Move over Game of Thrones, NATO is here!

Divided we stand!

This week in London, we all got the answer to the question - what would happen if a bunch of disgruntled family members came together for dinner. It was a recipe for disaster, and we weren't disappointed. Even before NATO's anniversary summit in London, the alliance was on the rocks. Turkey chose to become the rogue son and went ahead with its Syria operation. All the NATO allies could do was stand around and condemn. At the end of the day, NATO was useless. Erdogan got what he wanted, so did Putin - a foothold in West Asia. And then there is the issue of the s-400 missiles that Turkey bought from Russia. A blatant show of contempt to its western allies. But NATO again just stood and watched. A classic example of the family failing to rein in their son, even though they see him hanging out with the bad kids.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president called the alliance 'brain dead' a couple of months back. Macron feels the NATO needs a wake up call, and I couldn't agree more. During the cold war, NATO had a purpose...a mission that everyone agreed on. And the Soviet Union played the best bond villain NATO could have asked for. But who is the common enemy now? Russia? The same Russia from whom Erdogan bought his missiles? Or China? Now China's a complicated subject. The western world realises that China is the future. So they don't really want to poke the dragon too much. But this just makes it one more reason why the NATO is useless. Right now the alliance is going through an identity crisis. In the absence of a common enemy, NATO is struggling to justify its existence. And the current crop of leaders aren't helping either.

Gossiping behind a leader's back. That's what NATO descended to in London. Macron, Trudeau and Johnson were seen indulging in a 'roast trump' session, taking potshots at Trump's impromptu press conferences before departure. Was it fun? Of course it was. Anything that insults Trump is fun to most people. But it reveals a much deeper problem for NATO. The United States is the glue that holds the alliance together. Militarily and financially, the U.S stands way ahead of its fellow allies. And the gossip session shows a complete lack of respect for the current American leadership, and this does not bode well for NATO. And Trump being the guy he is could very well decide to make this a clash of egos. He's already mulling a budget cut, maybe this is the push he needed. Without American money, and American weapons, the NATO is not the powerful alliance it claims to be. And the fallout from the gossip session is already visible.

Trump decided to cut short his trip, and cancel a scheduled press conference. But he's not the kind of guy who leaves without a parting shot. And Trudeau was at the receiving end. Trump called his northern neighbour 'two-faced'. And for anyone who has actually dug deeper into Trudeau's record, that's the perfect description. Under the suave Harvey Dent veneer is a man who is helming a multi-million dollar pipeline project that will harm the environment and the tribal population.

Trump says that he's gotten the non-U.S members to contribute $130 billion more to NATO every year. And that there has been no increase for the U.S, except for respect! Let's ignore the fact that this seems like a line lifted from a gangster movie of the 70s, what does it say? Trump actually seems to be firefighting for the NATO. Clearly the summit was a disaster. Nobody is gonna move past the gossip session, because that's what NATO is about. The alliance is based on friendship, and mutual respect. The moment that goes out the window, NATO becomes a burden for the member nations.

This Christmas, no family is more divided than NATO. Just like a normal family, maybe the NATO too needs a bit of magic. What about an imaginary USSR for a gift?

What's with dictators and horses?

If you're wondering whether 'horse' is a representative word for dictators' weird idiosyncrasies, you are not wrong. But as things stand, the statement holds true even literally. Dictators are complicated people. Despite being the worst face of humanity, they often manage to capture the imagination of an entire country. They make people buy into narratives that they would normally be disgusted by. But research has shown that on a personal level, there are many parallels between dictators. Despite their tough veneer, most dictators are highly insecure about their position. And their thirst for violence is symbolic of their need to assert dominance, the result of a disturbed mind. But analysing the psyche of the most terrible men to walk the earth can be a boring effort. So I will let horses do the talking...

Horses are majestic creatures. They feature in most historic tales and often play an important role. This is because there is symbolism associated with horses. Power, glory, strength, wisdom...just to name a few attributes that horses are believed to embody. And these attributes are something strongmen crave for. Horses also cater to the archaic notion of masculinity in many societies. And it is well established that dictators have always tried to portray themselves as hyper-masculine. This is driven by a belief that the general public would trust the leadership of a man who can pick up a gun and fire a couple of rounds...or indeed ride a horse. This has made the animal a mascot which has been used time and again by autocrats across the world. 

Like any good theorist, it's important to back your hypothesis with arguments and facts. So let's start with the 'tyrant in the north', Vladimir Putin. Despite sporadic protests over the lack of civil liberties, Putin continues to hold an iron grip over his country. In the global stage, Russia is Putin. There is no Russian opinion that holds water in front of Putin's ideas. Putin's horse ride was extensively covered in the media. Indeed the leader took it a step ahead since he was also riding bear-chested..again a show of hyper-masculinity. 

Putin riding a horse in Siberia

There is a little known dictator in Turkmenistan called Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. He's been in power since 2007 and exhibits all the eccentricities of an insecure tyrant. I was introduced to Berdimuhamedow and his love for horses by comedian John Oliver. While for other dictator's the relationship with a horse is a propaganda demand, Berdimuhamedow takes it too seriously. He writes poems for horses, and has an large number of horses in his possession. 

Turkmenistan' Berdimuhamedow has a weird interest in horses

Iraq's Saddam Hussein was also an ardent lover of horses. He and his sons used to reportedly visit equestrian clubs and watch horse races. Saddam too had an impressive number of horses which were later freed by the American forces. 

Turkey's Erdogan has a complicated relationship with horses. Back in 2003, a horse recognised Erdogan for the tyrant he is and jerked him off its back before kicking him in his private parts. The video has since then become the punchline to many jokes. For most people, such an incident would be traumatic. Many would prefer to stay away from riding horses, especially if you are a strongman whose public perception is like your oxygen. But Erdogan was at it again in 2017, when he was clicked sitting on a horse.

Erdogan's complicated relationship with horses

Benito Mussolini too had his horse moment. When he decided to award himself the title of Protector of Islam, Mussolini received something called the Sword of Islam. He was later pictured with the sword, straddling a horse. A horse monument was also built to celebrate the title.

Benito Mussolini clicked straddling a horse

No list on dictators is complete without the most hated man in human history...Adolf Hitler. We've never seen Hitler ride a horse as such, probably because of his contempt towards anything that can breathe. But Hitler definitely understood the symbolism of the horse. During the days of his third Reich, there were bronze statues of horses that stood in front of Hitler's chancellery building.

Bronze statue outside Hitler's chancellery

The list is completed by North Korea's mass murdering man-child Kim Jong-Un. North Korean state media released pictures of Kim riding a white horse up a sacred mountain. The symbolism was evident, as one can assume safely that a horse is not Kim's regular mode of transport. The idea was to strengthen Kim's personality cult and showcase his physical prowess on a horse.

Kim Jong Un riding a horse in Mt Paektu

If we dig deeper in history, there are multiple instances of monarchs and despots preferring horses as the major mode of transport. But since horses were technically the predominant form of transport in those times, the context and symbolism may not apply like in the above cases.

Understanding a dictatorship requires a lot of research on the political system of the country, the dictator's own childhood and temperament among other things. But some things are easily extrapolated through historical facts. Like how most dictators are similar to fast bowlers in cricket. They work in pairs. Hitler and Mussolini, Kim Il Sung and Stalin, Putin and Assad, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping. These are some examples of the symbiotic relationship that dictators maintain. This of course is because of the realisation that only another tyrant with no human emotion will help them out. Self-preservation is the key. 

Misogynists-in-chief who rule the world

Society has always been reluctant to elect women into positions of power. Across the world, politics  has remained male-dominated, much like most other spheres. And it's not like leaders have done anything to change this regressive dynamic. On the contrary, they have milked society's narrow-mindedness to their advantage. Toxic masculinity has propelled many politicians onto the top post... just look at the White House. In recent times however, the trend has reached alarming levels with blatant sexism becoming a poll pitch. There are almost 200 countries on the face of the earth, and only around 25 have female heads of state or government. Among the most powerful countries, this list is even more lopsided. The problem is not just lack of representation, it is the attitude of the men who are currently in power.

A case in point is the President of Philippines, Rodriguo Duterte. This man is an embodiment of this article's header. His speeches can be best described as a volley of nonsense and toxicity. For Duterte, the following are just 'jokes'. He once made a lewd comment about his own Vice-President's skirt, and that too at an event which had typhoon survivors in attendance. Duterte once proclaimed that he had asked his military to shoot female guerrilla fighters in their genitals. He also made a rape joke about an Australian missionary who was raped and killed during a prison siege. Safe to say, Duterte is an enemy of mankind with not even an ounce of civilisation in him. But what's worse is how the public often react to his statements. His inappropriate jokes are greeted by raucous applause from his supporters. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thinks he is the Incredible Hulk, but a close look at his past comments suggest he is an incredible creep. Johnson, during his days as a journalist was a serial offender. He was once at a Labour conference, after which he wrote a piece dishing out some poison about 'the hot totty' present at the event. Fast forward a few year, and this was Johnson's advice to his successor about how to treat a female co-worker. "Just pat her on the bottom, and send her on her way." He recently called his political rival Jeremy Corbyn a 'great big girl's blouse'. 

Across the Atlantic is Boris' mirror image Donald Trump. Trump wears his misogyny on his sleeves, and does not even bother to deflect attention. Trump does not flinch when he objectifies women, in fact he thrives in the middle of such controversies. His so-called 'locker room' talk did virtually no damage to his poll numbers. In one of his books, Trump calls women inherently manipulative. There is simply no point trying to build a case against Trump, since he does most of the work himself. 

Closer home, Narendra Modi is no stranger to sexist comments. He was once kind enough to praise Bangladesh's leader Sheikh Hasina for tackling terrorism 'despite being a woman'. Sexism is the norm in Indian politics. From Mulayam Singh to Rahul Gandhi, the rot is widespread. 

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro who basically despises anything that can breathe and think freely is another example. He recently retweeted an extremely lewd social media post about French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron.

Were world leaders always like this, or is the growing public attention bringing more instances to light? Needless to say, people are more aware of the line that should not be crossed. A couple of years back, dog whistles were very common in political speeches. Not to say they are not anymore, but people identify them more easily nowadays. For background research on this piece, I went online to find instances were former President Obama was misogynistic. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any. Or maybe it's because they are not well documented. But the theme is recent. This decade has thrown up some pretty eccentric leaders. They keep us entertained, and make headlines that read like punchlines for a joke. But they are also extremely dangerous. Behind their benign facade of being beautifully dumb is a toxic mindset that can corrupt an entire nation.

But trailblazers are getting more attention nowadays because of the growing public attention that was just mentioned. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a shining example. Her reaction to the Christchurch shooting probably deserves to be canonised as a guidebook. She led her country out of a traumatic incident in the best manner possible. And she cracked down on gun laws immediately.

So what's the solution? Well when it comes to toxic leaders, there is just one option, universal vigilance. Misogyny cannot be a popular opinion, and it is incumbent on civilians to make sure it does not happen. Politics has been around for centuries, and we must realise by now that politicians don't reform themselves. It takes constant rebellion and ultimately voting them out of power to be rid of their policies. 

Kashmir, Hong Kong and West Papua: A tale of 3 protests!

Convergence is a rare concept. The world is built on diversity, and anything that is too similar immediately becomes the centre of attraction; an anomaly so to say. So, what are the chances that 3 regions in the same continent would face problems of uncanny similarity? Protests have become the norm in West Papua, Hong Kong and Kashmir over the last few months. There is a common template to the demands being made by the people living there. There is a stench of betrayal that fills the room when their far more powerful mainland tries to negotiate a truce. There is a case of divided loyalty and identity that haunts the residents of these 3 places. And there is a colonial hand in the mess that they find themselves in.

KASHMIR

The perennial bone of contention between India and Pakistan, Kashmir has long been the unscalable mountain for leaders on both sides. The present government has brought with it a new approach to the issue. Forceful integration. ‘Kashmir is an internal matter of India’. This has been New Delhi’s stand at all international summits since it decided to suspend Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. J&K is now like any other ordinary state in India. But is it? Which other state in India does not have Internet connectivity? Which other state in India has this kind of heavy military presence? Kashmir never was like any normal Indian state, and is unlikely to become one in the near future.

Kashmir’s monarch ceded with India after coming under attack from Pakistan. By the time fighting stopped, Pakistan had under its control what is today know as PoK. India’s J&K and Pakistan’s Azad Kashmir is separated by the Line of Control, one of the most militarily active borders in the world. Since then, it’s been a game of claims and counter-claims. India claims Kashmir to be rightfully its. Pakistan has a similar claim.

The current lockdown was triggered by the current government in India. On August 5^th, India’s Home minister announced that Kashmir would be stripped of its special status. And how many Kashmiris were consulted before this move? None. Since then, Kashmir has been under lock and key. While the government maintains that peace is returning to the valley, the situation on the ground is far from ideal. Protests are being suppressed without mercy, and information flow is being contained. Kashmiris are reeling under the apathy of the Indian state. The world community is feigning ignorance. It wants India and Pakistan to solve the dispute bilaterally. India’s stand on Kashmir largely reflects the mindset of a large majority of Indians. They want Kashmir to remain an integral part of India. And New Delhi will not give up an inch of space while dealing with Pakistan. Banking on Islamabad to have a reasonable conversation is ‘unreasonable’. Imran Khan has terror groups, rogue military elements and unhappy citizens to satisfy -- a seemingly impossible task. One, that gives Khan little leverage on Kashmir. He wants to tell the world about Kashmir, but the world is least interested in listening to him.

Kashmir is not returning to normalcy. It is limping towards a forced stalemate. Their political leaders are under house arrest, mainstream opposition leaders are turned back from the airport, and communication is down. This is why you don’t see stunning visuals of protest like in Hong Kong. The resentment is there, so is the will. But the will to live is much stronger.

HONG KONG

Protesting against China is an extremely suicidal thing to do. Beijing does not care about human rights, let alone liberty. For them, Hong Kong is a cash bag…their personal cash bag. But the cash bag has now started to think for itself. The cash bag now wants freedom to express its own identity. And the cash bag has nearly brought the mighty China onto its knees.

One country, two systems. That is the template in Hong Kong. It has its own governing and economic system, but the Chinese shadow has always been present. As Hong Kong grew into a financial hotspot, China’s interests became even more blatant. the extent of Chinese influence is quite evident. Look at the city’s chief executive Carrie Lam. Lam herself is a Beijing sympathiser. The controversy in Hong Kong started with the introduction of an extradition bill. The bill would have enabled China to extradite criminals from Hong Kong and try them in the mainland. A seemingly benign bill. But in the hands of China, the bill would have been nothing short of a purge on human rights. Hong Kong was not going to be silent. Thousands took to the streets in a largely leader-less movement. Symbols of Chinese authority were attacked, and transportation was choked. Asia’s financial hub was grinding to a halt.

China started to flex its muscles. Military build-up was Beijing’s answer to the problem, as it is in most cases. But the protesters were having none of it. After weeks of violent clashes and disruptions, Carrie Lam suspended the bill indefinitely. But suspension keeps the possibility of reinstatement open. So, the protests continued with renewed vigour. Leaders emerged from among the masses. Young crusaders like Joshua Wong and Denise Ho became internationally recognised faces. Things were going out of hand. So Lam decided to get rid of the bill completely. She also launched a slew of programs to foster understanding between the rulers and the subjects. Protesters were not satisfied. Here’s the thing about victory, and freedom. It has to be absolute, or nothing.

Hong Kongers now have 5 major demands. Demands that are unlikely to be met by their government. But the protests in Hong Kong are a success story. Not only did it galvanise more than 7 million citizens, it also punctured China’s supposed invincibility. For the first time in its history, Beijing had to concede space. Knowing Xi and his henchmen, they will be planning for retribution.

WEST PAPUA

West Papua enjoys autonomous status in Indonesia. And with good reason. Indonesia has long been treating West Papua like an unwanted child. It is one of the least developed provinces in the country, and has been subjected to racial discrimination. Armed struggle by West Papuans is not a new thing. Every time, Indonesia has responded with an iron fist.

The date is August 17^th, Indonesia’s day of independence from the Dutch. An unruly mob of Indonesian nationalists surrounds a hostel in West Papua and hurls racial slurs at the students. The reason? The students allegedly mishandled the national flag. Even the police got involved. They hurled tear gas inside the building and arrested the students. This once again sparked the long dormant dream of freedom in the minds of West Papuans.

Unlike the previous occasions, West Papuans are not alone. They have found supporters from within other provinces in Indonesia. Something that is likely to work in their advantage. Protesters want an end to the racial discrimination that they are facing every day. They want to express their own identity which is distinct from the Indonesian one. And for this, they want a referendum on freedom, something Indonesia will be sceptical about. Indonesia have tried the violent route this time too. They beefed up security across the peninsula, and called for an Internet blackout.

Unlike Hong Kong and Kashmir, West Papua has skipped under the radar of mainstream media. Hong Kong is wealthy, and Kashmir brings with it, India and Pakistan. The rationale of the media is quite evident. What do the West Papuans bring to the table? Aspirations and tales of systemic discrimination? The media still hasn’t learnt to monetise those.

There are lessons to be learnt from these protests. Lessons for the media, lessons for the world community, and lessons for concerned citizens. Take Australia for example. Its Prime Minister slammed China when they likened Hong Kong protesters to terrorists, but its stance changes when it comes to West Papua. Australia is considering handing over West Papuan activist and lawyer Veronica Koman to Indonesia. Similarly, what do you think would be India’s stance on the stand-off in Hong Kong? If Kashmir is India’s internal matter, shouldn’t Hong Kong be China’s and West Papua be Indonesia’s? China has expressed displeasure over India’s move to suspend Kashmir’s special status. At the same time, it has been discrediting the protesters in Hong Kong.

There are more parallels to what’s happening in these three places. All three countries are being governed by strong leaders. Widodo and Modi are of course democratically elected, while Xi has virtually appointed himself president for life. The convergence of these three protests is a great opportunity for the world to take a look at itself. To understand the hypocrisy of many states, and even their own double-speak, unlikely as it may seem. And to the people of Kashmir, West Papua and Hong Kong – you are not alone!

The scam right under our nose!

Recently my Instagram feed has been hit by a wave of posts, all of them from my 21 to 24-year-old friends who are buying superbikes and luxury cars. Once the shock and awe washed away, I sat down to dig deeper into the source of this opulence. How were guys this young able to buy vehicles that remain a distant dream even for experienced salaried employees? I soon learnt that they all work for a multi-level marketing (MLM) company called Team Ocean. Eyebrows raised! Multi-level marketing companies are notorious for being fronts for Ponzi schemes and scams. They can be so powerful and so deeply entrenched so as to bring a whole country to standstill. Albania saw a slew of pyramid schemes (another name for MLMs) starting from the early 1990s ultimately leading to unrests in 1997. The entire economy was crippled by this menace. While Ocean doesn’t pose as big a threat, the implications on the lives of the people involved has to be considered.

A pyramid scheme has a simple operating structure. There is a company at the centre of the whole fiasco. This company lures people to invest money in the scheme, with the promise of giving a share whenever new recruits join. In a more elaborate way, company A lures customer X into investing in the scheme, with the promise that whenever new customers join, X shall get a share. So, when new customers, Y, Z, V, etc join, X gets a share of the new payment. Pretty sweet deal for X isn’t it? It’s an even sweeter deal for the company directors who head a system that is essentially self-serving. Since it is in X’s interest that new people join the scheme, he himself will work tirelessly to bring the likes of Y, Z and V into the fold. The problem arises as you move lower down the pyramid. Earth has a finite number of people on it. More importantly, the number of people interested in this business are even less. So, as you reach the lower rungs of this pyramid, there are no new recruits to sustain the system. This is an even bigger problem, because the lower rungs have more people than the higher ones, like a typical pyramid. Soon the people in the lower rung realise that they are not being given the returns they were promised. Normally, these people will then start demanding their investment back at which point the directors flee the country and the kingpins go to jail. Phew!

Are my friends’ part of the higher rungs where money making is possible? Seems so. But this system is essentially the same as robbing someone with the promise that he can rob someone else to get even more money back. The Bombay High court in a hearing against QNet, an international MLM company, said that, “It is a chain where a person is fooled and then he is trained to fool others to earn money” So why does it continue to exist despite such blatant disregard for laws and logic? The fact is these MLMs keep the customers happy and have cult-like relationships. The bonds that they create within the team are supposedly very strong, which ensures that there are no questions asked. Another strategy they use, is what I will call the ‘victim card’. The people who are part of MLMs rant on about how society thought they would fail, and how they questioned them when they started the business. But the fact that they have bought a luxury car within months has proven the naysayers wrong. It also makes them the personification of determination and desire. To the readers who might be dubbing these kids as dumb, they have been reeled in by a rather lucrative deal. Couple of people I know, have motorcycles that nobody else in the whole state of Kerala have. And which job lets you buy an 80-lakh luxury car within a year of joining? So, we have to be understanding of the ‘carrots’ that were offered to these people.

The other important fact regarding MLMs are the marketing strategies. They spent crores on marketing, bringing in stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Anil Kapoor to talk about aspirations, dreams and a better lifestyle. And this better lifestyle is key, because that is the glue that holds this castle of illusion together. Everyone who joins this business yearn for a better lifestyle without having to work much for it. The Instagram handle of Team Ocean regularly churns out pictures of their young guns, driving BMWs and Audis at tender ages. And also, of their director chilling in infinity pools in Bangkok and Singapore. The emphasis is not on work, or the business as such…the focus is squarely on the life that awaits you. Recently, the police had even served notices to Shah Rukh, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff and others for endorsing QNet. They are not complicit in this scam however. They are only guilty of endorsing a product they had no clue about, nothing new for celebrities who endorse fairness creams and ‘chick-magnetic’ deodorants.

The functioning of these MLMs is heavily dependent on the ability of existing customers to lure others in. And they can sometimes be very convincing! Several people I talked to have the same story to tell. The recruiters utilise the personal rapport that they already have with someone to lure them into the scheme. They openly flaunt expensive watches and vehicles to seduce the new comers. The process is nothing sort of an indoctrination where you are told multiple times that money is coming your way, you just have to accept it. They are so confident of returns that they even ask new comers to borrow money and invest in the scheme. One friend I talked to was asked to transfer money immediately so he can be higher up in the pyramid! This probably suggests that the logic of the scheme is not lost on the existing subscribers. The indoctrination is also made out to be a kind of DIY system. My friend was asked about the world’s leading watch brand. Apparently, Ocean sells this brand of watch. In exchange for the money that you put in, you are given products like washing machines as a guarantee if you lose money. This is complete hogwash and is only aimed at giving the impression of hedging. Most often, once the money starts rolling in, people don’t bother with getting the products. I myself had such an encounter a few months back. I found a friend of mine at my door asking for a lofty amount of cash so that he can invest in the scheme. Luckily, I did not budge. Thus, the recruitment model for these MLMs are built with a lot of thought, and with a lot of personal nuances intertwined in them. More importantly, they make a conscious effort to distance themselves from QNet, they might even diss QNet a bit. The reason is that QNet’s name has been tarnished by multiple cases, and their website is also banned in India. QNet does not have traction in India anymore. But Team Ocean seems like a whole different animal.

I would urge all the readers to visit the website of Ocean after reading this article. Other than some generic pictures of non-Indians whose purpose is beyond me, you can find the products they sell. The company whose employees zoom around in luxury cars, sells turmeric powder, chilli powder and other spices, under a category called ‘masala’. They also sell clothes, most of which were under thousand rupees, and all of which I found on other websites. Ocean also sells sarees called ‘Priyanka Saree’, which are basically multiple colours of the same saree, all of which have been shown to be worn by Priyanka Chopra. These are available on many other websites for the same cost, but surprisingly, they have zero customer reviews. So that’s how Ocean makes money for its subscribers. By selling spices and cheap sarees!

Mission abort!

Let me just say at the outset, that what the politicians in U.S are doing is administrative overreach. A decision that should ideally be left to the couple or the individual who is affected by it, has been hijacked by the state. And this is a systemic problem, stemming from a gaping disconnect between the people and their representatives. This disconnect is the sole reason why the common people of Britain were asked to choose 'yes' or 'no' to a complex question with inter-national ramifications, while US politicians decided to make a simple life altering personal decision for you. Brexit should have been left to politicians, and abortion should have been left to individuals. Every case of abortion is different from the other. The circumstances leading up to it and the mental preparedness of the people involved are so different that a blanket decision is simply not possible. The politicians who claim they are pro-life are simply hiding behind a mask of misogyny. It's difficult to accept that Trump and his hardcore Republican followers care more for unborn babies and foetuses, than living breathing people who try to buy into the American dream.

This does not however mean that the pro-life agenda is wrong. In fact, in its unadulterated form, the idea is commendable. Giving value to an unborn life is important, as it does not have any advocates for itself. God has given no voice to unborn life-forms, maybe under the assumption that their parents would value its life over anything else. But what if there is a payoff? What if the unborn's life comes at the cost of the mother's life? Should we just let it happen, saying that it's fate? By that logic, every disease should remain untreated. While it's nice to say that even unborn babies should have the right to live, we don't actually mean it. Human beings have rarely thought beyond their immediate family, and that's how we are programmed genetically. At the end of an earthquake, you don't look for your neighbours...you look for your family. That's not being selfish, it's just being a normal human being. So while I can understand where the pro-life argument is coming from, I don't understand why it would only apply to abortions, and not to other things, like clinical testing on animals, or animal slaughter, or even racism. The biggest hypocrisy in this entire fiasco, is the fact that conservative racists in America who function with the prejudice that white lives are more important than black lives, suddenly feel that an unborn baby has an equal right to live.

Then there is of course the idea of choice. A woman's choice to not have a child, or a couple's choice to abort a child. Here the line becomes a bit grey. While pregnancies arising out of rape or incest are excludible due to obvious reasons, what about sex selective abortions? If my lifestyle choices can be a reason to abort a child, then why not my preference of the child's gender? The reason for sex selective abortion usually goes beyond the foetus and is part of a larger social problem of exclusion and preferential treatment. In most South Asian countries, this would virtually topple the sex ratio to a point of no return. Abortions for lifestyle reasons are indeed sad, but have to be respected. Every human life is sacred, and the solution to an untimely pregnancy should ideally be contraception and not abortion. But once a decision is taken, it must be respected as a personal one. The society is allowed to have an opinion on it, but not a part in the decision-making. That should remain with the concerned people. The politicians in the U.S have not thought about the consequences of their decision. An issue like this must be discussed and debated, but never decided. There is no right or wrong here, but only personal agency and liberty.

Would I abort an untimely pregnancy I might have with my partner? Maybe not. But it's easy for me to say that when I'm not the one giving by body on loan for ten months. Abortions are an extremely personal matter. There are morals involved, relatives with opinions involved....emotions that run high at times. But ultimately it's a decision that affects only the people who are responsible for the pregnancy. So maybe for a change, let's not make decisions for other people. Maybe this time, let them make their own choice, and keep your righteous or unrighteous opinion to yourself!

Why NOTA is the biggest loser in every election!

India just conducted the biggest electoral process in the history of mankind, and so let's take a moment to laud ourselves for spending over 7 billion dollars to elect people like Pragya Thakur, Karti Chidambaram and A. Raja. These lawmakers don't in any way discredit the idea of democracy, or its importance in a modern world. They simply draw attention to the lack of viable options in the world's largest democracy. Now one could argue that people who voted for Pragya Thakur, were indeed voting for Modi, and that she was a mere intermediary. But these intermediaries are the pillars of Indian democracy. Irrespective of the power wielded by the man sitting in the PM's chair, the 'intermediaries' put him there. Just look at what's happening in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, and you'll understand the value of 'intermediaries'. The alternative to Pragya in Bhopal was Digvijay Singh, a man so hated apparently, that even pro-Godse statements from his opponent couldn't help him! It was Mr Singh's 'exemplary' governance that had ushered in 15 years of BJP rule in the state, and the Congress decided that he was the man for the job. The victory of tainted leaders like Karti Chidambaram, A. Raja and Kanimozhi are examples of why our electoral system needs a revamp, and not a notional one!

In 2014, NOTA, or None of the above, polled around 1.08% of the vote share in India. In 2019, it remained more or less same at 1.04%. But beyond their numerical presence, what does NOTA hope to achieve in Indian politics? How are the people who vote for NOTA any different from the people who don't bother to vote? Non-voters are essentially disenchanted by the whole system and the wide umbrella of parties contesting the elections; or in some cases- lazy! But NOTA voters are active participants who want to contribute to politics and nation building. They are voting for 'none of the above' candidates, which is an expression of their anger at the candidates put forth by the political parties. It cannot be interpreted as distaste for politics in general, or parties in particular. So what can a guy do when a worthless bigot like Pragya, or a greedy leech like Karti is declared as the candidate for the party you want to see at the Centre? Maybe angle for a change in candidate? This is exactly what NOTA should be empowered to do. If NOTA polls more votes than all other candidates, all parties must be forced to put forward new candidates. This would justify the idea of NOTA in our electoral process, and would help it serve a bigger function than shaming mainstream parties. Shame is not something our leaders are worried about. Look at Rahul who is having a hard time, not just in winning elections, but even in resigning from his position. You think Rahul Gandhi is privileged? The guy doesn't even have the agency to leave his family business!

As long as NOTA remains a showpiece for flashy election coverage, its purpose remains unfulfilled. The Supreme Court of India is equally culpable in letting this stupidity continue. In a reply to a PIL asking for what I have stated above, the Court said that it was 'unworkable' and gave a sermon about how elections are a serious and expensive affair. It's an argument that belies its own logic. Since elections are a serious affair, let's go on with a candidate whom the people have clearly rejected? And since elections are expensive, let's go ahead with a candidate who has already scammed us out of hundreds of crores?

Every politician harps on about how the electorate is almighty. They butter up the electorate and dangle their sugary lollipops once every five years. But what about in constituencies where the electorate has vehemently rejected mainstream parties? The people remain important as long as their verdict is consistent with the leaders' political goals. But NOTA is not a rejection of political ideals, or representative democracy. It should be considered as the electorate's demand for a change in stance, or a change in personnel. In fact, NOTA can be encouraging for parties, as it's not an outright rejection. Imagine sitting down for an exam and keying in NOTA, only to see a more popular, yet wrong answer get marked green! That's what India is doing!

A tournament no one watched!

“An India-New Zealand T20 screening would probably have attracted a bigger crowd”, said one of my friends as we entered the SDAT stadium in Nungambakkam where the finals of the Chennai Open was being held. Coloured empty seats stared at us as we walked around the court to the covered part of the stands. It would be a safe conclusion to say that the free tickets had not incentivized the cricket hardened Chennaites. The fact that India were engaged in a thrilling chase with the New Zealand cricket team in a series decider probably did not help. Nor the fact that two local boys had crashed out in the semis; one of them despite being top seeded. The stadium itself seemed to be in good condition, except for the visible disuse for over god knows how long. There was a thick layer of dust over the seats on either side of the court. With proper maintenance and regular matches, the stadium would probably look much better. Despite the unimpressive backstory, this WAS an ATP Challenger event. At the end of the day’s play, rankings would change and there was a modest cash prize to be taken home.

The game itself, was one of dichotomy. The Frenchman, Corentin Moutet and his opponent, Andrew Harris from Australia were chalk and cheese. Even before the match started, the difference in physique was obvious. At around 5 foot 7, Moutet was considerably smaller than Harris who stood at 6 feet. But the first few points quite clearly showed the disparity between the two players. Moutet was agile. He waded across the court with ease and grace. He returned with hawkish precision, and sometimes slowed down the pace with well-placed backhand slices. One player was significantly better than the other. And almost everyone in the stadium realized that within the first 15 minutes. Harris relied on power to send the balls deep into Moutet’s side. But the instinctive baseliner seemed more than happy running behind the baseline and sending back thundering forehands. The Aussie indeed had a beautiful backhand. The single hander looked pristine, but rarely hit the mark. And the low slices from the other end simply did not find its way back. Moutet also did not hesitate to make moves towards the net, which almost always fetched him a point. He finally broke Harris and made it 4-3. After a consolidating service game, Moutet broke again to take the first set 6-3. It might not qualify as a complete battering, but only one man changed his sweaty t-shirt at the end of the first set. And it was not the man who probably skis in the French Alps.

The second set was an even more dominant affair. A confident Moutet raced away to a 4-0 lead, and the audience now turned firmly in favour of the Australian. Shouts of ‘c’mon Harris’ could be heard from different quarters. But his temperament came under severe scrutiny as he let out a volley of screams after a couple of unforced errors. At one point, he threw his racquet onto the ground. Clearly, Harris could feel the game slipping away from him.  But then came the most engaging passage of play in the match. Spurred on by the crowd, Harris made a commendable comeback. He held serve at 4-0 and broke back to make it 4-2. With two back to back games, Harris seemed to have arrested the momentum that Moutet had been gathering. But the Frenchman’s superior technique once again came to the fore as he placed balls deep into Harris’ court. The elegant backhand still lacked efficiency as many of his returns went wide or hit the net. Moutet held his serve to make it 5-2. Harris almost lost the second set 6-2 as he faced a break point in the 8^th game. But he held his nerve to stay in the match.

At 5-3, Moutet had the championship within his grasps. Harris managed to save one match point in the 9^th game, but it just delayed the inevitable. Harris’ slice return fell tamely at the bottom of the net, and the ordeal was over. On his part Moutet was quite measured in his celebration. The two men met at the net and shook hands. Harris probably could have made a better match out of this, but tennis is often dictated by the stars, and they were categorically in the Frenchman’s favour.

The young men were draped in traditional silk dhotis during the award ceremony, and the presence of India’s legend Vijay Amritraj added some flair to the proceedings. Mr Amrtitraj made sure that all of his 007 swagger was on display. Harris, the former doubles champion at junior Wimbledon and junior Roland Garros talked about how injury has plagued his career, while the champion himself was as tacit as a European diplomat. While the Chennai Open did end without any glitches or controversies, there are a few things that demand attention. The tournament wasn’t marketed well enough, and it would be a safe bet to assume that many Chennaites weren’t even aware of the Challenger happening in their backyard. Systematic neglect of sports other cricket is a major reason why Indians are unable to enjoy them. Despite the availability of a state-of-the-art stadium that can seat upwards of 5500 people, the competition saw no popular support.

The Taste of Life in Marakkanam

In 1930, a frail freedom seeker from Gujarat decided to walk all the way to the coastal town of Dandi. His colonial masters dismissed his plan as unpopular. But they never realised the symbolism behind the march. Salt was not just another condiment in the larder. It was opulence on the tongue of common men, it was a symbol of freedom in a commoditized world. And as the days stretched to weeks, the British were left unprepared for the chaos that followed. Salt had managed to galvanise Indians across the board. Religious differences, and regional prejudices gave way to the yearning for freely available salt. The infamous salt tax had shown the world that something as simple and common as salt, can do what tall leaders and economic reverses never could- mobilise the masses. Almost a century later, the feeling has not changed. Salt is still the most common ingredient in our diet. The importance of salt is even embedded in common culture and literature. Readers might define this article as ‘salt less’ if they feel it lacks certain desirable attributes. Thus salt has become a lot more than just another thing to mix in with our food.

Kids have textbooks that make generic statements of how salt comes from the seawater. This is a gross oversimplification of the long and strenuous process that ends with packaged salt on our tables. Only men and women who work in the salt pans, under the pelting sun can tell you how the abundance of the sea gives way to crystals of white salt. One such salt pan can be seen alongside the beautiful East coast road which runs along the Bay of Bengal from Chennai. Marakkanam is a typical rural enclave in Tamil Nadu, around 30 kilometres away from Pondicherry.

 The first thing that attracts a visitor is the visibly old Bhoomieshwer temple, built around 1000 years ago by the Cholas. With creepers hugging on to its short dome, and rays of sunlight bursting through the ancient architecture; the temple gives out a very soothing vibe. Around half a kilometre from the temple, we found the salt pans. A vast stretch of literally nothingness. Just mud and sand, demarcated into shallow plots. Some of them were brimming with water, some were dry to the point of an uneasiness in our throat. On the other end of the pan, we could see the sea, unwilling to flow inland and loitering at the edge. The strong sea breeze was largely successful in countering the almost visible heat!

The plots themselves were much like quicksand. One could easily slip an entire foot into it. The hardened and dry paths crisscrossing the plots are a much better bet. But there wasn’t any salt in the whole area. As beautiful as salt pans are, it’s the salt that lends them their aesthetics. A salt pan without salt is just a huge swathe of barren land. An enquiry however revealed that January and February are the months of initiation. The bulk of the salt production happens in and around June and July, when the high tide brings the sea water into the salt pans. The Marakkanam salt pans are the third largest in the state and is sold in many surrounding areas, including Chennai. In the first months of the year, Marakkanam doesn’t look equipped to satisfy the needs of a village, yet alone a metropolis like Chennai. A few dozen workers can be seen repairing what looks like medieval pumps. Long pipes stick out of the ground and dump groundwater onto the pans. Once the plots are filled to the brim, the pumps are turned off, and then the sun gets to work. So yes, in the so-called off season, most of the salt that Marakkanam produces comes from underground water than sea water. But this is not as lucrative as making salt from the sea water, as explained to us by one of the workers, Selvam.

“For one, we have to operate the motors, and that too for long periods every day. Diesel isn’t getting any cheaper, and these old pumps eat up a lot of fuel.”

“Further, the sea water has a lot more salt content and gives us more output from every plot.”

Thus the first few months are mainly toil, without any reward. This seasonal fluctuation has apparently pushed many people away from the profession, like Selvam’s son. But many flock to the pans once the sea level rises and the money starts coming. But there should be no misconceptions about the returns from the pans. Most of the workers are hired labour who have no connection with the land or the future of their produce. Apparently the salt pans are owned by individuals who have leased them out to landlords who in turn work the plots with the hired labour. It’s a well-oiled machinery which seems to be working well for at least some people.

“The male workers get 400 rupees a day for their work, while the female workers get exactly the half. We work 2 and a half hours in the morning and the same after lunch”, says Selvam as he asks us to wait while he gets his tools. Selvam’s tools are pretty simple, but the process requires great care. He steps right into one of the slippery plots which seemed ripe for salt harvesting. Most of the water had evaporated from the plot. What was left was stone sized salt crystals loosely scattered in the water that remained. As Selvam stepped into the pond, his footprints were invisible. 

He tiptoed around like a matador and used his long rake to sweep the salt crystals onto the hardened bank. Incidentally, when we walked into the pond, the prints we left behind started sucking in the water and the salt. The more nimble we tried to be, the matters just got worse. “It requires a lot of experience and care”, said Selvam as he danced around the plot, as if rubbing ‘salt’ into our wounds! Once he had raked all the salt to the side, he used his feet to push it onto the bank.

This would have to be done in all the salt ponds, and there were plenty of them! “This is a dying a profession now. The new generation is simply not interested in all this hard work” Selvam’s disappointment is quite evident on his face. “Right now, a 120kg sack is sold for 150 rupees”, says Selvam. “So there isn’t enough money for the youth to be interested in it” With this he moved onto the next pond, bare feet, the rake towing alongside him. Selvam knows just one thing in the world, to harvest salt. He does not have the luxury to complain about fatigue, nor the time to take care of his dry feet.

The salt that is harvested from Marikkanam is marketed by a local mandi, called the MVTC salt mandi. They have a shoddy little office cum warehouse where sacks of salt are stored and later transported. They also have a couple of lorries which take the salt to places as far as Kadappa and Tirupati. The officers at the mandi claim that they buy the salt from the producers and sell it at merely 7 to 8 rupees extra. The mandi sells a sack of 110kg at 180-190 rupees, which is considerably more than the selling price quoted by Selvam. Whether this is ignorance on the part of the workers, or a case of gross exploitation is indeed a puzzling question. “The salt business is not doing that well. The prices fluctuate a lot and the new GST system has really complicated our functioning”, said an officer of the Mandi.

Salt is present in almost everything we eat. It is this unavoidable quality of salt that has made it a part of not just our diet, but also our society and polity. Salt as a food item has largely remained sacred and people and corporates have treated it with much reverence. But the story behind the flavor of our food is quite dull. Workers are leaving salt pans in search for better jobs. The job has become seasonal with only a few veterans still turning up diligently. Considering the magnitude of its consumption, 400 rupees a day for salt harvesting seems like a meagre pay. Further, the blatant and shameless difference in the wages of men and women makes you question how salt became the vehicle of social change almost a century back. One of the major problems is the complete lack of government regulation. For once, India could actually do with some extra bureaucracy! Government regulation would probably go a long way in securing stable and equal wages, and also eliminate the money siphoned off by middlemen.

So Marikkanam in January and February is an underwhelming sight. There are no beds of crystals or towering heaps of salt. But what you will find are a few dozen people hard at work. People who work to make our food delicious. So the next time you feel the impeccable taste of salt on your tongue, maybe spare a thought for people like Selvam who make it possible.