The reservation debate

I _had_ to comment on this one, didn't I?
After this ridiculous coalition of lefties and wannabe-lefties known as the UPA has come into power, we've kept hearing about nothing but 'empowerment' of the so-called backward classes and the minorities. While one cannot be against that in principle, it is the implementation that is causing a lot of disconcertion amongst those who really want empowerment of all sections of society.

It is no one's case that the underprivileged sections of society must be given a chance to compete with the others. But who are the underprivileged? Son of a former railway minister, just because he is a Dalit? Son of a RBI governor, because he belongs to the scheduled castes? Or is it a poor Brahmin's son? Or the daughter of a poor Muslim?

Caste-based reservations haven't really led us anywhere. It is not that the politicians can't see it. But as Ayn Rand eloquently explains in her masterpieces, they are a bunch of second-handers who are out to destroy everything that the first-handers have created.

More on this later...just got back to blogging after a long hiatus.

Foot(firmly)-in-the-mouth disease

All my friends, particularly those that know me well, know that I suffer from one serious, but non-infectious disease. This is the "Foot-in-the-mouth" disease whose main symptom is the patient's unending urge to plant his/her foot (gulp) into his/her mouth.

Usually, symptoms of this disease manifest themselves during puberty, and while it affects both genders, the male of the species tends to succumb to this more frequently, and with greater intensity. Ofcourse, there is no cure for this disease and while the symptoms may be mitigated, they tend to relapse ever so often. And a miraculous thing about this disease is that its symptoms adhere to Modern Physics - they appear in both space and time, confirming to the eternal Space-Time Continuum. To elaborate, there are three major kinds of symptoms that have been observed. The first is "SITAAT" or Say Inappropriate Thing At Appropriate Time. The second, "SATAIT" or Say Appropriate Thing At Inappropriate Time, and the final one is "SITAIT" or Say Inappropriate Thing At Inappropriate Time. Ofcourse, there is also the rarely occurring DITAAT, DATAIT or DITAIT, with the D standing for "Do", but that is not significant to my discussion and so I'll let that rest.

However, I am not a registered medical practitioner, and with the licensing hawks around, I better take care about diagnosing medical problems on my blog. [Remember, my disclaimer does not still exempt me from any harm that may be caused to someone using information from my blog.] I'll just talk about my symptoms. I have a severe, relapsing case of FIM, known as the FFIM, or the Foot Firmly In the Mouth disease. It's symptoms are similar, but unlike the FIM, where the foot does get to go out of the mouth, when you have the FFIM, the foot just doesn't leave it. Ofcourse, it relapses quite regularly, is mostly harmless, and tends to attack particularly when I am conversing with an (unrelated) female of my species. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the disease immediately 'informs' me that it has set in, but only after the symptom has been broadcast to the entire planet (which according to the Stinky Foot theory of relativity, is at that instant of time constituted of the trigger and me and any others listening in to the conversation). For long, I've been looking for a cure for this disease, but it has eluded me. One way to mitigate the problem, has been to avoid the trigger, but in today's world, that is hardly feasible.

Diagnoses welcome.

(PS: In case you noticed, I did change my blog to add the disclaimer. So long, suckers!)

Still More Freedom of Speech and Expression

Today, NDTV carried a story on how the moral police in Tamil Nadu were running amok, with the latest incident being that of a warden in a government hostel who actually asked the girls in the hostel to maintain a public record of their monthly cycles. This is ostensibly so that the warden can make sure that none of them were involved in pre-marital sexual activities. Of course, the warden wasn't concerned that the hostel had only one bathroom which was reserved for him, and the girls actually had to bathe in the open after dark.

Can you believe it!?

I can't begin to say how wrong this whole thing is. But I'll let that pass. However, at the risk of sounding repetitive, I'll only say what I had said earlier. This is just another symptom of the underlying malaise where societal moores get higher precedence than the legitimate privacy of an individual. People like this warden get the guts to do something like this because the way society reacts to an individual's freedom, because of the kind of support the 'moral police' got during the Khusboo or Suhasini incidents, and because of the whole assumption that wierd concepts of societal honour are more important than individual rights.

God save this country.

C++ Static blocks

Ok, this isn't rocket science. But every now and then I should post something technical, if only to remind myself of my primary profession.

This time it is about static blocks in C++. Now what are static blocks? They are a cool feature in Java that lets you write code that executes when a class is loaded. For example:

class InitializedVariable
{
private static Vector data;
public static void main (String args[] )
{
for ( int i = 0; i < data.size(); i++ )
{
System.out.println(data.elementAt(i) );
}
}

static {
data.insert (new Integer(10));
}
}

So, how would you do this in C++? Ofcourse, you have static variables that can be initialized before the program starts (or the library loads). But how will you insert values into a map, or a vector?

Well, the answer is simple. Use another static object. In its constructor, perform the initialization that you want. :)

#include
#include
using namespace std;
class Static
{
private:
static vector values;
public:
Static ( )
{
vector::iterator b = values.begin();
for ( ; b != values.end(); b++ )
{
cout << *b << endl;
}
}

class VectorInitializer
{
public:
VectorInitializer ( )
{
Static::values.push_back (20);
Static::values.push_back (40);
Static::values.push_back (60);
}
};

friend class Static::VectorInitializer;
};

vector Static::values;
static Static::VectorInitializer initalizer; //initializes the vector.

int main ( void )
{
Static x;
}

While on this, can someone tell me how I can get code into HTML without the associated struggle? Thanks! :)

More Freedom of Speech and Expression

Time and again, I've ranted and ranted on my blog about why individual freedom is the most important aspect of a true democracy. For those who came in late, what I mean is that creating an environment where the freedom of an individual to rise to their potential - irrespective of gender, caste, race, financial status or religion, and one where polite dissent is encouraged, is the most fundamental aspect of a democracy.

On both these aspects, India fails quite miserably at times. For an instance of what I mean, see this story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4746480.stm

A young Muslim girl from one of Kerala's districts is learning classical dance. And is pretty good at it too. Her parents support it as well. But meanwhile, we have the local demagogues who have ostracized her family because of this.

So, what we have is a classic example of the conflict between the right of an individual to lead their lives and the power wielded by society. Fortunately, this time, the right of the individual seems to have the upper hand, but it is anyone's guess as to how long that'll last. And where are the 'guardians of public interest' now? Why are they silent? Why is Brinda Karat, who frets and fumes on women's rights, silent when faced with a real-life issue?

Before you think I am a different kind of (anti-Muslim) demagogue, let me clarify that I feel the same way when young friends are beaten up in UP parks, or when couples taking a walk in a park are harassed by the police, or when girls are killed to 'defend family honour'. My point is simply this - if the right of the individual is subjugated to the brute force of society, that society is not democratic.

Which, unfortunately, still holds for our dear own India.

The 'Average Curse'

Regular readers of my blog would probably have already realized that I have many interests in life. At the risk of sounding very pompous - I read a little, love to write, enjoy listening to music and singing, play the violin, play cricket, table tennis, badminton, and many other games/sports, follow politics/current affairs and try to keep up with the happenings on the economic front. Ofcourse, my chosen field is software development, and I am decent at what I am supposed to do.

However, in all of this, I suffer from what I call the "Average curse". While I may not suck at any of these, I am not exactly an expert in any of them. There is always someone in my friends' circle who can thrash me in each one of these. For example, for everything technical, my good friend Balbir is head and shoulders above me. If you take cricket, there are at least three or four of my close friends who can whack my bowling for over 20 runs in an over, and prevent me from scoring any when they come on to bowl. And then there is TT, where again, I am an also ran. If it comes to music/singing, even my nephews can do better! My brother may not have had formal training in music, but he can recognize raagas even before I can hear them!

In fact, like fractals for which the part is a reflection of the whole, my average curse takes effect both at macro and at micro levels. In computers, for example, I am supposed to have done a Masters' degree with specialization in compiler concepts, but I know atleast two people with no formal background in the field who can run rings around me in the subject. The same applies to networking or security - two fields on which I've worked earlier. Or for that matter, C++ - my favourite language.

So, essentially, you get the bane of my life - being average. An also ran. Now, don't get me wrong. It is not that I am frustrated with what I have. I mean, there is a wholely positive side to this - I do have some amazing friends who can keep me on my toes all the time. But still, there is one side of me that wishes I had something of my own - where I could be a Vijayan, if not a Stroustrup.

Anyways, had to get that off my chest.

Role modeling

My good friend Balbir once wrote an excellent post about role models in which he mentioned how people might be looking up to us without us realizing it. While I thought it was possible, I didn't think it would happen in my own life.

A few days back, I was talking to my Mom about my nephews (see them here) and she mentioned that my younger nephew, Vikas used to spray himself with my deo (oh yes, I use one) before going out to play. Then, she mentioned how he wanted to do everything I did - and then it struck me - I was a role model for my nephews. Not that it is surprising, after all, we all look up to the uncles, aunties and siblings who can bridge the gap between our parents and ourselves. Most of us have had the cool aunt, cool uncle or cool elder brother/sister who gave us our initial goals in life. However, in my case, my nephews and I are more friends than uncle/nephews. I never expected them to imitate any of what I did - so this came as a kind of a surprise. Now on, I've got to be more careful about what I say or do - I now have two pairs of eyes that'll be watching me.

This reminds me, I've got a lot to write about my role models. Let me start with my parents. They are probably the most honest, tough and yet nice people I've seen in my life. Both came from extremely poor backgrounds, starting their lives in a village called Nambihalli - in Kolar district. Both knew the value of education when they were very young - my mom having fought with my grandparents to be the first person in her family to pass 10th, and my dad having lived on "vaaranna/bhikshanna" to finish his BSc at Bangalore's Central College. I won't pretend that they've had the perfect marriage - but their commitment to each other and to my family has been nothing but marvelous. They displayed the true meaning of sacrifice - giving up their chance at a good life for my uncles and aunts (on both sides of the family) - spending more than 80% of 'our' income on their education. In all this, did I mention that my mom sings and my dad writes!? Not to mention, both have a keen sense of what is happening in the world around them.

Anyways, this post is starting to go beyond the lengths of reasonable comprehension. I'll stop here - feel free to post your comments and your role model experiences!

The first blooms of Spring

The thing I miss the most about not being in the US is the change of weather. I simply loved the change of colours in the fall, the dreary dry branches of January, and most of all, the first leaves and grass sprouts in Spring. It was as if the Earth was renewing herself, in all her magnificence. Of course, this also had other consequences - which my friend jokingly called "Spring fever", but let's not go there now :)

All of which is something I never got to see in Bangalore. This year however, thanks to the unprecendented rainfall and cold during last winter, many trees near my place had shed their leaves - and when I returned from Kansas City, all that greeted me were dry twigs. And after the rains the day before, the tree has sprouted leaves again - renewal greeting me in the morning! What a spectacular sight!

While on the topic, some of my friends have remarked that I am all logic and no feeling. Boy! has _that_ hurt!? Why is it that if you appreciate the fact it is chlorophyll that gives leaves their colour, you are branded as someone who can't appreciate the One's talent in creating it? I guess I simply can't get over my typecasting issues!!! :D

Anyway, read this for some old opinions on a similar topic.

Freedom

Regular readers of my blog (and there aren't too many of them, I'm afraid), will recognize that one of my favorite blogging topics is Freedom. Not the kind propagated by President Bush - freedom to bomb countries - but the kind propagated by the rest of the US - freedom to do your thing as long as it is within the parameters of the law. I was looking for something on the web and came across this poem by Rabindranath Tagore:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

That "heaven of freedom". Indeed. Funny how far away we've come from these ideals! But that is beside the point. Along with Nehru, whose "Tryst with destiny" speech, in my opinion, sets out the Indian dream, Tagore is one of those thinkers who knew the real meaning of freedom.

An amazing event

Asatoma sadgamaya
Tamasoma jyotirgamaya
Mryutorma amrutamgamaya

From falsehood to the truth
From darkness to light
From mortality to immortality

Nice words, eh? Well, these lines were played in a musical which I attended today, at the Gurunanak Bhavan, near Shivajinagar. Obviously, this was not the first time I heard these words - they have been a part of my upbringing, and not to mention, were played as the concluding score in the last of the Matrix movies - my second favourite movie trilogy. But today's was the most special situation in which I heard these words. Why? read on...

I am really not so much into plays and stage shows, so when my former roommate asked me to accompany him to a play today (we have a get-together planned every month), I wasn't that keen. Fortunately, like so many other times, I was wrong, and had a great time. The reason was that the performers on the 'stage-show' were kids who had some or the other form of disability, AND more importantly, they overcame it to put up an incredibly well-coordinated show.

The event was conducted by Chrysalis, an organization that works with differently enabled people. (Yeah, I am being politically correct.) A lot of the organizing was done by volunteers from MindTree consulting (I guess). Kids between ages of 5 and 15 (I think) put up such great performances that I felt ashamed of my own two left feet. Not just that...the event challenged some of my own beliefs in some unpredictable ways. For long, I had always assumed that the 'next' generation of people were in general, less socially conscious than my own, and that girls were less likely to be socially aware than guys, and that 'baal kati ladkiyan' - to quote a famous Sharad Yadav phrase - were less into social issues than the others.

Was I proven wrong on all counts today!? For someone who ranted against typecasting people based on how they look, I have been guilty of the same!!!

Thanks, Prad.

What a lady!

No, this is not a post about Sania Mirza, or about the Cofechino twins or even that 'representative of indian women'. This is about a simple lady from Karnataka who has set an example for many others (not only women) to follow. Yes, I am referring to the humble, soft-spoken lady from Dharwad - Sudha Murthy.

Today, there was an interview with her on one of the CNBC channels, and she was her usual self - jovial, humble, soft-spoken but articulate, down-to-earth and extremely intelligent. She mentioned about how she spoke out against discrimination, writing to none less than JRD Tata, protesting against the Tata's no-women policy on the work floor - eventually managing to change it. She spoke about how she supported Narayana Murthy, of how she runs Infosys Foundation, and how her cherished dream is to see that no child in India is deprived of an education because of poverty. Ofcourse, she also reads, writes and teaches. I wanted to get a transcript of the interview, but haven't managed to. I'll update this post if and when I find it.

Funny how in this age of opulence, of extreme exhibitionism, and of crass commercialization, people like Sudha Murthy thrive. For me, she is the ideal middle-class south Indian woman; very intelligent, articulate, well-read, has her priorities right, knows when and what to sacrifice, knows for a fact that money does not buy happiness, is selfless and extremely sensible. Too bad these values are going out of fashion what with Cofechino women becoming the model for girls to emulate and guys to adore. Together, the Murthy's make an amazing advertisement for the new India. Wonder why they aren't publicized in other countries - as the kind of couples running new India.

Anyways, wah Sudhaji, wah.

Saying

Real opportunities are like exceptions. You have to catch them when they are thrown.

- Gops

Sachin's helmet

If you've been watching today's cricket, and you have paid attention, you would have noticed a little patch on Sachin's helmet, right below the India crest. If you thought it looks like some sticker has been removed from that place, you are right. And what is missing is a small, rectangular tricolour.

Why would Sachin do that? Well, according to the grapevine, the Home ministry asked Sachin to explain why the tricolour was below the India (BCCI) logo. Being the sanctimonious pricks that they are, the minister and the bureaucracy asked the BCCI to explain why the players were using the tricolour on their helmets - Sachin, being the non-controversial person he is, promptly had it removed.

Just imagine - the tricolour flying on corrupt, criminal politicians' cars is does not violate it, but India's greatest champions (Sachin, Narain Karthikeyan, Rahul Dravid and others) wearing it on their helmets (note: not underwear) violates it.

What crap. And to think that my tax money is going to fund these idiotic fancies while bigger issues remain on the backburner. And if you read my "Freedom of Speech and Expression" post, you'll recognize the same feudal instinct at work here - no other democratic country prevents its sportspersons from wearing their national flags. No other democratic country creates two classes of citizens when it comes to the right to fly their own flag.

Yes, _I_'m back.

Hypocrisy - thy name is Google

Every competitor of Microsoft has used one theme to distinguish themselves from the Redmond giant - that of good v/s evil. And each time, they've just shown that they are either as evil as Microsoft or that they are supplicants of other evil forces. Apple went to town with how bad Microsoft was before letting it take a nice part of its pie. IBM tried doing it, but didn't cut much ice. The latest in the fray is Google - with their motto - "don't be evil". Yeah.

But as recent events have shown, Google is as willing as its corporate friends to throw human rights out of the window when the right amount of money is shown to its executives. A company that refuses to bow to the high and mighty US government has finally met its match in the People's Republic of China. Yes, Google will censor search results for searches emanating from China to suit the PRC's political masters. Yes, don't be evil, but just so long as you don't get the right amount of money.

A team and a group of people

What is the difference between a team and a group of people? Can we call any group of people a team? Obviously not. So, does a common purpose make a team? Well, mobs have common purpose - and we don't call mobs teams...

So what is a team? In a team-building programme I attended, Maj. Gen Oberoi, a former Indian Army person said that TEAM means Together Everyone Achieves More. Indeed. No team was ever built without synergy. A team which does not inspire its members to go beyond their potential is not a team.

Why am I bringing this up? Well, today, on Aaj Tak, the nine finalists of "Indian Idol" were with our Army jawans, trying to go through a simple obstacle course. They were quite successful at it too. That reminded me of my own experience with an obstacle course in a team-building programme I attended. We were faced with physical tasks which I thought were impossible to perform, at least by non-professionals. In addition, even one member failing in the task would mean that the entire team lost. Surprisingly, each member in the team rose to the occasion. We completed the tasks with more than enough time to spare and boy, were we pleased with ourselves!?

What made that team work? I wish I knew. I do know that the people in the team led by example. No one would ask the others to do a task which they wouldn't do themselves (think Dravid v/s Ganguly). Everyone wanted to win - each one of us had a thirst to quench (think Indian team under Ganguly/Wright or Dravid/Chappell). No one wanted to be a drag on the others - in other words, no one wanted to be a passenger. We would navigate - or we would row. There was no third choice.

Now the question is: How do you make this happen in the work place? How do you deal with people's egos, their problems, and their prejudices? How do you create a team of individuals whose effect is greater than the sum of their potential? How do you bring together people from disparate backgrounds and weave them together in a manner that a friend likened to this: "Individual threads of silk are all very beautiful, but they pale in comparison to the beauty of the saree"

I really don't know. And I can say with utmost sincerity that I haven't come across such a team ever again. And I don't know if I ever will.

Three cheers to that team!

(PS: To get back to my standards, let me just point out that team and meat are mirror-images of each other. So do teams have meat? :D)

Friends

No, this is not about the TV series. It is about real friends. The ones we meet in life - with whom we share the good and the bad, with whom we learn, from whom we learn, and essentially enjoy being with. Have you noticed that the only relationships we choose in our lives are those of our friends, and the rest - parents, siblings, children e.t.c are all ones we are stuck with (particularly if you are not as lucky as me)?

Wives are a different story - lets not go there...at least not yet :)

Anyway, here is an ode to friendship that a very dear friend of mine sent a long while ago.

[ode]
Friendship Forever

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend;
Someone who changes your life just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop
Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it.

This is Forever Friendship.

When you're down, and the world seems dark and empty, Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times, and the confused times. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete, because you need not worry. You have a forever friend for life, and forever has no end.
[/ode]


So, again, heartfelt thanks to all those friends, who brought sunshine to a rainy day, who lent a shoulder to cry on, who listened to my meaningless rants, who patiently taught me to ride a bike, who tolerated my less-than-comfortable coding skills while doing projects with me, who fought with me because I didn't watch a film they wanted me to, who laughed silly at my nutty jokes, who were my teammates on the cricket field, who recognized my potential better than me, who...well, you all know. Thanks also to those friends who in sharing their feelings made me feel better, who made me tougher by narrating their woes, who made me understand people by understanding me, and who helped me become a better tutor by being willing (usually scapegoat) students.

It is said "We meet to make memories and part to preserve them". Indeed. Thanks to all my friends for all those wonderful and yet painful memories.

Readers, don't worry, I'll get back to my normal topics soon. :)

What a movie!

I got to watch the movie "Black" on Star Plus tonight. Wow - what a movie! This has to be one of the most powerful cinematic statements ever made in Hindi films. Sanjay Leela Bansali has created magic - ofcourse with the able support of Amitabh, Rani, and the little girl who played the role of child 'Rani'.

The theme that runs throughout the movie is one of determination, of achieving your goals against all odds, and of using your life to make someone else's a little (in this case, a lot) better.

I had seen the movie earlier on VCD, but somehow this screening on Star Plus got me. I mean, imagine teaching a blind and deaf girl anything! And she goes on to get a BA degree! Acting is top-notch too. Particularly the little girl (just found out that her name was Ayesha Kapur) is simply fantastic. The sensitivity with which the story is handled is also top-notch. There are no song-and-dance routines, a staple of Hindi cinema. There isn't even a lullaby that the little girl's mother would conveniently sing in other movies. There are no love stories...and the sinking feeling that Amitabh gets after kissing Rani, his protege, is quite different from any run-of-the-mill Hindi film. And there are no "all is well that ends well" either.

Just goes to show that given the support, the guts and the audience, Indian movie makers can make serious cinema. Too good...SLB - take a bow.

If you are interested in learning more Helen Keller, the person on whom this movie is based, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller

Freedom of speech and expression

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire.

This one line sums up for me, the whole essence of democractic behaviour. Disagree, disagree vociferously, but jaw jaw instead of ban ban, or burn burn. The First Amendment to the US constitution for example, says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Thus, the right to freedom of speech and expression is absolute. Similar laws exist in other democracies.

Unfortunately, the one democracy that has never stood up for freedom of expression is our own India. Article 19, which grants us our fundamental rights, while granting us our right to speech, expression, and assembly circumscribes it with the following: "Nothing...shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of ... public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence."

So, essentially, while you have your right to speech and expression, nothing will prevent the government from banning a book you write, from arresting you for a speech you make, or from subjecting you to a trial by fire like so many movie makers found, recent examples being the book on Shivaji by John Laine, and the movie "Rang de basanti".

While criticizing the law, lets not forget that the law has not evolved in isolation. It is our feudal attitudes that have allowed such a law to be born and be used. When we cheered the burning of MF Hussain's paintings, banning of the "Satanic Verses", stoning of the theatres showing "Fire" and "Water", we hit another nail in the coffin of free expression. Each such move, supported by some section of the population has only emboldened the State to further challenge the citizen's right to expression. So, the next time you hear someone advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing, take a deep breath, and walk away. And thank god, warts and all, that this country still lets you do that.

The right way and the easy way

In the movie "The Weatherman", Michael Caine who plays the role of a meteorologist's father once tells his son, played by Nicholas Cage, "Do you know that the harder thing to do, and the right thing to do, are usually the same thing?". Indeed, in life, there is no easy lunch. And the right choice is usually the difficult one.

As with Governance. Our country faces a multitude of problems. In fact, we are uniquely positioned to face both 'sub-Saharan problems' of tropical diseases, poverty and illiteracy as well as 'developed-country' problems of environment and social security. And every problem faced by our country today has at least two solutions, an easy one and a hard one. And usually the hard one is the correct one. For example:

Problem: People in rural areas are dissatisfied because they see that urban areas have some semblance of infrastructure, and they have none.
The right (and therefore difficult) solution: Revamp governance structures to give more responsibility and power to local corporations. Reduce corruption in government works. Curb wasteful spending and spend more money on infrastructure.
The easy solution: Starve urban areas of funding so that the infrastructure levels deteriorate. Raise emotive issues like renaming cities. Keep the urban population 'satisfied' by making regular announcements about infrastructure projects. Pretend to care for the poor while lining your and your followers' pockets.

Problem: Many disadvantaged people in the country don't even have an opportunity to dream the "Indian Dream"
The right solution: Empower individuals by focusing on education, health-care and infrastructure. Improve governance and reduce corruption. Give quotas to select individuals who are financially disadvantaged. Encourage corporates to adopt village schools for improving their infrastructure and standards. Create a meritocracy while not ignoring the truly disadvantaged sections.
The easy solution: Provide caste and community-based reservations, while ignoring the fact that most reservations are grabbed by the privileged amongst the backward communities. Raise the bogey of private-sector reservations. Ignore calls for a meritocracy by dubbing those calls as "imperialist".

Problem: Multinational companies operating in the country are mocking our food safety laws by selling pesticide-ridden soft drinks
The right solution: Strengthen enforcement of food-safety laws. Fine the companies for their negligence. Ensure that no one passes the buck by insisting on quality controls at all levels of distribution.
The easy solution: Create a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the matter. Ignore most of its recommendations. For the rest, pass the buck onto other ministries and statutory bodies.

Problem: Farmers in the country commit suicide because they are not able to repay the debt they incurred in buying fertilizers and pesticides.
The right solution: Change the food procurement policy. Improve storage and transport facilities for food grain. Encourage farmers to grow commercially-viable crops. Provide lines of credit for the farming community. Encourage the spread of organic fertilizers.
The easy solution: Declare publicly your affinity for the farming community. Arrange a photo-shoot with starving farmers, where you proudly announce your farming roots. Rant against MNCs, against the WTO and against the US government for 'commercializing' farming or for ignoring the plight of the farmers in the developing countries. Remember to place all the blame on the governments in power.

Problem: A third of the world's poor live in our country
The right solution: Recognize that there is no way poverty can be eliminated without unleashing the enterpreneurial energies of the people. Empower the 'last man' of Gandhi's vision to realize his dream with improved education, healthcare and infrastructure. Promote private investment, and encourage companies to invest (and create jobs) in remote areas by improving physical and social infrastructure. Act with a vision, and act with speed.
The easy solution: Make announcements about a rebuilding programme without even having to worry about its implementation. Ignore all sane economic advice and initiate impractical job-guarantee schemes. Talk, talk like there is no tomorrow, but never lift a finger in action.

Problem: Energy demand is rising while supply fails to keep up with demand. Also, the country has insufficient hydrocarbon reserves.
The right solution: Implement a fast-track program to exploit alternative energy resources like solar and biomass power. Implement a programme to reduce the dependency of villages on the main grid by supplying them with power from local sources. Provide for research in future fuels, including but not limited to hydrogen, while reducing dependency on imported petroleum by switching to natural oils.
The easy solution: Increase government control on oil PSUs. Make deals with despotic countries to buy petroleum. Make the country dependent on malicious neighbours by signing petroleum pipeline deals with them.

Problem: Environmental concerns are rising with cities facing unprecedented levels of air, water and noise pollution
The right solution: Create water and garbage recycling units while utilizing the natural recycling instincts of the public. Enforce pollution control laws and clean up polluted rivers and lakes. Punish fuel adulterators and vehicles that don't confirm to pollution norms.
The easy solution: Celebrate a "Vanamahotsava" every year. Give speeches in schools and other venues. Ignore pollution control laws and implement court verdicts in word, not spirit.

No prizes for guessing which choice our governments make.

The world is flat

I just finished reading "The World is Flat" by Tom Friedman of NYT. Folks, this is another _must_ read book. Friedman talks about what he calls "Globalization 3.0" and how it will bring unprecedented change to our societies. In particular, his 'discovery' that the world is being flattened and his exposition of the 10 flattening forces are very cool. Also amazing is his analysis of India's achievements. Of how no Indian Muslim was found in the al-Qaeda and how empowering democracy and civil liberties are. If you are an Indo-phile, do read this book. And if you don't want to spend the 15-odd dollars for the book, let me know and I'll lend you my copy. :)

Happy 2006!

I have a few resolutions for this year...
1) To learn a new skill/new facet of a known skill every week
2) To update my blog at least once a week

...and a few more...

What are yours?

The Ganguly saga

One of the things that distinguishes a country of great culture is the manner in which it treats its stars. When the stars are 'starring', they are not given unnecessary privileges. When they no longer shine, they aren't discarded. The recent BCCI behaviour w.r.t Saurav Ganguly fails on both counts.

First, they dump a player who has done yoeman service to Indian cricket in the most unceremonious fashion. Don't get me wrong - I am no fan of Ganguly's batting. And with recent failures his captaincy too had come under a cloud. Still, here was a man who with John Wright and other senior players, fashioned a fighting unit out of the Indian team. Here was a man who had the audacity and guts to return Andy Flintoff's shirtless compliment in the mother of cricket grounds. A man who blooded Harbhajan Singh, Kaif, Yuvraj, and countless others, sticking with them through their worst days. And how do the selectors treat him? They select him for a test series, which clearly was patronising, and then dump him after a single test, that too in a press conference!!!

What else could have been done? Well, a more respectable alternative would have been to talk to Ganguly, tell him that his services were no longer required, and that he should announce his retirement. Do this before the test series. And if you have to select him, make sure that he has a memorable retirement match - like the one the Australians gave Steve Waugh.

Having ignored to do that, we now have the ignominy of one of India's premier cricketers having to go through a media spectacle, with supporters blocking traffic, with parliament discussing his performance, and with Sharad Pawar 'consoling' him publicly. Further, he is patronized - by selecting him for a series he is surely not going to play in, that too at the expense of young talent like Kaif. As a result, everyone walks out damned. Ganguly, because it now is public that he is in the team for reasons other than performance, The BCCI, because of its crude handling of the entire affair, and the Calcutta public, for the shameful behaviour.

Unfortunately, this is a very Indian trait - callous behaviour, insensitivity to a person's feelings, and utter shamelessness and unaccountability.

See how the govt takes care of your health

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=83705

Intel and Oregon

Chidanand Rajghatta of the ToI group reports about Intel's investments in Oregon. He says
[quote]
"According to one estimate, Intel has ploughed in $11 billion over the past two decades, and has now announced that it will step it up to $25 billion over the next 15 years. A company that was powered by a Hungarian immigrant (Andy Grove) and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is now counted as Oregon’s own.Meanwhile, back home, Karnataka’s corrosive politicians turn their backs on Bangalore’s own. "
[/quote]

How sad. Read it to see how politicians in other countries actually work to improving the lives of their constituents, as opposed to those in India.

Vikram, on TV?

One (dis)advantage of coming here to the US is that I get to watch reruns and reruns of old shows like Friends, Frasier, Raymond and the like. In all of these, I keep a watch for anything Indian (South Asian). Seinfeld had an Indian wedding and a Pakistani restauranteer, Simpsons had an Indian grocer, but there weren't many others.

But, I was watching Friends today, and Ross makes up a boyfriend for Phoebe to convince Mike that she has been in an long-term relationship before. And what is his name? Vikram! Or Vikram Mookherjee, as Phoebe calls him - a smooth-talking kite designer.

Nice. Any others you guys are aware of?

On old fuddy-duddies...

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82417

When'll this end?

See what this idiot has to say
I have sent a rebuttal to DH, will post a link to it if it gets published.

UPDATE:
Well, DH didn't publish it - here goes:

I was aghast to read Mr. Krishna Prasad's letter, published in the Deccan Herald (DH, Friday, Nov 18th).
Doesn't Mr. Prasad realize that good roads that can handle traffic and that don't become lakes after an afternoon downpour are the right of everyone in the city (or in a village)? And that the IT chiefs whom he accuses of "frothing at the mouth" are as much citizens of this city as he is? And that they are infact doing what every self-respecting citizen of this city should be doing? Asking for their rights?
Since when has it become a crime to ask for your rights? Disparities occur in states not because companies ask for infrastructure in select pockets, but they occur because of lopsided governance. They occur because of an incompetent and corrupt government, and lackadaisical journalism that refuses to ask the right questions, and condemns people that do. So, don't blame the IT companies, Mr. Prasad, blame the government. Ask Dharam Singh why Bangalore became a lake. Ask Krishna, and above all, ask Deve Gowda why he has become such a roadblock to development.
The tirade against IT companies has gone on for too long. The IT sector is known for its high standards of corporate governance. They are paragons of efficiency in a country that cannot even lay a decent asphalted road. When will we come out of this crab mentality, and see the truth - that the IT sector is being targetted by vested interests, only to parade their pro-poor identities?
For heavens' sake, what the IT companies are voicing is the desire of every Bangalorean, be it a slum dweller or a mansion owner. In fact, who suffered more during the recent rains in Bangalore? And why did they suffer? Is it because of the "big, bad, frothing at the mouth" IT chiefs, or is it because of third-rate governance? Better roads, better electricity, better water are everyone's right. And that includes IT chiefs.

What Kapil knows...

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=108607

Manmoron doesn't...

In particular, Kapil says:

"In other words, there is far more movement than there was earlier. But given the fact that travel time, essentially by road, is extremely slow and taxing, efficiency and manpower utilisation is shrinking.
It’s a vicious circle: if movement becomes difficult or cumbersome, there will be no growth. Suburbs around cities will come up but not get inhabited, there will be no investment and it will contribute to the overall slowdown of the economy. Rural areas will not develop and advance if people do not move. "

What a tragedy. My vote for Kapil, if he ever stands for election.

Educational Improvements

Many suggestions have been floated on how to improve our education system, particularly at the primary level. More teachers, teacher training, mid-day meals, even a law that punishes parents who don't send their kids to school.

Here is my suggestion. Incentivize parents to send their kids to school. Pay parents to send their children to school. The reason why parents don't send their kids to school is because they are only looking for short-term gains. Send the male child to work and you get a few rupees for either your dinner or your drink. Keep the girl child at home, and she'll help with the household chores. Now, there is an incentive to send the child to school - money. There are ways to make this scheme work. Pay more if the girl child is sent. Don't pay the parents in cash - instead, open a bank account, and provide access through the "fingerprint" ATMs that are being developed in India.

Critics of this plan will point out the revenue implications of this scheme. I don't think this scheme has any worse revenue implications than the "National Rural Employment Guarantee Act" that is being proposed. In fact, it should be more welcome as it is now possible to kill two birds with one stone - give money to the poorest of the poor, while letting their children get an education.

What says y'all?

Server market stats

According to IDC, Windows server shipments matched Unix server shipments for the first time ever, in terms of revenue. Interesting, eh?

See this link for more: http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.php?content_id=92229

Flames, anyone? ;)

Published, at last!!!

Something I wrote finally got selected for publication as an Op-Ed in Indian Express:

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81196

Comments welcome, as usual.

Simple solutions to difficult problems - 1

Previously, I've ranted about many of the problems facing our country on my blog. Now, I want to start a series of posts on how we can solve them (easily).

The first in this series is on primary education. How do we fix the quality problems with government schools? Here is my solution. Force every politician and bureaucrat to send their children to government schools. This way, when their own future is at stake, they'll fix things. After all, we know of the 24X7 electricity, and water that are available to these guys...

Comments welcome as usual...

Jai Bajrangbali

Funny title for a post, eh? Well, this post is actually devoted to Sachin! Like almost every other Indian with warm blood in his/her veins, I've enjoyed Sachin's cricketing exploits. And like almost every other Indian, I've cringed at the sight of his batting for the last couple of years with the exception of the World Cup.

Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that Sachin is a lot like Lord Hanuman. In 1991, he flew to the sun (Australia), and conquered the land. In the later years, he grew, every time showing the strength and dignity of Hanuman. Funny enough, like Hanuman, Sachin was best when he was a senior minister, not the king. Ofcourse, like the Lord, he has also been absolutely selfless, sincere, hardworking, honest, loyal, and totally committed to his job and country.

Readers of the Ramayan will surely know of the curse put on Hanuman - that he wouldn't realize his own strengths. Sachin has suffered from the same curse in recent years. The flashy cover drive was gone, as was the light jump to hoick Shane Warne over his head. Second-rate bowlers became stars, taking his wicket regularly.

But someone has done the job of Jambuvan - someone has told Sachin what he really is - and man, does it show!!!

Welcome back, Sachin. And Jai Bajrangbali!!!

Endaro Mahanubhavulu...(1)

For those who are not familiar with Carnatic music, the title of this post means..."So many great people". On my blog, I plan to post regularly, less known anecdotes and stories of great Indians.

I shall start with Satyendra Nath Bose. Many of us don't know (and I didn't know till today) that S N Bose was a close associate of Einstein's and that there is even a fundamental particle named after him (no prizes for guessing this one...it is the Boson). The story goes that Bose wanted a job as a professor at one of the newly opened research universities in India, but he did not have a PhD, and so was asked to get a recommendation from someone who knew his work. Well, who else, but Einstein recommended him, saying that his country men did not realize that his work was far more significant than any PhD thesis!

If you are interested in knowing more, follow this link:
http://www.answers.com/topic/satyendra-nath-bose?method=6

My question to all those textbook re-writing ignoramus-es, particularly those from the 'nationalistic' BJP is this: Why in the world don't you fight to introduce stories like these in our text books?

An ODE to C++

Well, not exactly, an ode, but...

C++ is the best! Its like a bottomless well, you know, the deeper you go, the deeper you can go. You can never get bored of C++, and probably never 'know' C++

Anyways, people who disagree are free to spam me through the comments link.

Sir M.V

For those who are from Karnataka, the letters M.V, particularly when prefixed with "Sir" mean only one thing - Sir. Mokshagundam Vishveshvarayya (or Visvesvaraya, as Bangalore University likes to spell it). Yesterday was the 144th birth anniversary of Sir M.V. This post is a personal "Thank you" to the man who

• Built the K.R.S dam
• Brought electricity to Bangalore
• Started Mysore University
• Created U.V.C.E (started as a Mechanical Engg. school)
• Influential in starting the State Bank of Mysore
• and so on and so forth...

Sir MV was known for his discipline, punctuality, honesty, work ethic, and probably every positive adjective that you can think of. Extremely quality conscious, he is said to have checked every pillar and beam that went into the Kannambadi dam. A brilliant engineer, he is said to have exclaimed "what a waste of energy!" when he saw the gushing waters of the Jog Falls. Honest to a fault, he is said to have turned off the 'state-supplied' candle and used his own when he finished work and was handling personal correspondence. It is officials like him that gave Mysore state the sobriquet 'Model State' in the early-late 40s.

As the poet said..."Jaane kahan gaye voh (din) log?"

Wah Sania

Being one of the more tricolourly inclined, Sania Mirza's performance over the last one week (indeed, over the past one year) has made me proud. She portrays a great image of the young Indian woman - smart, aggresive, one focused on her goals. Not to mention what a role model she is for women in general and Muslim women in particular. And she is a great advertisement for India, far better than any "India Shining" campaign.

True, she lost quite badly to Sharapova, but hey, this is just her first US Open. A few years down the line, and I am sure we'll see a better contest.

Here is hoping that we see more Sanias, Rajyavardhans and Anju Bobby Georges.

Ban(s)galore

Bangalore is surely a funny name for a city, ain't it? But in the new dispensation, the city has been living up to its name...Ban - galore. Ban traffic in the city centre, Ban private vehicles from taking children to schools, Ban cellphones in colleges, Ban dance bars, Ban this, Ban that.

But, don't ban corruption, don't ban potholes, don't ban polluters, don't ban anything that would actually make the citizen's life a little better.

So, what _should_ you learn in your undergraduate course?

I am working on a Unix course for undergraduate students, sponsored by the company I work for. To aid us in deciding what to teach, we were given the syllabus for the students, from the 3rd to the 8th semester. Reading it raised the obvious question: "What should you (a student) learn in your undergraduate Computer Science and Engg. course?" Infact, I'll ask a more basic question - what should be the goal of your undergraduate education?

Surely, the undergraduate course is but an introduction to your desired field. No one expects a person to be an expert in the field after an undergraduate degree. That said, you are expected to know stuff. Here is my list of what an undergraduate degree should accomplish:

- Enough knowledge of the field.
- Enough English/Language skills to be able to write about what you know
- Enough practical experience...if your 'Major' was Computer Science - you should be able to program. If it was Electrical Engg, you should be comfortable with opening up 3-phase motors. If it was Mechanical Engg, you should be able to tear down an automobile, if not put it back together :) .
- Some ability at feasibility analysis...if you are a Political science student, you should be able to recognize that communism is unfeasible ;)
- If you're in the technical field, Math. Probably the most invaluable tool this side of the border
- If you are in browner pastures (viz the Arts), Language.

Any you want to add? Feel free to use the comments link right below. Hopefully, I'll get around to posting an answer to "What you need to get out of your computer science degree?" soon.

Globalization and Poverty

Recently a friend of mine posted a link to Vandana Shiva's "Globalization and Poverty" on his blog. This post is a response to some of the issues she's raised in the article. Ofcourse, due to the poverty of my ideas, I am forced to retain the same title as hers.

Read her article here

You can't argue with her when she says that our farmers are ruining their crops by excessive use of pesticides. Nor can you disagree when she talks about people growing water-intensive crops because they are profitable.

However, when she blames globalization, you got to sit up and take notice. See the text of what she says:

"...The drought is not a “natural disaster”. It is “man-made”. It is the result of mining of scarce ground water in arid regions to grow thirsty cash crops for export instead of water-prudent food crops for local needs. It is experiences such as these which tell me that we are so wrong to be smug about the new global economy..."

Its funny how the laws of causality never apply to Ms. Shiva's writings. Well, yes, the drought was caused by farmers growing crops like rice and sugar in water-starved regions like Telangana and Hyderabad-Karnataka. But why did they grow those crops? Was it because of the "global economy"? Why do our farmers use more fertilizer? Is it because of Monsanto? Fortunately for Ms. Shiva, no one asks these questions. Everyone is so taken by her form and fury that they forget to ask ... why? Having asked the questions here, let me try and answer them.

Our farmers use more fertilizer because historically they've done so. And they started doing so because of the "green revolution" that encouraged them in this direction. From 0.55 kgs/hectare, the green revolution brought up fertilizer consumption to nearly 20kgs/hectare in the early 70s ( FAO figures). During those days, chemical fertilizers and pesticides were thought of as the solution to the problems of low soil productivity and pestilence. In fact, comics were produced that drove home this fact! So yes, we were mistaken then - but why do we still use fertilizers and pesticides at such high levels? Well, now this has become a permanent clique of politicians and businessmen who take subsidies to manufacture chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so need a market for them, therefore dumping them at our farmer's doorstep - when was the last time you saw an ad on TV or the newspaper discouraging farmers from using chemical inputs? Pray, what do any of these have anything to do with globalization? BTW, the thirsty cash crops for export that Vandana Shiva mentions are rice and sugarcane - and no, they are not exported (at least not in quantities that lets the farmers profit). Farmers grow rice and sugarcane because of our food procurement laws, lack of infrastructure to store value-rich produce like fruits and vegetables, and guaranteed returns for these crops. So, if you want to blame someone, blame the government for not providing the infrastructure or freeing up internal markets, not "the global economy".

This is a typical tactic used by the eco-terrorists, anti-globalists and communists of all hues. Blind your opponent with flashy English (Arundhati Roy) or tragic scenes (almost everybody). Rant about how farmers are killing themselves, particularly to a largely western audience, and then blame it all on Bush, on globalization, on the WTO, on the BJP, on communalism et al.

Watch this space...

Of equality and equal opportunity.

Somewhere earlier on my blog, I had posted a link to Nehru's speech - "A tryst with destiny". As far as I have seen, this single speech sets out the Indian Dream for all of us better than any other. And amongst other things, Nehru mentions "...It (freedom) means the ending of poverty and ignorance and poverty and disease and inequality of opportunity." Note that he says "inequality of opportunity" and not "inequality".

Nehru knew, unlike the communists of today, that an equal society is unsustainable as it has high entropy and deficiency of opportunity, not to mention the fact that it is against the laws of Nature.

What laws? Simple - note that a rat and an elephant are not created equal. The rat is small, has numerous predators and has a short life span. The elephant is huge, has next to no predators and has a long life span. However, nature gives both an equal opportunity to survive. Rats have numbers. Elephants do not. The sheer numbers of rat population give the species a way to survive, and both species thrive (without taking into account wanton destruction of elephants by humans).

How does this apply to the real world? Easy as pie - Tendulkar and I cannot be equal. But both Tendulkar and I should get equal opportunity to become Tendulkar. The results may vary, but the opportunity should be the same. That is what a democracy should guarantee. In terms of governance, what should be guaranteed is that everyone gets an equal quality and quantity of education - be it a rich dalit, a poor brahmin or a 'backward' politician. And this should be a race to the top, not to the bottom.

The Mumbai tragedy

Its a shame - that the country's 'financial capital' crumbles totally when there is heavy rain. While a lot of media attention has been focussed on the role of the BMC and the state government, I want to bring the spotlight on the role of the met department.

I remember seeing the forecast for Western India - "Heavy to very heavy rain expected in the next 24 hours." Now does this tell anyone that the city is going to get record rainfall? Hey, even Bangalore has been getting similar forecasts for nearly two weeks now! I don't get it - can't the met department actually say - "Record rainfall predicted"? I remember watching forecasts in Raleigh and Fort Lauderdale. They were never wrong. If the forecaster said heavy rain - he would also say heavy rain of the kind that will flood drains (though that never happened).

So, why can't we do the same? Don't we have the equipment? Or the models? Or is it simply first-rate negligence?

Comments welcome.

Why technology is like art

One unfortunate consequence of being in the software profession is that people don't usually associate software with creativity, beauty and expression. For that matter, most people don't even like technology, as it either scares them or strikes them as being 'mind-driven' rather than 'heart-driven'. This is less true in India where it is 'cool' to be a 'code-freak', than in the US, but here too software engineering is treated as a well-paying 'love-less', 'passion-less' deskjob'. What is more unfortunate is that many software engineers too treat it that way - seeing the profession as a way to make a living rather than seeing it as yet another way to vent their creative cravings.

I wonder if it is because most people fail to see the beauty resident in a good program, in a well-designed 'geek-toy' or in a software tool. So, in this post, I want to present my views on the similarities between good art/music/architecture and good technology. Needless to say, I am only talking about my experiences.

Here goes:

Great architecture and great technology have universal appeal.

There is something about great art/architecture/music that appeals to a very wide audience. I know many people who have never heard Carnatic music, but simply love the Pancharatnas rendered by Balamuralikrishna. I myself fell in love with Beethoven's symphonies after hearing them at Vienna and I had zero exposure to western classical music then. Almost the entire world loves the Taj Mahal.
The same holds for technology. The Apple IPod, the Internet, Google, Blogging...to name a few.

Great art and great technology are timeless

I know that many of you will take issue with me on this one what with new tech toys and software coming into the market every day. But consider, for a moment, UNIX. Consider TCP/IP, with its extensions, and you'll realize what I mean.

Great technology is simple - sometimes deceptively so
Great technology peels well and peels long - just like great art.
Great technology creates experiences - just like great art.

Great technology is always simple - sometimes deceptively so. Anyone who has coded Quick sort would be quick to point out how the algorithm which stated in its textual form is:
Step 1: Choose an element and put it in its right position in the array.
Step 2: Repeat the same for the elements to the left of the array
Step 3: Repeat the same for the elements on the right
takes many iterations to get right. And then, we could talk about its complexity. And then, we could improve its efficiency for boundary cases, and then we could make it generic, and then provide proof, and then...you get the idea. The same holds good for almost every piece of hardware, for every game sold in the market place. Abstraction is a fundamental construct of technology. Which is true for art as well. I 'sort of' play the violin in Carnatic style, and believed for a long time that all there was to Carnatic music were the notes. You play the notes, and you have the song. Lately, I've realized that this is hardly the case. The notes are just one part of the song. There are the lyrics, there is a situation behind the song, and more importantly, the lyrics themselves have many meanings and so on. If you don't believe me, read the following line:
"mohada hendathi teerida balika maavana maneya hanginyako"
Translated, it means, "Why bother about your father-in-law's house when your wife is no more?". Apparently, this single line has many different, uncommon meanings, none of which are conveyed by the words(directly).

Great art creates experiences. Great music makes you forget the world. You lose yourself in the brilliant colours of a maestro's pictures. Technology does the same. We all know how we fought to finish our first video game, how we enjoyed the thrill of victory when we shot the villian (or ate the bad goblins), why, we even remember how we debugged our first program - don't we? Haven't we all had the days when we are so engrossed in a game that we lost track of time? Or so engrossed in getting a sorted linked list (this one is for you, Harsha) right in the 3rd semester programming class that we worked late into the night on an exam weekend!? Technology not only creates experiences, but also enhances them - take CDs and vinyl records for instance.

The principles of great art and great technology come from the same source.

More on this later...

Another 'possibilities' question

Ok, here comes another "What would you do if you could" question:

If you had all the money in the world and could choose your profession (however less paying it may be), what would your profession be?

Mine would be teaching - teaching any academic subject. What would yours be?

A tryst with destiny

Whatever be the man's shortcomings, Nehru is right up there as far as his speeches are concerned. Two of his best are: A tryst with destiny and the Light has gone out of our lives . I have had the good fortune to read some of his books - notably Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History , and both are excellent. Nehru's control over the English language, his love for India, and the natural flow of his thoughts are worth emulating.

Interesting question

If you could be taught by the best teachers in the world, which three subjects would you want to learn?

My choices would be
1) History
2) Maths
3) Theoretical Computer Science, not necessarily in that order.

What would your choices be?

Stacks and Vectors

Inspired by my friend Balbir, I've decided to start posting technical questions on my blog. Here is the first one:

You want to implement a Stack using a Vector. So, how do you do it? There are three approaches (in C++):

1) class Stack : public Vector
2) class Stack : private Vector
3) class Stack
{
private:
Vector vec;
};

Of the three, which is the best, and which is the worst, and why?
No prizes for guessing which method Java adopts...

Three stupid words any programmer can utter

No, not "I love you"...if that is what some of you were expecting.
The three words are - "I know C++"

Disclaimer - This does not apply if you are Stroustrup, Lippmann, Coplien, Vijayan, or anybody else who really knows C++.

My car driving experience

I learnt to drive a car for the first time in 2001, just before I left for the US. Unfortunately, for the three years that I stayed there, I never drove. Still, I was usually the navigator whenever my 'gang' went on trips, so that gave me a good idea of how people drive on US roads.

Now, back in Bangalore, I am taking driving classes again, and man!, the things my instructor is teaching me are simply crazy. US or not, if this is the way people learn to drive, they will definitely cause accidents...here are a few gems:

- I am driving somewhere in the centre of the road and want to turn left. So, I quickly looked back and checked my 'blind-spot'. This brihaspathi tells me - "Yaak saar hindhe noodthaa iddira? Mundhe noodi!" [Why are you looking backwards!? Look ahead!]

- I am driving on the left lane on Bellary Road when a truck is parked right in front of me. I am in fourth gear and driving at around 45-50 (tell me if that itself is right), so I slow down, switch to third gear, turn on the right indicator to say that I am switching to the right lane. What does this guy say? "Yaak saar indicator haaktheera, right thirig baeka? Sumne kai thoorsi." [Why do you turn on the indicator? Do you want to take a right turn!? Simply show your hand!]

- I take a turn into a road that has a hospital on it. My road is blocked by an auto, with the driver sitting in it. So, I politely honk once. He (the auto driver) looks back and acknowledges, but is unable to start his vehicle. So, our pal takes over the steering and starts honking like he is in a noise-competition! To h*ll with the hospital and the patients!

I'll post more as I find time.

Representative of Indian Women

I am no fan of Aishwarya Rai's - I think she is too plastic, more like a Barbie doll than a human being. Her acting sucks, her dancing is like watching a robot, and the emotions she portays on screen are simply pathetic. So, in short, I simply can't stand her being the 'representative of Indian women' as I have a lot more respect for Indian women than that.

But why this topic? Because in her desperation to get slotted into Hollywood, the lady in question has been very visible on many English channels lately. And each time, she comes off worse than before. First, she was at Cannes, wearing a black dress which simply paled in comparison with Nandita Das' red saree. Then she assumed a 'call center' accent in her interview that was telecast on NDTV profit. And finally, on Oprah, there was a complete makeover and she finally showed her true h(c)olours.

No doubt she has the right to do what she wants. She has the right to be desperate for a Bond movie role. She has the right to wear a black dress and strut like a peacock (wow! India's national bird) in front of the western media. She also has the right to feel happy about being rated the 9th most 'beautiful' women ever.

What she and her lackeys don't have the right for, is to portray her as a symbol of new India. For all her 'greatness', she isn't. The symbol of new India is not a peacock strutting its feathers. It isn't a lady who is ashamed of her Indian accent and upbringing. It certainly isn't an actress who cannot act.

Empty mind...

Bangalore - I

A few days back, I, along with two very close friends of mine made my way home in an autorickshaw from work. It was raining, and naturally, we had the time of our lives trying to get an auto, get in it, and get back home. While the journey itself was uneventful, we got into an argument (we always do, only the topic differs) about Bangalore's condition. While I was arguing that the problems of Bangalore are due to imbecilic politicians and bureaucrats, and generally lower expectations of the people, my friends argued that there were resource constraints, and more importantly, too many people.

So, who is right? I don't deny that Bangalore is no Boston which can throw 80billion US$ at the Big Dig. But how much money does it take:

• to have motorable roads that are straight, with clearly marked lanes, reflectors and slopes for drainage?
• to have storm water drains that are clean, closed and that can take the load of the monsoon rains?
• to have footpaths that don't require mountain-climbing skills to walk on?
• to have sewage connections for every home, so that they don't let out sewage water into the storm water drains?
• to have proper lighting for the entire city?
• to have adequate green cover for all our roads?

Now, all of these are easily affordable by our very own BMP. But why is it that none of these happen? You all know the answer - corruption. How can the officials give out contracts if the roads remain in good condition? How can you spend 60cr on removing silt from storm water drains if you have closed drains?

So, what is the answer? I don't know.

Thanks to Tim-Berners Lee

Gawrsh! This Internet is awesome! Today I went around in a depth-first search of blogs and ended up visiting so many interesting people's sites!

Thanks, Tim-Berners Lee (http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/)!

Higher v/s Primary education

Economists of most hues have for long, proposed that governments have no business funding higher education, and so must focus on primary education while leaving the pursuers of higher education to bear its costs. Among them are highly rated leftist economists like Amartya Sen. The current UPA government, advised by the left-dominated National Advisory Council seems to agree with this school of thought.

Nothing, I repeat, nothing could be more dangerous to the economic future of this country.

India is today acknowledged as an emerging economic power, led by her strengths in 'high-technology' areas. How did we, a 'poor' country, manage to get such strengths? Simple - it was because of the innate Indian respect for higher education, and the opportunity provided by successive governments by keeping costs low. If we have the world's second (or third) largest pool of talented man-power, it is mainly because of our 'cheap' higher education. Imagine, would Kalam have completed his bachelor's if he had to pay the equivalent of 25,000 US$ for a year? Would Amartya Sen have gone to Presidency college if he had to pay 20 lakhs for a degree?

Not to forget the point about equal opportunity. While our leftist ideologues cry themselves hoarse over equal opportunity, how can they forget about equal opportunity in higher education? Why should higher education be the preserve of the rich (which will be the result if the government withdraws from higher education)? What our leftist pals seem to say is: "It is OK for me, (put the name of your favourite idealogue here) to get affordable higher education, but it is not OK for others". Animal Farm, anyone?

Primary education is extremely important, yes. But so is higher education. It is higher education that will give students the skills to survive in tomorrow's world - where jobs will be based on creativity and high technology, not on mass-manufacturing. It is research funding that leads to technological innovations and breakthroughs, not mass-manufacturing. But, when were the leftists interested in technology anyway?

Finally, the background to the leftist argument. The scarcity mentality. "Oh! we are a poor country, and we have too many people. So, we can't afford higher education, we can't afford nuclear power, ad infiniteum". I am no economist, but I am sure that a fraction of the money the government spends on itself or a fraction of the black money in India will suffice to finance higher education for our masses.

Activism

Everybody loves activists - don't you? These noble creatures give up home and work to FIGHT for causes that everyone is concerned about - the environment, human rights, animal rights, and if you are in India, secularism.

But how sincere are they? How much do they know?

I distinctly recall a discussion with an activist friend of mine who ranted against big dams, fertilizers, commercial farming, the BMIC project, Monsanto and genetic engineering without having heard of PL480. After all, how can you talk about farming in India without recalling the humiliation that PL480 inflicted on us?

There are many of his/her ilk, who driven by guilt get into these activist causes. The organizations that support these causes have active members in the US and UK, the Indians there being particularly susceptible to the activist guilt trip. Hard cash received in dollars is used to fund air trips of fellow activists to forums like the WSF.

If you are planning to donate to any such organization, desist.

Typecasting

Those familiar with C++ know that typecasting is a (sometimes necessary) evil. Does the same apply to real life as well? Don't get what I am saying? Well, read on...

The typecasting I am referring to is a sort of categorization of people based on nothing more than their looks, clothes, or the way they speak. It probably arises from the (sometimes foolish) attempts of the human brain to make sense of everything it sees. One of way of doing that is by categorizing information (the divide and conquer strategy), which naturally gets applied to people as well. Another reason could be the "Namma alatheyannu meeralarada devaru" syndrome, by which we measure people by our own subjective scales (hey, if my ruler can't measure it, it can't be long enough, right?).

Well, in my case, people make so many assumptions about the things I could/couldn't do, that I could almost write an entire book on the topic. This happens even with my closest friends and associates, and on occasion, with my family too!

For instance, there are many 'close friends' of mine who are convinced that I cannot swing a (cricket, TT, badminton) bat to save my life, that I cannot sing, who are surprised that I know some basic economic theory, and who just cannot believe that I can drive a vehicle at speeds greater than 30 kmph. Even when people find out that I have a particular talent, there are attempts at sub-categorization - oh, you prefer to sing particular types of songs, so you must be a guy who does not drive! Worse are the assumptions people make because of my lack of dress sense. I won't mention those here.

Here are some more categorizations: "Oh! you are a beautiful girl, so you must know how to sing". "Oh! you are clothed in jeans and t-shirts, so you must have modern views on everything" or, more insidiously, "Oh! you are so good looking that you have to be smart (In India) or dumb (in the USA) ".

I make no bones about the fact that I am guilty of it, and much as I try, there are occasions when linguistic flourish, a personable appearance, or an unfathomable accent has led me to making the wrong judgement about a person.

Are there any advantages of typecasting? From where I stand, there seem to be none. What do you think?

Feel free to post your opinions and experiences.

How to become a hacker

An informative guide to lead you to hackerdom
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html

In particular, read the "Points of Style".

RNI's

Everyone (in India) has heard of NRIs - Non-Resident Indians, Not Required Indians, and so on. In this post, I want to talk to RNIs - Resident Non Indians. This is a category of people I've met only recently (during the past 3-4 years).

The breadth of knowledge of an RNI is amazing. S(he) is usually an expert in everything 'global' - global warming, the effects of Monsanto on agriculture, the Iraq war, NBA, European League Football, Kosovo crisis...the vishwamanava of Kuvempu's poetry. But when it comes to India, be it the Emergency, be it Cricket, be it Indian music - s(he) knows nothing. Now, I am not against knowledge of any kind, but shouldn't one know basics about his/her own country while knowing so much about a foriegn land?

This is an attitude fostered by our news channels too. The Schiavo case made headlines on NDTV, the newsbar keeps talking about trivialities of US society like which actor married whom, or who is giving a concert somewhere. Nowhere in these news items will you find mentions of people like Somender Singh (from Mysore) [See story in this blog on engine efficiency], or Rajaram Bojji (the 'inventor' of Skybus), or any of the people that truly make India great.

What a shame!

A great link

See this link for some of the greatest film speeches:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/moviespeeches.htm

Search for "Gandhi" to see some videos from the movie.

A good post on driving in Bangalore

Nice one - read in particular, the part about BMTC Golf!
http://o3.indiatimes.com/jonagil/archive/2005/05/12/114431.aspx

Thanks Vinay!

Me and Mozilla

Being in the IT industry, I obviously have many 'geek' friends, most of whom use Mozilla. Naturally, every one of them has been hounding me to use Mozilla, asking me to use a 'real browser', to stop supporting rich fat capitalist companies, and to desist from encouraging the big scourge - Microsoft. [Note the absence of quotes everywhere except 'real browser']

I've tried using Mozilla twice - once on my Windows XP system and another time on Windows 2000. While the bells and whistles are great, I haven't found that Mozilla is any more stable than IE. Furthermore, and this really irritates me, our intranet home page does not open with Mozilla, nor do many sites that use ASP. So, my question is - if a browser does not open your favourite website, what do you do? Change the browser, or stop visiting the website?

Now you know why dreams of Linux conquering the desktop world will remain just that - a dream.

A better IC engine

Now all of us in our Engineering undergraduate courses, learnt that the efficiency of an IC engine does not exceed 28%.
Here is a good story about how an engineer from Mysore has improved it:
http://www.goodnewsindia.com/Pages/content/newsclip/story/193_0_2_0_C/

Also, if you are interested in other good news on India (albeit a little optimistic), visit:
http://www.goodnewsindia.com

Attitude and Aptitude

Heard from a manager:
"It is not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude"

How true.

Amongst the people with a fantastic attitude I've known, are a large number of 94 UVCE folks. This post is simply to say - "great knowing you guys"!

Moneys for Bangalore devp.

Incidentally, ToI reports today that Dharam has sanctioned 135 crores for roadworks and the like in Bangalore. Recently, our Siddu (sic) had sanctioned 300 crores. Now, they are sanctioning 60 crores for desilting storm water drains, and god knows how many crores for the tree massacre that is going on.

In fact, the tree massacre is a great opportunity to make money. So many juicy contracts to hand out - contracts for cutting the tree, for transporting the debris, for replanting new trees...

If you wonder how these guys siphon off money, take a look at Ambedkar Road...recently, near the Indian Express bldg, they repainted the lane markings and zebra crossings...now, obviously, no one gives contracts to paint half the road and leave the other half - but lo and behold, that is precisely what has happened here! Wish I had a camera to take snaps and post them here - but I don't :(

Dr. Clean

Ok, I am sitting here at work, it is 12:20 in the night, waiting for my cab to arrive. So, what shall I do? Add a new post! So here goes...

One thing that burns me up is the Dr. Clean title given to the "aashaadabhooti" prime minister of ours. Now, the one person who deserves the title is the President - who has unfailingly kept up constitutional propriety in everything he has done. What about this guy? He has got this image by doing exactly the opposite! Jharkhand, Bihar, Buta Singh, Shibu Soren, Laloo...not just that, he addresses a conference of DMs where he says that DMs should have fixed tenures, and the evening, dismisses two honest DMs who had the guts to tackle Laloo's goons!

All this is the creation of the English media. Oh! the innocent Manmohan, the diffident Manmohan, the "father of reforms" Manmohan - what junk!

God save this country.

Anyway, read this article for some more temperature increases:
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/may/25kanch.htm

Heartening changes in highways

One of the things I got to do recently was to go on a drive beyond Bangalore. One change that gladdened my heart was the new highway from Hebbal onwards. While most of it is under construction, the stretches that are complete are fabulous (if only by Indian standards). While I cannot say much about grade separators, medians, greenery, safety, lanes, and the like, the ride was damn smooth.

See this site (particularly the Indian Highways -II forum) for some snaps...
http://skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?s=1aac3b9f35a111260f8b043c51e7b8be&f=540

I'll post more links as and when I can.

The Nehruvian Penalty

People born in my generation (70s) have only read about Nehru in their (our) textbooks. Few of us know that he was single-handedly responsible for the Kashmir mess, our slow rate of growth, and for not getting a UN Security Council permanent seat.

Rajeev Srinivasan, my favorite columnist, has documented this in good measure in his articles...in fact, the title of this post is a term coined by him.

Now while we are doing somersaults to get a UNSC seat, many people are not aware that the "Pandit" actually refused a permanent seat when the US, Russia and other countries offered it to India. Here is what he actually said:

"From the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Series II, Volume 29, Minutes of meeting with Soviet Leaders, Moscow, 22 June 1955, page 231, here are the minutes of the conversation between Jawaharlal Nehru and Soviet Premier Marshal Bulganin, as quoted in Claude Arpi's Born in Sin: The Panchsheel Agreement (Mittal Publications, Delhi, 2004, ISBN 81-7099-974-X):
'Bulganin: While we are discussing the general international situation and reducing tension, we propose suggesting at a later stage India's inclusion as the sixth member of the Security Council.

Nehru: Perhaps Bulganin knows that some people in the USA have suggested that India should replace China in the Security Council. This is to create trouble between us and China. We are, of course, wholly opposed to it. Further, we are opposed to pushing ourselves forward to occupy certain positions because that may itself create difficulties and India might itself become a subject of controversy. If India is to be admitted to the Security Council it raises the question of the revision of the Charter of the UN. We feel that this should not be done till the question of China's admission and possibly of others is first solved. I feel that we should first concentrate on getting China admitted.'"

Thanks Rajeev Srinivasan and Rediff for this one. Pandit...yeah, right!

Bureaucratic reform

This is the draft of a letter I wrote to a Bangalore newspaper on the topic...

One of the major promises made by the UPA government has been the reform of the bureaucracy. I would like to suggest through your paper, a couple of measures for the same.
First, change the selection process. It is patently obvious that the system needs the best managers. However, the screening process selects, at best, the most academically qualified people and, at worst, India's best information store-keepers. I fail to understand what good a 300-point-worth essay is in executing an infrastructure project? How will a 300-point-worth general studies paper help in improving primary education? It is not my point that language skills are unimportant, or that general knowledge is immaterial, but testing essay-writing skills selects people who can frame arcane laws in Victorian English, not people who can connect with the populace and deliver services. Interested readers may want to look up the Indian Flag Code available at (http://mha.nic.in/nationalflag2002.htm) to get a first-hand feel for the kind of candidates that the system selects.
What is needed is a screening process that selects people with the right attitude - people with integrity who can work as a team, lead in dire situations, and take responsibility for their actions. In short, the best managers, not the best academics.
My next suggestion is about taking responsibility for one's actions. Unfortunately, in today's system of 'collective responsibility', no single person gets the credit, nor does anyone take the blame. The 'system' therefore continues to plod along, not only wasting money, but more importantly wasting opportunity. This should change - every official in the government should have targets every year. Action should be taken against officials who don't meet targets, and the entire process should be made public. Only then, will we see accountability and action - not very different from in the private sector.
One hopes the UPA government recognizes these issues and takes action to remedy the drawbacks in the system. Three cheers for bureaucratic reform!

Another great book

The Fountain head - this is probably the greatest book I've ever read (comes real close to Animal Farm and 1984). Ayn Rand has written a master piece. In fact, this book even contributed a few phrases to the English language - notably, "The Roark effect" and "Objectivism".

Anyways, don't miss this book - for what ever reason. The main characters are Howard Roark - a brilliant architect who is up against the system, best represented by his friend Peter Keating and newspaper columnist Ellsworth Toohey. I could not put the book down once I started reading it (and it took me most of two days to finish it.)

There are two classic monologues in the book - the first when Ellsworth Toohey explains his philosophy to Peter Keating and the second, when Howard Roark defends himself. These are must reads for any sociology student.

How do you know that the Congress is back in power?

Well, the answer is simple -
A) The contractors are happy
B) The naxals are happy
C) The Income-tax/excise/customs officers are happy
D) The terrorists are happy
E) The "Family" is happy
F) The JNU-types are happy

... and so on and so forth.
So, who is unhappy? The poor thing called the "common man". Indeed, "Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ko laath"

BTW, a question (more like a no-brainer): If 'con' is the opposite of 'pro', what is the opposite of Progress?

Best place to work.

I noticed today that the posts on my blog were getting a lil' too negative, so I decided to throw in something I like as well.
For all you nerds out there - can you find a better place to work than this?

A great book

I bought and read Arun Shourie's "Governance and the scelerosis that has set within" recently. It is a great book!

Here is the official excerpt:

"Can officers use red or green ink on files? A simple question, you may think. But in government it is enough to set off meetings, letters, references to other ministries that stretch over a year. . . A tree false on to the house of the Indian High Commissioner; memos fly to and fro, and for nine years government cogitates and deliberates, and weighs pros and cons, unable to decide who is to repair the house, and how. . . From such trifles to matters that spell the difference between life and death, the same pattern. . . Environment degenerates. Laws are passed. Rules are formulated under those laws. Boards are set up to enforce the laws, the rules. The degradation accelerates. . . Intelligence agencies, governors experts on national security issue warning upon warning about the peril that the demographic inundation from Bangladesh spells for our country. Political parties keep quarreling about the matter. Ministers keep issuing statements, and disowning them. Governments keep ordering intelligence agencies to prepare position papers, and then up-dates of position papers, legislatures keep drowning the warnings. Courts keep adjourning hearing. The inundation continues. . . .
Governments shut their eyes to a problem. The problem swells. Governments look the other way. The problem explodes. Governments set up an institution to tackle it. Five years later, exactly what had been forecast comes to pass - the problem is still there, and the institution has become another problem. . . . As the institution has not worked, a law is passed. As the law is not enforced, amendments are decreed that make penalties under the law more frightening. Legislation as a substitute for enforcement. Vision statements, plan documents, strategy papers as a substitute for execution." (jacket)

I recommend this book to everyone who wonders why after 50 years of independence, we don't have adequate literacy or access to clean drinking water.

His website: http://shourie.bharatvani.org/about.htm

Clearances for Bangalore Airport

While people are celebrating that the 'final clearance' has been given for the proposed International Airport at Bangalore, I strongly recommend that anyone who believes that the project will happen read this:
http://www.karnataka.com/watch/blr-airport/

It is a great link outlining the history of the project since 1997-98. The reader is reminded that the project was conceived even before that - in 1989.

Update

Ah - I finally got time to do some basic changes to my blog. The interface is new, and I've started adding links to some other blogs I like.

What democracy?

It has been a long time since I updated this blog - so here goes:

Isn't it funny that while we were mourning the death of democracy next door in Nepal, we are being mute spectators to the death of democracy in our own country!? I mean, how can anyone justify the invite to Shibu Soren? Is there no decency left in the politics of this country!? This is actually typical Congress culture - to dismiss elected governments, to manipulate verdicts, to promote horse-trading, all under the garb of secularism. Why do you support Lalu? Secularism. Why did you betray the people's verdict? Secularism. And why did you massacre thousands of Sikhs in 1984? Secularism!!!

Actually, the problem here is deeper within. The Congress thinks that it and only it can govern the country. Add to it the Italian queen-bee, some fawning idiots and a fractured verdict (of 2004) and you have a devastating combination. The recent actions of the Goa and Jharkand Governors is just the beginning. (Well, actually, the move to dismiss NDA-appointed Governors was the beginning!) Wait and watch to see how these guys murder democracy.

Anyways, God save this country.

Rethinking Kashmir

Rethinking Kashmir

I read with great interest Prof Mukthar Ali Naqvi's rebuttal (May 17) to Prof Hoodbhoy's article in Dawn.

Unfortunately, Prof Naqvi seems to have got his facts all wrong. India's exports crossed $50 billion recently, while its imports crossed $56 billion. While this trade deficit is close to Prof Naqvi's figure of $8billion, he conveniently glosses over the fact that India has a current account surplus - by which the forex inflow was more than the services imports, which also explains its burgeoning forex reserves.

The curious reader would have observed that in the duration between Dr Hoodbhoy's article and this letter, India's forex reserves have gone up by $6 billion, all without any form of foreign aid.

Prof Naqvi is again wrong when he says that companies like INFY are suffering losses. What has happened is that the margins have reduced from over 50 per cent to somewhere around 10-12 per cent, a more realistic figure, considering the slowdown in the industry. At the same time, Prof Naqvi ignores the huge outcry over outsourcing to India, in the US and the UK, caused by companies like Intel, Accenture and IBM shifting their software development to India. Incidentally, when was the last time a computer major shifted its operations to Pakistan?

My intention is not to say that India is heaven. Surely, India has too many problems that need to be resolved - poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, population, communalism, just to name a few. The same problems plague Pakistan as well. So, the need of the hour is not one-upmanship - as Prof Naqvi has unfortunately tried to do, but statesmanship, as displayed by the prime ministers of India and Pakistan.