Id entity crisis averted

http://panela.bsmail.in/bsmailin/lt.php?id=KUkBVFQEVAtTWk0DBFNUVR8=UlQJUQVbHhRPFR4QBBIIEl1xAwlRClVMAF5e

Mr Modi has once again demonstrated clarity of purpose and the ability to deconflict as he has given a new lease of life to UIDAI. This needs to be flagged for the decisiveness as well for the ability of the Prime Minister to sweep the path clear of mines like 'committee of secretaries'. Just a few days back I followed an 'Arnabesque' debate on 'your' channel where the mandarins of internal security argued for the National Population Register and attempted to dismiss the UIDAI citing fears of fake identity and the problems of illegal immigrants getting Aadhar cards etc etc. On the other hand the advocates of UIDAI extolled the efforts and the scale of the exercise already undertaken in creating id's and obtaining biometrics etc. In this din of NPR vs UIDAI I was afraid that we will lose sight of the objective and once again turf wars will lead to annulling a mammoth achievement. It is high time we stop talking at each other seeing points of divergence. We need to start knitting points of convergence, looking for each others strengths and utilising these to progress towards the goal. So how about the UIDAI continuing to do its job apace creating a comprehensive data bank of all people actually existing in India, give everyone an AADHAR with a rider that discovery of fraudulent (id) data by the NPR or any appointed security agency will lead to prosecution. Some time back I had work with the RTO at New Delhi and they insisted that they will not progress my work unless I show an AADHAR card. I was furious but that provided he impetus for me to get an AADHAR card for myself and my family. We need to continue UIDAI and progressively knit in all other data banks to bring data convergence PAN, Passport, Driving License, Voters ID can all be progressively integrated keeping one data bank as a master. Of course falsification of id's detected at any one process demanding greater checks should naturally lead to penal action. So while it looked as if left flank and right flank were competing to score an own goal instead of collaborating to reach the goal It appears that Mr Modi has coached the players to pass the ball to keep possession and weave a way through the enemy and reach the goal. Similar lessons are waiting to be learnt on a whole lot of other domains....creating a Maritime Security Authority, a CDS are just a couple of cases in point. I would like to submit a word of caution Mr Prime Minister, with its emphasis on turn over rates and speed, the AADHAR process was susceptible to compromise. A word of caution to the naysayers....it is no joke to motivate people to come forth and enlist themselves to collect personal data including biometrics and then link it to bank data. So lets use AADHAR for what it is the basis or foundation to create and progress towards "AADHUNIQ" (AADHAR ver 2.0) with all deficiencies and anomalies of AADHAR addressed and with data integrated from all other key data banks. All the best India, all the best Mr PM.      

New Definition to Grey OUT

When there is no clear path or when the compass is spinning wildly it is probably best to stay wheer you are and wait for the mist to clear, the ground to stabilise. Doggedly pursuing one's goals is always easy... you see the target, you see. Problem is when you are not sure what you are seeing is... the target  or a mirage.

We are all inherently hopeless optimists says Nassim Talib (the Black swan theorist), We never want to believe bad things can happen, plans can fail, accidents may happen, etc etc. And therefore we err in our planning. Ok so lets say we start a new way of planning. Paint the darkest picture possible for a life of misery and despair , lets call this BLACK. Now  imagine how you would find sanity and happiness in this BLACK world. Consider each spot of happiness as a dot of white and keep adding those dots...make them larger bring them closer and slowly you are getting shades of grey. The more white dots you can bring in and the longer they last you will be pushing towards a WHITE world a world of joy and happiness. Now all of us are living in a GREY world and  to retain our sanity and a balance of life it is imperative that we stay in the grey. Too close to white and we will be blinded, too close to black and we will be in darkness. 

I am 46 yrs old, definitely past my prime in most things. How can i be expecting to turn things around in the next ten years. Should i now conserve so as to live a decent grey or should i give it a last hurray before setting the throttles to cruise. So many questions, answers grey. Hope remains...white 

The price of freedom

An Independence won after paying a bloody price, a price that pinches very few today. Bloody battles continue on the city streets, in the corridors of power (of course here the colour of blood is yellow..and one only sees it if one is empowered with the right filters), in impoverished villages and premium condominiums.
Someone is fighting for his freedom to live, in his forest;
someone is fighting for freedom to kiss in public;
someone fighting for his right to have the best weapon to engage the enemy (some of course also have the liberty of choosing their enemy without state declaration)
someone for his/her right to 'pass faeces' with dignity.
Is sixty three years enough to discover a common good amongst so many different kinds of people -
different religions, hey we are supposed to be secular right...
different castes, now to be sanctified by a census, wonder if Nilakeni saab will include it in the UID as well...
different economic brackets, the altamount road/aurangzeb road crorepati(patni) to the altamount road/aurangzeb roadside homeless beggar

So even as the disparate parliament house debates day in and day out (mostly out) to find amiable common grounds between parties, people and pockets...somehow i get the feeling that national interest is lost in the din or as i would like to call it 'dezibell'. But pse do not rush to blame these parliamentarians...believe you me most of us in this jungle will probably behave the same because the seeds are sown very early.
How many of us really live and teach our children to live by a code that places country first. Probably Maslow was right it is difficult to preach national values to a people who are struggling to make their daily bread. But what about all the others Our attitude shows in the most basic deeds the way we maintain our places of heritage and historical value, our garbage discipline (i have seen enough instances of manicured hands releasing lays packets from smartly rolled down power windows...remember I didn't do it ....Raaajoooo.

It gets even more absurd when we want to compare ourselves with other wild creatures like dragon et al.
Here we are struggling to contain starvation, unable to feed our people and we are talking of 4G, of course some would proffer the argument that 4G will power our way to better times. Question is who is getting better.
here we are unable to provide the dignity of clean sanitation to our people and we are talking of hosting the commonwealth. Hallo this is our country we are not under somebody elses rule anymore. so do we really need to have such double standards. Or are we now under a different kind of rule one led by the rich to get richer!!

Here is something I wrote ...on Independence day a day when we make speeches and statements independent of reality!!!

Year on year hollow words rebound
from high walls of symbology
as rehearsed applause responds to predesigned cues
the falsehood of the fervour crumbles
as the fort gives in to the stench from sorrounding squalor

In this state sponsored drama see
sagging promises with botox fixes
tall claims from ramparts
drowning in the dry moat below
failing to lift spirits despite radio amplifiers and broadcasts.

Bloated pockets screen nubile bloated tummies
selfish ears muted by  I pods
Fleety feet ditched in caving hopes
as the capitals make over's spoilt by spilled beans
Words that once moved stand weighted
no new ground here no hope
as the assembly silently screams...
Gimme something to see clearly
something sweet to smell
Yes we have a tryst with destiny
...tell me it is one i can change