Recently I heard a Hindi podcast called Pulliyabaazi hosted by public policy experts from Takshashila Institute of Public Policy Pranay Kothasthane, Saurabh and Khyati. A framework of discussing issues was taken up to decide which ones were overrated or underrated in terms of importance and which ones were too complicated to slot into either of the above two categories. There are so many points of debate and the argumentative Indian revels in these debates with often extreme views? Sometimes there is a over hype to these questions and at other times there is a feeling that issues which are important are underrated. And sometimes they are too complicated to be categorized.
I will try and make this blog interactive and long and take few words or topics and try and give my opinion on whether the issue at hand is overrated by which I mean we give it more importance than it warrants or it is underrated in that it is not getting the importance it deserves or finally since both sides are equally right or wrong it is too complicated for me to opine. I would also request my friends to comment on the same and either endorse or counter the views and I will acknowledge the same in blogs in future.The first topic I wish to raise is the tendency to use Jugaad Indian style to achieve results.
I Indian Jugaad:
Definition of Jugaad is to use skills or methods to solve difficult problems by using simple methods using the least expensive resources. In terms of understanding it is another word for using common sense and native practical wisdom as the default approach to solve vexed problems. The term Indian Jugaadis to imply that Indians are the masters of this trait and can do things fast and correctly much better than others world over. However, there is a negative connotation to Jugaad in terms of cutting corners taking risks and accepting sub optimal products or services. The closest word in translation is frugal innovation. Just the word frugal meant success in getting things done without the luxury of using high technology solutions especially in places where funds and resources are a constraint. The hunger to succeed in the face of grave odds makes Jugaad a much appreciated quality.
My verdict in this matter is that it is overrated especially when we started making the word commonplace to even small innovations which require no major brilliant application of intelligence. Also, in the name of Jugaad shoddy products or inconsistent outcomes were lauded. In my humble opinion in a large country like ours where even today there is not enough importance given to rigorous research and pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, there is a tendency to label native wisdom and common sense as original Jugaad especially when posturing before unsuspecting gullible foreigners.
II Climate Change
The issue of climate change is often discussed but the voices which seem to warn us are all almost seen as prophets of doom. Even though, we are seeing Global warming and freak floods, hurricanes, Tsunamis and heat waves we tend to still feel that the immediate takes precedence over the distant future. It seems a no brainer and the evidence that fossil fuels are limited and exhausting these resources and depleting the earth will lead to disaster has not yet led to changes in human beings attitude towards nature. The massive urbanisation, destruction of rain forests and trees goes on relentlessly. The main reasons for climate change are as follows:
- Generation of electricity by using depletable fossil fuels like Coal, Crude oil and Gas which seem abundant initially but are fast depleting as against renewable sources like solar, wind which are limitless. The former generate greenhouse gases and the latter do not do so.
- Manufacturing industry which produce cement, iron, steel, plastic and clothes and the machines used are all made of chemicals which come from fossil fuels. These generate green house gases to satisfy our insatiable needs.
- Destruction of 12 million hectares of forest every year for development and everyone concretizes everything. It almost sounds like you are treating respiratory illness of mother earth by surgically excising the trees which are meant to be the breathing tools.
- Proliferation of private transport air travel trucks etc. If it was just about essential travel it would be pardonable but consumerism trade and wanting things in remote locations are all contributing to increased carbon footprint. Must we consume Kiwis and Washington Apples from cold storage? There are no easy answers.
- The crazy consumption of over processed food, use of fertilizers. The consumption of meat and rice and sugar which results in more food produced to feed livestock to produce meat rather than provide direct food to the poor and hungry.
- Use of electricity to power buildings and cool them especially with temperatures soaring is also a major problem. All these mean take from nature without giving back.
Yet the sad part is that the immediate has become the priority and except Al Gore from the political spectrum no one has shown the will to act in a manner of a visionary rather a partisan politician.
What do you think is the evident verdict? I would say the issue is underrated as despite becoming aware of the scale of the problem man is living in the fast lane as though there is no tomorrow. The nations are fighting over who is to blame and with the giants China and India wanting to develop into consumers and increase GDP the earth maybe hurtling to disaster. However, history has always seen the naysayers and the doomsday predictors bite the dust and all predictions of poverty, hunger and famines have been overcome by Technology. So there is hope in the oceans, wind and renewable fuels. So can I boldly say that I am ready to change my verdict to a conditional complicated status. I think we will come back from the brink of disaster and survive if we act with some sense of urgency.
III Reservation/Affirmative Action by State
We are the generation which has haunting memories of the 1990's of the self-immolation of a 19 year old student Rajeev Goswami. Mr. V. P. Singh the Prime Minister who came on the plank of an anti-corruption campaign in the wake of the Bofors gun scam made the announcement of implementing the Mandal Commission Report and raising the quantum of reserved seats from 34% to 49% . This was his political move to create an Other Backward class vote bank. The politicalization of reservations for electoral gains especially at the time of my life where I had seen reservation coming in the way of my career growth and opportunities more often than once in life. However, having gone through medical college and meeting persons who had got the benefits of reservation and reading about the atrocities on Dalits which existed in the past and remain present till date, I realised that affirmative action of some kind is needed to correct the wrongs of the past. We were certainly creatures of privilege and reserving seats for the underprivileged was not wrong. However, what happened was that there was an unholy contest to clamour for a state of Backward class to avail of undeserved benefits. I believe that the best solution to the problem is that the opportunity of using reserved seats must be used twice in life once for education and once for a job. I do not claim that this is an original idea and am not sure if there may be unintended consequences due to this policy. While basic education is available for all reservation seats for such candidates in institutions for higher learning should be given but only once to get admission but later the beneficiary has to be careful to use this card to get a job. Knowing that there is only one opportunity available it is quite possible that lower caste candidates may be dismissed from their jobs on flimsy pretext to ensure the hegemony of the upper castes remain. Having said all this I have seen and believed in the power of reservation in raising the standards of life of entire families and generations ahead.
Despite all the above my verdict for the above issue is that it is extremely complicated. The evidence lies in the approaches to this problem by two great leaders Gandhi and Ambedkar. Gandhi believed in a bottom up approach and lead by example. He defied society and its norms by embracing and accepting Dalits in his life wholeheartedly even at the cost losing friends, funds and support for his many causes including the struggle against the British Raj. He expected society to change based the high standards and examples set by him in daily life. On the other hand Ambedkar was always in favour of empowerment and not ready to rely on the goodness of mankind to ameliorate the immediate suffering. Yet he too felt that reservation of seats was a tool to be reviewed every 10 years and eventually it was always a temporary measure. Today this has become a holy cow and any political outfit cannot touch it without dire electoral consequences. The Dalits acts of conversion to Buddhism are attempts to break out of the shackles of persecution by the upper classes, these are countered by the right wing Hindu forces by ground level work in development which although laudable is done to ensure electoral victory on the grounds of consolidation of the Hindu vote. Mandal vs Kamandal politics has led to the rise of right wing forces and the consequences of a divided polity are there to see. It is utopian to believe that caste discrimination is over, but in the ultimate analysis the best option is to embrace free markets and increase GDP and economic development to the extent that millions come out of the poverty and inequality cycle. Reservations seems a necessity, but conditional reservation will result in better situation both for the upper and lower castes.
So I have taken up three topics and given my take on the same. Would you care to comment? I feel that the same lens can be applied to topics like. Free Healthcare, Women's liberation, Allopathic vs Ayush medical practice. I intend touching on these three in my next blog. I await your comments on this and fresh perspectives.
Dr. Vispi Jokhi
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