The Great Indian Electoral Extravaganza

The stage is all set for the biggest logistical adventure in the world to take place as India readies itself to wield its collective voice in electing the custodians of the nation's destiny for the next five years. A crazy mix of democratic processes,  delightfully delusional promises, and high-voltage drama, every election season in India is a sight to behold.



Interestingly, the sheer scale of the Indian General Elections is just one of the mesmerizing aspects of this unique narrative. As the voting season steadily approaches, one cannot help but notice how the political parties indulge in electoral theatrics. Politicians try to woo prospective voters in every possible way, only to be called out by their rivals, who are busy doing the same thing! While members of the incumbent ruling parties leave no stone unturned in painting a rosy picture of the future if they are re-elected, opposition parties spare no effort in trying to prove how electing them is the only way to redeem the nation’s ‘lapse of judgment’ five years back, and thus head towards a promising tomorrow. 
Roadshows and campaign rallies are held to reach out to the common public with vague promises of a better life, thereby ironically making even a basic amenity like a swift daily commute a mammoth task for the common public. Political stage shows are held every other day that attract such large crowds that even a Rock Concert would seem modest in comparison. How many of these attendees gather organically without incentives though, is best left unsaid. For those who choose not to attend the rallies and stage shows, deafening speakers ensure the message is heard loud and clear. 
While the print media and social media across the country are equally involved in their ways and means in making sure each forms an opinion about the polls, televised news channels take a step ahead and turn our living rooms into political arenas, pitting one contestant against another on live TV, more often than not, with a healthy amount of bias towards one. In the weeks leading up to election day, the general mood among the masses reeks of politics so much so that every single conversation has the potential to turn into a political debate! 

At the epicenter of this chaos lies the voter, holding onto the constitutional right with full conviction. While almost being convinced that none of the political parties will ever be able to deliver on the arbitrary promises made for the sake of gaining mass support, one can't help but harbor a lingering hope for genuine change. And why not? After all, polling booths are perhaps the only ‘safe spaces’ in the world where the opinion of a modest farmer carries as much weight as that of a formidable industrialist. One could certainly argue about the significance of a single vote amidst billions of others. But this single vote in the sea of ballots is much like the secret ingredient in a special recipe – small nevertheless, but powerful enough to spice up the entire dish of democracy!

Remembering Peter Higgs and his gift to the world

Imagine proposing a crucial theory in particle physics that is so complex that the world has to wait more than half a century to be able to prove its existence in the real world. That is precisely what happened on 4th July 2012 when the world finally witnessed the existence of the Higgs Boson, the last missing puzzle in the Standard Model consisting of the 17 fundamental particles that make up our universe. Peter Higgs proposed the existence of this elementary particle back in the 1960s when theoretical physicists the world over were trying to dive deep into understanding the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Around the same time, another physicist named François Englert independently proposed a similar mechanism.
It was only after more than 60 years that their theory proved right when several elaborate experiments were carried out at the Large Hadron Collider, located near Geneva, Switzerland in a quest to discover the much sought-after particle. Both Higgs and Englert shared a Nobel Prize in 2013 for predicting its existence

Even though we have proved the existence of this ‘God Particle’, physicists at the LHC still believe that we have only been scratching the surface and that our complete understanding of this universe, its beginning, and its true nature is far from over. We need a dedicated collider, much more sophisticated than the existing ones to study the role of Higgs Boson in shaping our reality and thus gain profound knowledge on the same.
Many legendary scientists and physicists did not live long enough to see their theories proved right. Albert Einstein, for example, was long dead before we could prove the existence of black holes and gravitational waves using his theories of relativity. Peter Higgs on the other hand, survived to see his theory validated. Despite being primarily responsible for singlehandedly furthering our understanding of the universe, Peter Higgs has always been a man of utmost modesty. He was never fond of the attention that came with being recognized for his extraordinary achievement. Much like the particle he had proposed, Higgs himself preferred to remain elusive to the world, even when he was bestowed with the prestigious Nobel Prize in 2013.

 
Peter Higgs passed away on 9th April 2024, Tuesday at the age of 94. The scientific community shall continue to reap the benefits of his groundbreaking theory in the coming years.

Remembering Netaji... Not only for his mysterious death, but also for his marvelous deeds.

India's struggle for Independence is a saga in itself filled with numerous incidents and stories of sheer determination, bravery, and selfless sacrifices. Among the true heroes of our past is one such individual who goes by the name Subhas Chandra Bose, fondly referred to as 'Netaji'. Every year on the 23rd of January, India remembers this great personality for his contribution in helping India gain independence from the British. Speeches are delivered, praises are sung, banners are put up and articles are printed 'remembering Netaji'. Although these efforts are praiseworthy, it is time we ask ourselves this very significant question- Is this enough? For all that he did for the country, does he not deserve a much more relentless and much-justified appreciation?

History textbooks all over the country generally suffer from an inherent bias in favor of some national leaders, often at the cost of overshadowing other luminaries like Netaji. Even after 75 years of independence, our educational curriculum has failed to underline the importance of Subhas Chandra Bose's and Azad Hind Fauj's contributions to helping us gain our independence. While leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru never fail to capture our imagination as the mighty stalwarts of the freedom struggle, likes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose often take the backseat as 'Lesser Greats'. In all fairness, the date 23rd January never seems as familiar as 2nd October or 14th November.

It would, however, be grossly incorrect to blame the curriculum alone for this biased perception towards our dear freedom fighters. We live in the 'Age of Information' and no information is more than a click away. Yet we choose to remain highly misinformed yet content in whatsoever half-baked truth we have been believing in, over the past seven decades. The great acts of determination and utmost patriotism once exhibited by our dear Netaji are today nearly concealed behind the never-ending discussions and conspiracy theories relating to his mysterious death in the infamous plane crash. While we may all agree that the declassification of the official documents relating to the disappearance and death of Netaji is long overdue, it's high time we shift our focus on the other equally mesmerizing aspects of his life as well. For instance, Azad Hind Government, headed by Netaji is India's first-ever independent provisional government and the only government in the world which never surrendered to the Allied Powers during the Second World War.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is a part of our heritage. While we have every right to demand justice and a free flow of information relating to the government, we must not entirely depend on the system. With the help of civil society and various pressure groups, the Ministry of Education must be persuaded to include the contribution of Netaji in our freedom struggle in a much more comprehensive manner. We citizens must take a step forward to make Netaji an integral part of our civilizational consciousness. Fact-checking, debunking the myths, educating the masses to look beyond the conventional sources of history, and organizing public forum discussions are perhaps some of the ways to achieve this. We must ensure that his legacy lives on in our minds and hearts forever. The succeeding generations must be in awe of Netaji's achievements and this would not be possible if we remain unaware of his accomplishments. Let's remember him not only for his mysterious death but also for his marvelous deeds.

Idiot who?

Whenever we Indians turn to the television sets to get hold of the latest and most important happenings around us and the world, we are bombarded with countless options to choose from, in the form of ‘News Channels’. Be it Local news, regional news, national or international news, you name it, they serve it!
In a country where television sets have penetrated deep into our lives, it is ironic that we rank one of the highest in the world when it comes to suffering from the menace of fake news. With the sudden upsurge in the number of media houses operating in India, the task of video journalism has changed its shape. In the race to reach the maximum viewership as soon as possible, reporters often fail to cross-verify the authenticity of the stories they cover. The result is widespread misinformation and utter chaos. After all, the newsrooms in India were more confident about the end of the world in 2012 than the makers of the Mayan Calendar. It is only when we take a deeper dive that we realize that the menace of fake news is just one of the many problematic aspects of this ‘big picture’. One wonders, what good are those excessive options if they do not help in altering the scenario. The World Press Freedom Index 2023 places India at the 161st position out of 180 countries. Media independence is an important parameter in the index and we seem to perform abysmally poorly in it. This implies that the major chunk of the news we are provided may very conveniently be biased.

A quick scan through all these news channels and we can easily find a pattern in their ways of broadcasting news. One may notice that the news channels often resort to the infamous Battle of the Panellists to gain TRPs. Every single story has multiple facets and every facet is an incomplete truth in itself. Armed with this incomplete truth, the most reactionary and opinionated individuals across the spectrum are invited to the show and made to discuss the issue at hand. Screaming at the top of their vocal capabilities while being confined in typically 3 - 5 smaller screens, these panelists prove to be instant attention seekers. These battles get even more chaotic when the hosts are louder than the panelists.
In a bid to ensure that the viewers are not bored with the loud newsroom debates, the channels have come up with an even more cringe-worthy solution. They telecast elaborate shows with eye-catching headlines that have nothing to do with the audience’s interest. However, they make it look like the affairs of the world would come to a screeching halt if the information is not shared with utmost honesty at the prime time shows. Another inexplicable phenomenon that is common across all these TV channels is their obsession with showcasing even a tragic headline with a catchy rhyming scheme.

It gets most annoying when these news channels turn their attention towards the divine, in a quest to solve the mysteries of this universe; as if the earthly affairs have already been taken care of! In their blatant claims to prove the existence of the supernatural, they end up framing questions that are either too dark or too hilarious. Either way, they are far away from reality. And just when you realize that this cannot get worse, they prove us wrong in an unimaginable way. Though I do not wish to get into the mandatory high voltage drama and the accompanying excessive display of wealth in the ‘ideal Indian Joint Family’ that is showcased on every other daily soap, it worries me to even acknowledge the existence of an entire show produced and telecast on prominent news channels only to discuss the intrigues of on-screen characters seemingly convinced to destroy each other over lame reasons. Ekta Kapoor surely deserves an honorable mention for taking household conflicts to a whole new level altogether.

All being said, it is not fair to dub the innocent Television set as the ‘Idiot Box’ when we know that the content that is broadcast through it nowadays deserves to be declared idiotic; and not the television itself. Having said that, we also need to acknowledge the truth that accompanies it – They serve it because we consume it.

 

Just another hoarding..

Inattentional blindness, also known as perceptual blindness, is a psychological lack of attention to an obvious event or a thing that is not associated with any vision defects. Owing to this, we often fail to notice those unnecessarily huge and dramatically colorful banners and hoardings with photographs of some unknown faces smiling at us as we pass by. Decorated atop buildings and lined across the streets, these hoardings usually belong to some local politicians or some influential personalities in the neighborhood. If we take a closer look, we almost instantly get hold of the hidden story behind the hoardings. Let us today take a moment to pay the due attention these hoardings have been asking us all the while.

At the bottom ends of these hoardings are some awkward photographs of a dozen or so party workers who are usually nothing more than part-time goons. Their primary responsibilities include roaming through the city streets holding party flags on their motorbikes and disrupting traffic all along. They find a place on the banner as well-wishers to the local politicians. The pride of being shortlisted to appear on the hoarding is evident on their faces.

Above the relatively smaller-passport-sized enlarged photographs of a dozen, well-wishers is usually the larger-than-life-sized portrait of the local politician- waving at you with all glory and a broad smile. Also, it is here that we find out the reason why this extraordinary piece of art was created in the first place- turns out to be a birthday greeting usually; because a simple text or a call to the concerned person would have been too mainstream, isn't it?

Above the flashy texts and the photograph of a waving politician are a few photographs of the senior members of the party, who are portrayed as the guiding angels for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 photographs. After all, our beloved local politician may end up fetching a party ticket for the next election if the senior leaders are well honored. (Or flattered)

Now just as we roll our eyes off this plastic display of mutual respect in total disregard, we come across another banner with the same story but different characters. It’s just a matter of time before we realize these banners are virtually everywhere- smiling, waving, and perhaps even laughing at us! For we do nothing but allow them to degrade our environment furthermore with every single banner. These banners are mostly made up of PVC- Polyvinyl Chloride, an extremely cheap non-biodegradable synthetic plastic polymer. What’s worse? Only about 1% of this PVC is recycled. It’s time we realize these hoardings do come at a price. We must raise our voices against these unwanted hoardings and urge the authorities to regularise their rampant use. After all, we anyway don’t need those unknown creepy faces staring and smiling at us for no apparent reason while they gradually pollute our surroundings, do we?

The walking sticks

       The setting sun has spread an unusual hue today. The park in the neighborhood is about to host some new guests. Its dusk. Its time. Some grumpy and old yet loving and caring Walking sticks- the regular visitors to the park, have got into a lot of talking with some Extra Small T shirts and some adorable Ponytails. The compulsory walk round the jogging track has been cancelled today. Counting the number of people in the park, walking alone, every evening, has anyways, never been considered an interesting past time. 

         Time- what a wonder it is! It is usually observed that the clocks, all over the world, have this mischievous habit of rushing its needles forward, when it’s not being watched upon. And just the moment before the world doesn’t really seem to be that gloomy a place to live, amidst the carefree giggles, and the much needed smiles on the benches of the park, the damned alarm reminds every one of its presence. It is 8.30- The Dinner Time. The T-shirts and the Pony tails have to go back. 

            The Sticks would have stayed, but skipping dinner doesn’t seem to be a good idea to the painful joints. Also, the rusty Iron gates of their residential building are quite apathetic. - They are answerable to the Fountain pen that hangs around the Desk in the veranda. This dull Fountain pen is too powerful, they say. It records everything, and reminds often. Walking sticks are afraid of it. 

            The Dinner is more of a liquid diet, accompanied by a handful of capsules- one of the formalities to be completed before the lamps go off. Thus, the food gets gulped down in a jiffy. 

        The bedtime coincides with another exercise- a brisk walk down the memory lane. Unfortunately, nostalgia has often been a precursor to insomnia. It’s not that bad though; as the moon journeys through the night sky gradually, heavy doses of sleep- inducing medications provide the much needed help. The battle isn't over yet. The struggles resume the next morning. 

   

           A new day calls for a new batch of hopes, right? The Walking sticks are already busy gazing out of their windows. May be some School bus stops by and saves the day. Or some NGO decides to decorate its portfolio with some fresh photographs, yet again. Those Foreign Helping Hands must have been demanding evidences of something charitable, before they help, you see.

Hope is a good thing. May be today, a familiar face comes by to check if its Biological parent is having a memorable time with its fellow Hostages of time, wondering what, when, how and why did it go wrong then. A visit from an Offspring, whatsoever may be the reason, is still worth the wait here. After all, those occasionally guilty faces, indeed are the stakeholders of this strange edifice. It’s their moral responsibility to ensure the Hearing aids, Mufflers, Walking sticks and Spectacles live a peaceful life while they fight this nonviolent battle everyday till the end.

        They all exist happily here, in this concrete structure that some people prefer to call their Second Innings House. It’s such a beautiful world out there.  Do visit.