Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: appeasement

Showing posts with label appeasement. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Is India a Soft State...?

IS INDIA A SOFT STATE...?

IS OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SECURITY CONSCIOUSNESS OKAY...?

Musings of a Veteran

VIKRAM KARVE

When we were in the Navy – we were taught that safety and security was everyone’s business.

If we found anything amiss – anywhere on the ship – we intervened immediately to redress the issue.

We did not adopt a “chalta hai” lackadaisical attitude – nor did we indulge in “jurisdictional” quibbling – saying it is not my part of ship – so it is none of my business – or – why should I poke my nose into someone else’s affairs.

On a Ship – Safety and Security was everybody’s business – because if there was a lapse – we would all “sink” together to the Davy Jones’s Locker at the bottom of the sea.

In today’s environment the same dictum holds true for you and me in the civilian world as well – security is your business – security is my business – security is everyone’s business.

In the distant past – security was the business of the security forces.

The defence forces were responsible for “external” security – and it was the job of the police to maintain internal law and order.

If you lived in a “safe” civilian place – you were quite secure – and it was the security forces who faced the dangers fighting the adversaries.

Recent events, over the past few years, have shown that this is no longer true – and each one of us is vulnerable.

So – it is high time each one of us became security conscious because in today’s environment security is everyone’s business.

There are Three Weak Spots (or Achilles’ Heels) that undermine security consciousness and make us a Soft State:

1. “Chalta Hai” Casual Attitude

2. Corruption

3. Lenient Merciful Forgiving System

1. “CHALTA HAI” CASUAL ATTITUDE

Rules are in place but you don’t bother to follow them because of your “Chalta Hai” Casual Attitude

Let me give you an example.

There is a rule that when you rent out your house you are required to get police verification of antecedents of your tenants and proper registration of the rent deed or lease agreement done in the prescribed manner.

When we insisted that this rule be scrupulously followed in our residential society there was a deluge of protests from the non-resident owners [investors who have purchased flats for renting out (now-a-days non-resident “investors” heavily outnumber resident “end-user” owners in most new housing societies, at least in Pune)].

They protested that this “unnecessary harassment” of tenants was affecting rental rates in our society.

When we explained to them that this was a mandatory security requirement they scoffed at us saying that we were being “dogmatic” and they scornfully told us that generally no one followed this rule.

Because of such casual attitudes towards security, it is no wonder that it is so easy for undesirable persons to rent a house and find a place to stay from where they can plan and conduct their nefarious activities.

Do you insist on police verification of antecedents of the people you employ at home, in your workplace and in your neighbourhood or residential society?

If you find a suspicious vehicle parked near your house or workplace or you see something irregular, a suspicious new structure or encroachment or an unknown person appearing suddenly, will you report it to the police – or will you look the other way saying it is none of your business and it is the job of the police.

Of course – the police are doing their job – but haven’t you too got some responsibility towards security.

Remember, God forbid, if something bad happens – it can be you – or your near and dear ones who may be casualties.

2. CORRUPTION

One of the main reasons why India is considered a “Soft State” and easy target is the rampant corruption prevalent at all levels.

If you pay a bribe anything is possible.

Conversely: If you do not pay a bribe – then it is difficult to get things done.

You may have seen news reports of how easy it is for illegal immigrants from foreign countries to obtain various identity documents and residential proof documents like PAN Card, Aadhaar UID Card, Voter ID Card, Ration Card, Driving Licence etc by paying bribes.

It is cruel irony that whereas genuine honest bonafide citizens have to struggle to get these documents made, persons who are not citizens of this country manage to get them by paying bribes.

Earlier it was a mystery to me as to how foreigners can so easily enter our country and comfortably settle down here and carry on their activities, but now the reason seems to be quite clear – Corruption.

Wherever you are, whatever post you hold, remember that when you take a bribe you may be compromising security.

And each time you give a bribe (as mamool or speed-money) you are establishing a Corrupt Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which can be detrimental to security.

Security Consciousness entails eradication of corruption and unless corruption is contained we cannot become secure and safe.

3. LENIENT MERCIFUL FORGIVING “SYSTEM”

Our system is lenient, merciful and forgiving in nature towards those accused, found guilty and convicted of undermining security.

This had weakened the fear of law in the mind of criminals and anti-national elements.

They know that even if they are caught, the process will be slow, the trial will take a long time, and there is a always a chance of bail and acquittal.

Even if they are found guilty and convicted they can always seek clemency to lighten the punishment and the lenient and merciful system is likely to be sympathetic, compassionate and benevolent in view of our forgiving nature.

All this has reduced the deterrence effect of the law.

This absence of fear of the law has emboldened criminals and hostile elements which is very detrimental to our security.

CONCLUSION

Security is everyone’s business so we must do our bit to eliminate the three weak spots (or Achilles’ Heels) that undermine security consciousness and make India a Soft State.

1. Let us get rid of our “Chalta Hai” Casual Attitude towards Security.

2. Let us strive to Eradicate Corruption.

3. Let us stop showing Misplaced Compassion and be less merciful towards those Undesirable Criminals and Inimical Elements who undermine our security. Let us have a “Zero Appeasement” Policy towards undesirable elements who undermine national security.

VIKRAM KARVE

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Re-post of my article posted in this blog at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/04/why-india-is-soft-state-our-attitude.html

Sunday, December 1, 2013

WOMEN’S VOTEBANK – A Distant Dream?

WOMEN’S VOTEBANK – A Distant Dream?

WOMEN CENTRIC VOTE BANKS FOR EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Musings

VIKRAM KARVE

ELECTION DAY IN GIRINAGAR – An Apocryphal Story By Vikram Karve

This happened a few years ago when I lived at a place called Girinagar near Pune.

“I want the day off,” Sushila, our maid, asked my wife.

“Why?” my wife asked.

“We have to vote. Today is election day,” she said.

“That’s good,” I said.

I was quite surprised at Sushila’s eagerness to vote because Sushila was totally illiterate.

Yes, she lived just a few kilometres away from a modern city like Pune (often called the “Oxford of the East”) – yet, like so many others, she could not read or write.

But her keenness to vote indicated what a vibrant democracy we were.

“Who are you going to vote for?” I asked, in jest.

She told me a symbol – “I am going to vote for XXX symbol,” Sushila said.

“But why?” I asked.

“WE have decided,” she said.

“WE” meant her husband.

Apparently, her husband had gone for a “meeting” and it was decided that the entire neighbourhood will vote for XXX symbol.

“So you vote for XXX symbol every time,” I asked her.

“No, last time we all voted for YYY symbol,” she said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because “WE” had decided,” she said.

Of course, she did not know anything about the ideology of the political parties to which the symbols XXX and YYY belonged.

It was none of her business.

Before every election, it was the men who had a meeting and decided who to vote for and the women dutifully complied.

(Of course, the men had a “leader” who guided them in these matters)

Like Sushila’s husband, most of the men in that area were drunkards who lived off their wives’ earnings.

But all that did not matter.

In the patriarchal society that prevailed, the women dutifully obeyed their men, even if the men were good-for-nothing drunkards.

So, in Sushila’s family of 7 voters (she, her husband, her two sons and daughters-in-law, and unmarried daughter), all would be voting for the symbol XXX which had been “decided”.

Added up, it was quite a large number of votes in the locality, and since they all of them voted en-bloc for a certain “symbol” it was quite a sizeable “votebank”.

A few more such solid votebanks could ensure victory in the election, as the victory of the XXX candidate proved.

Around 3 in the afternoon we saw Sushila standing near our gate.

“Have you voted?” I asked her.

“No,” she said.

“Voting time will be over soon. Why didn’t you vote in the morning?” I said.

“They haven’t come to take us,” she said.

A friend of mine who had come over and was hearing the conversation said, “Don’t you know? Someone has to come and take them to the polling booth in a vehicle – and then give them some inducement, here it is mostly liquor – only after that will they vote.”

After some time I saw a van arrive to take all them for voting.

In the evening we saw Sushila’s husband and her sons lurching in a drunken manner on the road, as were most men.

It was obvious that liquor was flowing freely on election day (though strictly speaking it was a “dry day”)

At night, when Sushila came to work, we saw tears in her eyes.

She said that her husband and her sons were drunk – and her husband had thrashed her as he always did when he was drunk, and one of her sons had thrashed his wife too.

“See,” my wife said to Sushila, “you voted for the person who gave liquor to your husband and sons – you all women voted for those who are causing you harm.”

What an irony!

Why do women vote for someone who causes them more harm than good?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A WOMEN’S VOTEBANK ?

Isn’t it a similar story everywhere?

We see media reports of male chauvinistic politicians who make derogatory remarks about women from time to time.

Is it possible for them to get elected unless women vote for them?

After all, women comprise 50% of the electorate.

Though it is a secret ballot, obviously, most women do not vote independently and freely for that candidate or party who may best serve women’s interests.

In our patriarchal culture it is the men who decide who to vote for and women comply meekly.

That is why votebanks are male-centric.

And that is why many politicians have no qualms about denigrating the dignity of women by making tasteless comments, because they are confident that women will still vote for them.

In a democracy like India, the only way women can emancipate themselves is to organize themselves into a formidable women’s votebank.

A women’s votebank will have 50% of all voter strength.

The women’s votebank will be larger than all other votebanks put together and it will be the women’s votebank which will decide the results of the elections.

Women have to emancipate themselves, not depend on men to do so, especially when democracy has given them the opportunity to do so.

I wonder why women politicians are not taking the initiative to consolidate women’s votebanks to address and mitigate women’s issues?

For example, in the place I mentioned, alcoholism was a major issue which was affecting most womenfolk.

If all the women had got together and decided to vote en-bloc for that candidate who promised in his manifesto to shut the liquor shops and introduce prohibition of alcohol in the area, would it not have been better for the women?

A strong women’s votebank will ensure that political parties include women’s issues like safety, security, gender equality etc in their manifestos and try to implement them otherwise the women may throw them out in the next election, or better still have their own candidate.

I feel that the best solution to achieve betterment of women in a secular democracy like India is to have a strong women’s votebank cutting across caste, creed, linguistic and religious lines and including all women.

We have all sorts of votebanks.

Isn’t it high time for a gender based women’s votebank which can be a game changer in Indian Politics?

VIKRAM KARVE

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

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Friday, August 23, 2013

WOMEN’S VOTEBANK - Panacea for the Betterment of Women in India

WOMEN AS A “VOTEBANK”

Musings on Improving the Condition of Women in India

VIKRAM KARVE

In India, women face many problems.

The first problem is that India is not a safe place for women.

In India, crime against women is on the rise and the situation is worsening.

Rapes and sexual molestation cases are reported almost everyday in the media.

Just yesterday, a gang rape has been reported by the media in Mumbai.

A young woman photographer was allegedly gang-raped by five men in Mumbai.

Last December, there was a horrendous gang rape in Delhi that evoked widespread public concern about the abysmal state of safety and security for women and even prompted the government to bring about an amendment in the law.

But does anything really change once the protests die down?

Has changing laws brought about any improvement in the safety of women?

If metros and cities are not safe for women, one wonders what will be the state of affairs in rural areas?

Are politicians genuinely concerned about the safety of women?

Are they really interested in women’s rights?

Do they want the emancipation and upliftment of women?

Will the patriarchal mindset and condescending attitude of politicians towards women change?

Why is that women's issues are given the lowest priority by politicians and political parties?

While various bills are passed at top speed, the women's reservation bill is pending for over 17 years which is a very long delay, and justice delayed tantamounts to justice denied.

From time to time, the media reports derogatory gender-biased remarks made by politicians with a feudal mindset who seem to have no qualms about making disrespectful comments about women.

I feel that there is only one way to improve the situation.

Women must vote as a single “votebank”.

Yes, women must resort to “votebank politics”.

During elections politicians try to woo various votebanks based on caste, religion and language.

A votebank (also spelled vote-bank or vote bank) is a sizable group of voters who vote en bloc as a group for a political party or candidate during elections.

We have votebanks based on caste, religion or language.

These votebanks are patriarchal in nature.

It is the men who decide who their families will vote for.

Women vote in accordance with the dictates of their husbands or fathers.

Women vote as directed by the men in the family.

This happens despite the fact the we have a secret ballot.

In theory, a woman is free to choose and vote for anyone she wants to.

If women voted as per their choice, there would be no votebank politics of the kind which is prevalent today.

One wonders why any woman should vote for a candidate who has a criminal background or displays a contemptuous attitude towards women?

But in the prevailing situation of “votebank politics”, a woman is likely to cast her vote based on caste, creed, religion or language as per the dictates of her husband or father or men in the family.

While casting her vote, the woman will not care whether the candidate or political party is women-friendly or not.

This is how so many gender biased politicians get elected.

The result is that women’s issues are neglected and not addressed properly.

Now, it is high time for a gender based votebank - a “women votebank”.

Most political parties resort to votebank politics.

If you read any election manifesto you may find a number of promises made to the various “vote banks”.

You will find many sops, concessions and benefits aimed to woo and appease various “votebanks” despite the fact that these “vote banks” comprise only a relatively small percentage of the electorate (sometimes as less as 10% or 20% of the total voters).

Women comprise 50% electorate.

(No candidate can win an election if women do not vote for him)

Despite this fact, Women’s Issues are not be given priority in the election manifesto of any party.

Women are taken for granted by political parties and politicians.

This is because women are not considered as a “votebank”.

Women comprise half the electorate and the vote share of women is 50%.

This women’s vote share of 50% is much more than any caste combination or religious community or linguistic group which are considered as “vote banks”.

While indulging in appeasement politics, politicians play the caste card, the minority card and so many other “cards”.

But does any political party play the women’s card?

Women must understand the power they wield in a democracy.

Women voters must realize the value of consolidating their votes into a solid “women votebank”.

Just imagine what will happen if all women vote together en bloc as a single votebank.

The “women votebank” will comprise 50% of the votes and this numerically powerful women’s votebank will sweep away all other caste, religious and linguistic votebanks.

Once women become a formidable vote bank, it is women who will determine the result of the election.

This is especially true in our “first past the post” multiparty multi-candidate electoral system, in which a candidate with just 30% of the votes can win in constituencies where there a large number of candidates.

Similarly, in the prevalent multi-party system, a political party which gets much less than 50% of the total votes sometimes forms the government.

On some occasions parties with a vote share of just 30% votes have managed to form a government.

In this scenario, the “women’s votebank” comprising 50% of the total votes will be the decisive factor in elections.

While other votebanks may be able to influence votes, the “women’s votebank” will decide the election.

The “women votebank” will overshadow all other votebanks.

In such a situation, politicians and political parties cannot afford to neglect this powerful “women’s votebank”.

If this happens, politicians will have to address women’s issues on priority if they want to win the elections and come to power in a democracy.

Women need to ask themselves as to why they vote for candidates who insult women and commit crimes against women.

Will it not be better to elect candidates who uphold the dignity of women and promise to work towards the emancipation of women ?

This is possible in a democracy only if all women unite at the time of elections and vote en bloc as a single group for the best candidate.

Thus, if women want their problems to be solved by the political class, all women must come together and create a “women votebank”.

Yes, all women, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or linguistic group, whether belonging to majority or minority communities, rural or urban, must unite themselves into a numerically influential “votebank” which can determine the results of elections.

To start with, “women’s votebanks” can be formed at the constituency level.

Then these “women’s votebanks” can be amalgamated to the regional and national level into a cohesive mighty invincible “election-winning votebank”.

Women must clearly state their gender-specific concerns like safety, security, discrimination, rising crime and domestic abuse due to increasing alcoholism, sexual harassment, rape, molestation, eve-teasing, social taboos and any other local problems faced by women which need attention and alleviation.

Women must tell politicians which specific issues they want addressed on priority and demand results in a time bound manner.

Political Parties and Candidates must prioritize mitigation of women’s issues with a proper time-bound plan for implementation in their election manifesto.

In fact, every political party manifesto must clearly state what the party is going to do for women, at the national, regional and constituency level.

At all levels, the “women votebank” should vote for that candidate or party who includes clear-cut strategies to tackle women’s issues and redress problems and concerns pertaining to women in the election manifesto and demonstrates maximum promise to deliver in a reliable, effective and time-bound manner.

It is only when women unite to become a formidable cohesive “women’s votebank” will politicians will start giving importance to women’s issues.

Politicians who insult the dignity of women will find it difficult to get elected.

Politicians who provide good governance and a safe environment for women and politicians who are responsive to women’s issues will get elected.

Political parties will start fielding more women candidates in elections.

It may sound bizarre to suggest that women must take recourse to “votebank politics”.

But it seems that the much-maligned democratic tool of “votebank politics” may actually lead to the emancipation of women in this country.

Yes, in the present democratic system, “votebank politics” may be the best panacea for the problems that women face in India.

Why don’t women unite and organize themselves into “vote-banks” and try out “votebank politics” in the next elections in 2014?

Are any women politicians willing to take the lead?

The only thing a politician fears is defeat in an election.

And repeated defeats in elections can finish off a political career.

So, once a politician realizes that victory or defeat in an election depends on the “women’s votebank” - only then will the politician start bothering about women’s issues and try to alleviate the problems faced by women in India.

In the present electoral system of democracy in India, it is clear that the numerically strong formidable “women votebank” can overshadow all other votebanks.

Therefore, women must unite and vote en bloc as a solid “votebank”.

Yes, women will have to play “votebank politics” if they want a better life.

VIKRAM KARVE

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Is India a Soft State...?

Sunday, December 1, 2013

WOMEN’S VOTEBANK – A Distant Dream?

Friday, August 23, 2013

WOMEN’S VOTEBANK - Panacea for the Betterment of Women in India

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