pulses now, why do we have these cruel spikes in their prices? Our farmlands are shrinking and we have not yet made up our mind about genetically modified food. The last green revolution and white revolution occurred decades ago. Since then what substantial have our agricultural scientists done? Our doctors have got rid of polio, our space researchers have sent a mission to Mars, our Defense scientists have created indigenous missiles and nuclear devices, but what have we achieved in the field of agriculture of late? Who are the new Swaminathans and Kurians?

India is experiencing high rate of economic growth in the last two decades but the growth has been coupled with high rate of food price inflation. The growth has been very uneven across sectors with agriculture remaining very sluggish. The increase in per capita income has significantly increased the demand for food but agricultural production has failed to keep pace with the growing demand. Like the price of any other commodity, agricultural price is also a market outcome and demand and supply in the market play an important role in the determination of price. The market imperfections can create distortion in the functioning of the market and influence price by controlling supply.

 A typical agricultural marketing channel ‘from farm to plate’ is: Farmer – Local assembler – Central wholesaler – Retailer – Consumer. The retail prices are determined nearly in a perfectly competitive market situation. However, a few traders dominate in the wholesale market both as buyers and sellers. They act as the bottleneck of the marketing process. Vegetables are perishable and cannot be hoarded infinitely, but pulses can be very easily. But even these market imperfections can influence the price temporarily but it cannot sustain price rise for a long period if there is no actual shortage. There may be seasonal variation also in the prices of agricultural commodities. Prices are low in harvest season and high in lean season. No doubt malicious elements are in play sometimes, but such a sustained and long term price rise is not caused by corruption.

The demand for food items is increasing at a very high rate following a steady increase in per capita income. Higher disposable income has also changed the pattern of consumption. the pressure on prices is more on protein foods like pulses, milk and milk products, egg, fish and meat and vegetables indicating the shift in consumption pattern from cereal based diets to protein based diets due to rise in income. Naturally, there has been a mismatch between the growing demand and the actual production.

So why is there a slump in agricultural production? India lacks 3 major resources to sustain its population – Hydrocarbons (Oil / gas), Water and   Land, and guess what these are the three resources that are most crucial for sustenance of agriculture! Manufacturing, energy and service industry are competing with agriculture for land, water and human resources which has driven up the price for all of them. Price for agricultural land and labor has gone up leading to increased opportunity costs of agriculture.

The problems which agricultural sector is facing today are:
A. The rising cost of cultivation: Even with his own land the cost of cultivating paddy and wheat have gone up by 15 to 20% and this is across the board – seeds, water, manure, farm labour, diesel, farm equipments and gadgets and electricity.
B. Concentration of power in Mandis: Farmers can mostly sell their produce only to registered traders in primary mandis, which are governed by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act — a model law whose jurisdiction lies with individual states. Most crops are grown in a few states and then dispatched countrywide. In each of these states, a handful of mandis handle most of the trade and set reference prices. In onions, for instance, most of the surplus comes from Maharashtra and Karnataka. And the reference mandis in Maharashtra are Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon. Local political bigwigs control these mandis and generate their party fund from them.
C. Trading of food grains: the depreciation in the rupee makes imported fertilizer more expensive and also makes exports more attractive. In the last three years, agro exports, notably non-basmati rice and wheat, are up.
D. Speculator trading of commodities and market regulations: Speculators in commodities trading are jacking up prices by hoarding vegetables specially onions! A law to remove the monopoly of local hoarders and cartels who never allow farmers to sell their produce to the market directly is being implemented in some states now.
E. Transport and distribution: Nothing is more disheartening than seeing stocks of wheat rot in the open in the railway yards of Punjab, when people in rural Orissa and Andhra are starving to death. According to various reports on climate change, the country is expected to face more frequent floods and droughts in the future. This will increase the occurrence of supply shocks.

To contain the prices of potatoes and onions (which together account for 39% of the vegetables produced in India), the government maintains a price stabilization fund which will be used to support govt. interventions in market for managing prices. Prices of all other vegetables are likely to follow the demand and supply mechanisms prevalent in local markets.

Agriculture requires a huge investment package from the government and F.D.Is can help. They will bring about an overall diversification of the agriculture sector and encourage research and this will have a big impact. With our historic bias towards the cereals sector unfortunately sectors such as vegetables, livestock or horticulture and fisheries have not got enough support from the government policies. We are yet to see the big wave of growth within these sectors.  Food packaging, food storage, food transportation, maintaining cold chains are areas where F.D.I will be truly beneficial. With more food available everywhere the prices will fall.