Land of Lime

Growing up in the 1980s, we watched more Hockey than Cricket. It wasn’t a matter of choice, as Doordarshan, which was our only option, showed every single game India played, almost anywhere in the world. I also read everything I could find on India’s outstanding achievements in Olympics.

Dhyanchand capturing the imagination of Hitler was a particularly favorite moment. The romantic in me likes to believe that for all the horrors of Nazi Germany, when Hitler asked Dhyanchand to play for Germany and not for British India, he entertained a possibility of personal redemption. If hockey could convince a bigoted Hitler to overcome his racial prejudice, then Dhyanchand must have been a magician.

Anyway, I liked Hockey. It was always an aesthetic spectacle, especially when played by Indians and Pakistanis. It was fantastic to watch the flowing game that Zafar Iqbal, Mervyn Fernandez, Mohammad Shahid and a young Pargat Singh played. The two Pakistani stars of that era, Hasan Sardar and Shahbaz Ahmad were simply sensational.

By the 1980s, hockey had already become a sport of power and strategy and the finesse of the South Asian sides often got them nowhere. Still, sensational dribbling by Shahid and Shahbaz as well as Pargat’s audacious defending along with regular forays, more in the fashion of a Left-in, remain etched in mind. One game in particular, against Germany in the 1987 Champions Trophy at Perth, with India trailing by 1-5, Indians played inspired hockey to come back and draw the game at 5-5, with Pargat, starting from his own half, dribbled past six or seven Germans before scoring a spectacular goal.

Mukesh Kumar, Ashish Ballal and especially, Dhanraj Pillai were worthy successors, both aesthetically and in terms of their commitment to the sport.

It simply saddens me that India cannot even qualify for the Olympics today.

It has been a long decline for Indian hockey and now that it is on its deathbed, no postmortem report will help.

On another day, we will find causes but today is for mourning.

WaPo pronounces: India’s Movie Mecca goes global. Money quote:

“It’s just a fantastic moment to be in movies here, and the content is changing profoundly,” said Ashim Ahluwalia, director of a new critically acclaimed documentary called “John & Jane,” which depicts the surreal world of Indians who work in Mumbai call centers under American identities. “I’m not sure that was true even five or six years ago.”

Bollywood actors can learn the skills needed today at Kher’s acting school, which is almost like walking onto the set of the 1980s American TV show “Fame.” Young Indian actresses sport leg warmers and practice their lines while stretching, while handsome boys walk around in sunglasses, tank tops and jeans.

Here is something a Chicago Bears fan is never supposed to admit:

Not only was I a big Brett Favre fan, I began following football mainly because of his play from 1996 onwards. In the last ten years, I have probably watched more Packers’ games than Bears.

Brett Favre finally retires. Sundays next fall will be little less fun.

UPDATE: On the other hand, nobody would be upset at any adoration thrown in the direction of Adam Gilchrist, who offered many, many thrilling moments. Gilchrist was simply the most exciting cricketer I have watched.

Palaniappan Chidambaram’s Rs 100 crore gift to the Mysore University is great news to all of us , who worry about the lack of resources at institutions of higher learning. While there has been some talk of granting Central University status to Mysore University, this grant is much needed to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure and to bring the University into the 21st century.

I can only hope that the University of Mysore will be more prudent and better prepared than the Mysore Corporation, which has squandered ADB loan and has shown itself to be ill prepared to make use of JNURM grants.

So to identify areas of priority, the University administration should take the entire university community, including the alumni. More generally, this could also be a fantastic opportunity for the University to come up with a comprehensive plan to recreate itself, now that it has a substantial grant. The University could invite its faculty members and students to write memorandums on their pressing needs. A public debate involving the community at large in townhall meetings, newspapers and blogosphere will be essential.
I realize that the University has an acting Vice Chancellor but all of us also know that the University administration may not have much to offer. This has to be a movement from below, both to produce a vision for the University and to identify areas of priority. Moreover, we all have a responsibility to ensure the grant administration is transparent and above the board.

In that spirit, let me make the following suggestions.

The first priority has to be to the University library (and the department libraries too), which is in a disgraceful state. The collection needs to augmented, catalogue computerized entirely and the infrastructure completely modernized. There are also serious maintenance issues, starting from the completely incompetent and uncooperative employees. The University Library badly needs trained personnel, who are computer literate and are well versed in using electronic databases. We cannot have untrained attendors in the library, who if transferred within the University might be relocated to clerical duties elsewhere or will be bringing tea to faculty members.

The library also needs to subscribe to electronic journal databases. It is absolutely essential to buy subscriptions to JSTOR and such databases, especially to facilitate research. We need to take advantage of concessional rates that are often offered to the Third World universities.
An enhanced Computer lab, which offers enough Internet enabled computers to students, is also a must so that the students could access these electronic databases along with hundreds of thousands of digitized books, all of which would absolutely crucial in enhancing the quality of education and research in Mysore University.
I know that both the Information Systems and Library Sciences departments have some really good faculty members, who need to be used extensively to modernize the library and to train library staff, University faculty and students in using electronic databases. It is not enough to create this infrastructure, if faculty and students aren’t taught how to use it. Conduct workshops and training programs, extensively.
A second area of priority has to be the science labs. Even with my limited knowledge, I know that the quality of labs is uneven. If Applied Botany and Geology have been building their infrastructure through grants and foreign collaborations, the same hasn’t been true of other basic science departments.
Thirdly, we now have an opportunity to redefine the University’s publishing mission, by radically re-envisioning Prasaranga and introducing new ways of publishing. Prasaranga must become an IT hub for the University, an important site for Kannada software development as well as open source publishing movements. It should no longer should be wedded to publishing only printed books but consider online publishing, especially encyclopedias.

This would be truly the way to bring into the 21st century the institution building work that Kuvempu, Jawaregowda and Ha Ma Nayak accomplished since the 1950s.
This list could go on and on. I will expand on some of these themes later.

For now, let me just say: rebuild libraries and labs and be innovative in fulfilling Prasaranga’s mission.

While you are at it, wire the campus and turn Manasagangothri into a wireless hotspot. If the kids have money to buy fancy bikes, they will buy laptops too.

I know some of my suggestions seem fanciful, if not wasteful and impractical. They are not and they don’t cost too much money, especially wiring the campus and modernizing the library.

I also know that the University faces much more acute problems of infrastructure. Maharaja’s College, for instance, doesn’t have a fax machine in its office. That’s simply scandalous. The University administration could consider giving more money to its colleges and departments for contingency spending and ensure the basic infrastructure exists.

Hundred crores is plenty, if spent wisely.

Let the planning and dreaming begin.

ಶ್ರೀ ಮಾನಸ ಅವರೆ,

ನಾನು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಗಳ ವೃತ್ತಿಪರ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ ಹಾಗು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಪರಿಷತ್ತಿನ ಆಜೀವ ಸದಸ್ಯ. ಈ ಎರಡೂ ಕಾರಣಗಳಿಂದ, ತಾವು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಪರಿಷತ್‍ನ  ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಘಟಕದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ವಿಮರ್ಶಕ ಜಿ ಹೆಚ್ ನಾಯಕರಿಗೆ ಬರೆದ ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪತ್ರ ಕುರಿತಂತೆ ನನ್ನ ಭಿನ್ನಮತವನ್ನು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕವಾಗಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದು ಈ ಪತ್ರವನ್ನು ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಕಳೆದ ವಾರ ಕಸಾಪ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಚಂದ್ರಶೇಖರ ಪಾಟೀಲರು ತಮ್ಮ ಹೊಸ ಆದರ್ಶವಾಗಿ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ನವನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಸೇನೆಯ ಸ್ಥಾಪಕ ರಾಜ್ ಠಾಕ್ರೆ ಹಾಗು ಅವರ ಉತ್ತರಭಾರತೀಯರ ವಿರುದ್ಧದ ‘ಉಗ್ರ’ ಹೋರಾಟವನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಲ್ಲದೆ, ಕನ್ನಡ ನಾಡು್-ನುಡಿ ಉಳಿಸಲು ಅದೇ ಮಾದರಿಯ ಚಳವಳಿ ಅಗತ್ಯ ಎಂದದ್ದು ನನಗೆ ಗಾಬರಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಅಸಹನೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅತಂಕಗಳನ್ನೇ ಕೇಂದ್ರವಾಗಿರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಜೀವವಿರೋಧಿ. ಆ ಮಾದರಿಯ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಭಾಷೆ-ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಉಳಿಸಿ ಬೆಳಸುವ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೃಜನಾತ್ಮಕವಾದ ಪಾತ್ರ ವಹಿಸಲಾರದು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಮರೆತ ಚಂಪಾರಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೇನನ್ನೂ ನಾವು ನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಲಾಗದು.

ಇತ್ತೀಚಿನ ವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಬಂಡಾಯದ ಬೇರುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತುಹಾಕಿ, ಅಧಿಕಾರ-ಸವಲತ್ತು-ಗೂಟದ ಕಾರುಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ  ಬಿದ್ದಿರುವ ಚಂಪಾ ಒಂದು ವಾರದೊಳಗೆ ಕಸಾಪದ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಘಟಕಗಳ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರುಗಳಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಹೊಸ ಮಾದರಿಯ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ರಾಜಕೀಯವನ್ನು ರಪ್ತು ಮಾಡಿ ಬಿಡುವರು ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. 

ಆದರೆ ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿರುವ ಸತ್ಯ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇದು: ಅಸಹನೆ ಪ್ರಜಾಸತ್ತಾತ್ಮಕ ಮೌಲ್ಯವಲ್ಲ ಹಾಗು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಆದರ್ಶವಾಗಿ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ, ಅದು ಹೊರಗಿನವರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಮಾತ್ರವೇ ಹೊರಬರದು. ಭಿನ್ನಮತ ವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಪಡಿಸುವ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೂ ಸಹ ಅಸಹನೆಯ ಬಲಿಯಾಗುವುದು ಸರ್ವೆಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತದೆ.

ತಾವು ಸಂಘಟಿಸಿದ ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಜಿ ಹೆಚ್ ನಾಯಕರ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೇಲಿನ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ ಹಾಗು ಖಾಸಗಿ ಬದುಕಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಟೀಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ನೀವು ಅರಿಯಬೇಕಿತ್ತು. ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನಕ್ಕೆ ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಹಿರಿಯ ಬರಹಗಾರರನ್ನು, ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹಿಂದೆ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆ ವಹಿಸಿದ್ದವರನ್ನು ಗೌರವ ತೋರಿಸಿ ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸದಿರುವುದು ನಿಮಗೆ ಹೆಗ್ಗಳಿಕೆ ತರುವ ವಿಷಯವಲ್ಲ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಕಸಾಪ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಸೇರಿದ್ದು. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಮಠ-ಜಾತಿ ಸಂಘಗಳಿಂದ ದೂರ ಉಳಿಯವುದು ಉಚಿತ ಎಂಬ ನಾಯಕರ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಅಂತಹ ಸಮಸ್ಯಾತ್ಮಕ ನಿಲುವೇನೂ ಅಲ್ಲ.    

ಮೇಲಾಗಿ ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಕಸಾಪದ ಕಾರ್ಯವೈಖರಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ನಡುವಿನ ಹಿರಿಯರು ಎರಡು ಹಿತವಚನಗಳನ್ನು ನುಡಿದರೆ, ಅದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಸೃಜನಾತ್ಮಕವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯಿಸುವ ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ತೋರದಿರುವುದು ಕಸಾಪದ ಪದಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಗೌರವ ತರುವ ವಿಷಯವಲ್ಲ.

ಈ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜಿ ಹೆಚ್ ನಾಯಕರ ಮೇಲಿನ ತಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಗಳು ನಿಮಗಾಗಲಿ, ನೀವು ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಸುವ ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಕಸಾಪಗಾಗಲಿ ಗೌರವ ತರದು. ಕನ್ನಡ ಬರಹಗಾರ-ಚಿಂತಕರೊಬ್ಬರನ್ನು, ಅವರು ಯಾರೇ ಇರಲಿ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೂ ಮಾತನಾಡಲು ಬಿಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಕಪ್ಪು ಬಾವುಟ ತೋರಿಸಿ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ ಎಂದು ಕಸಾಪದ ಪದಾಧಿಕಾರಿಯೊಬ್ಬರು ಹೇಳುವುದು ಒಂದು ದುರಂತವೇ ಸರಿ. ವಿಚಾರ ವಿನಿಮಯವನ್ನು ಸುಗಮಗೊಳಿಸುವುದು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ, ಅಡಚಣೆ ಒಡ್ಡುವುದಲ್ಲ.

ಮೇಲಾಗಿ, ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಯಕರ ಕೊಡುಗೆಗಳ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ತಮ್ಮ ಮಾತುಗಳು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಕಟ್ಟುವ ಕೆಲಸ ಹಾಗು ಅದರ ಸ್ವರೂಪದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಚಿಂತನೆ-ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಗಳ ಮಿತಿಗಳನ್ನೇ ತೋರುತ್ತವೆ.

ಜಿ ಹೆಚ್ ನಾಯಕರು ಆಧುನಿಕ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ವಿಮರ್ಶಕರಲ್ಲೊಬ್ಬರು. ಜೊತೆಗೆ, ಕನ್ನಡ ನಾಡು, ಭಾಷೆ, ಸಂಸ್ಕ್ರೃತಿ, ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಚಳವಳಿ ಹಾಗು ಪ್ರಸಕ್ತ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಸವಾಲುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಳೆದ ಅರ್ಧ ಶತಮಾನದುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ರಚನಾತ್ಮಕವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯಿಸುತ್ತ ಬಂದಿರುವ ನಮ್ಮ ನಡುವಿನ ಅಪರೂಪದ ಚೇತನ. ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಯಕರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಳಿಕೆ ಅವರು ಬರೆದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು, ಅವರ ಪಾಂಡಿತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮೀರಿದ್ದು ಹಾಗು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯನ್ನೇ ನೋಡಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅರಿವನಾಚೆಯದ್ದು.

ಜಿ ಹೆಚ್ ನಾಯಕರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಳಿಕೆ ಅವರ ಬದುಕಿನ ಶುದ್ಧತೆ. ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಸದಸ್ಯತ್ವ ಹಾಗು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯದ ಕುಲಪತಿ ಸ್ಥಾನಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಬೀಳುವ ತಮ್ಮ ಸಮಕಾಲೀನ ಕನ್ನಡ ಬರಹಗಾರ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರ ನಡುವೆ, ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಯಕರು ಈ ಪದವಿಗಳನ್ನಲಂಕರಿಸಲು ಆಹ್ವಾನ ಬಂದಾಗಲೂ, ತಮ್ಮ ನಂಬಿಕೆ-ಆದರ್ಶಗಳನ್ನೆಂದೂ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿಲ್ಲ ಹಾಗು ಹಣ-ಅಧಿಕಾರದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಬಿದ್ದಿಲ್ಲ. ಇಂತಹ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಕರು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಗಳಿಸಿರುವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳ ಮೊತ್ತವೆಷ್ಟು ಹಾಗು ಅವರು ಎಷ್ಟು ಹಣ ಖರ್ಚು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸುವುದು ಮೂರ್ಖತನದ ಪರಮಾವಧಿಯೇ ಸರಿ.  

ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಠಿಣವಾದ ಮಾತನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲೇಬೇಕಾಯಿತು. ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಯಕರ ಕೊಡುಗೆ ಅವರ ಸಜ್ಜನಿಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸಭ್ಯತೆ. ಇಂದಿನ ಅಸಹನೆಯ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ರಾಜಕಾರಣದ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ಖಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಆದರೆ ವಿನಯವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಬಲ್ಲವರು ಅಪರೂಪವೇ ಸರಿ. ತಮ್ಮ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ, ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಹಾಗು ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಬರಹಗಳು, ಸುಮಾರು ಮೂರೂವರೆ ದಶಕಗಳ ಅಧ್ಯಾಪಕ ವೃತ್ತಿ ಹಾಗು ಅರ್ಧ ಶತಮಾನಗಳ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಬದುಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಕರು ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕತೆ, ವಿನಯ, ಸಭ್ಯತೆ, ಸಜ್ಜನಿಕೆ ಹಾಗು ಖಚಿತತೆಯನ್ನೇ ಮೆರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈ ಗುಣಗಳು ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅವರ ಕೊಡುಗೆ ಹಾಗು ನನಗೆ, (ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ) ನನ್ನಂತಹ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಕಿರಿಯರಿಗೆ ಅವರ ಬಳುವಳಿ. ಇದನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸುವ ಗುಣ ನಿಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡಲಿ ಎಂಬುದು ನನ್ನ ಹಾರೈಕೆ.

ಕಡೆಯದೊಂದು ಮಾತು. ನನ್ನ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಇರುವುದು ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಕಸಾಪದ ಕಾರ್ಯವೈಖರಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ರಚನಾತ್ಮಕ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಪಡಿಸುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ನನ್ನ ಆಶಯ ಅದರ ಪದಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಅಸಹನೆಯ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ವಕ್ತಾರರಾಗಬಾರದು ಎಂದು ಮಾತ್ರ. ಈ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಯಕರು ನಿಮಿತ್ತ ಮಾತ್ರ. ನೀವು ನಿಮ್ಮ ತಪ್ಪನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಿರಿ ಎಂದು ಆಶಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ನಿಮ್ಮ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ

ಪೃಥ್ವಿ ದತ್ತ ಚಂದ್ರ ಶೋಭಿ

This Churumuri post (Everything is fine till something happens to you) by C H Swaroop was disturbing even for the cynic within me.

We all have moments of cynicism and find nothing redeeming, in our personal lives, communities and especially, nation.

So Swaroop has a question: ‘Post-independence, does India, as a nation, have achievements to be proud of’?

I have ranted before on many of our shortcomings; my previous post itself is a good example. Still, I could come up with a good response to this question, whatever parameter for achievement Swaroop wants to choose.

I couldn’t, however, begin to address the confused thinking and mixed up anologies. Take the following example:

Well, people can say that Singapore has no real freedoms, you’re just a puppet and so on. I have an analogy for that. We need a class teacher to maintain discipline (law and order) so that the classes can proceed and progress can be made, otherwise there will be just noise and only people who somehow learn to not get affected by the noise and study on their own (businessmen who succeed). It’s not like there is no freedom, you can always raise your hands and talk to the class teacher (citizens representation to the government) or at least approach the teacher after class hours (write to them)….

Irrespective of the type of government (democracy or autocracy or whatever), maintaining discipline should be the primary responsibility of the government, which is what is lacking in India today.

A nation is no school teacher. A government doesn’t teach morals nor does it inculcate discipline. What it does do is to prevent violence because the state has monopoly over violence, as the classic definition goes. It is the responsibility of parents and communities to teach morals and inculcate discipline. We are disciplined inside a classroom not because teacher (or class monitor) enforces discipline. Our parents teach us that, a lesson which may get reinforced in the school and community.

I got to say this: while the post seems to be raising a provocative question, it is a framed incorrectly and the thinking is quite sloppy.

The question should have been directed within, asking ourselves (as parents, citizens, community members) whether we are failing ourselves and then in what areas. The nation is no separate entity, outside of ourselves. Also, there are too many factual inaccuracies in this post, which I must leave for another occasion. I, however, had to respond to the misplaced cynicism, angst and disillusion, which funnily enough seems to be prevalent generally among middle classes and upper castes generally.