Yashventures

Ever since Egypt has erupted, I have seen some Indians and some media people asking when will such a revolution take place in India keeping in light the scams of Kalmadi, Raja, Radia etc.

Such a revolution (thankfully) will not happen in India.

It’s because Indians are employed. Employed people have better things to do.

Look around. People are buying. Buying in big numbers and buying everything – food, apparel, electronics, home appliances, gold, FMCG, insurance, cars, bikes, air tickets, movie tickets you name it and people are buying it! And the consumption is not led by a handful of of rich people, it’s the middle class that is buying. Go visit a Big Bazaar, Croma or Hypercity and you will see it literally thronged by people. People from all classes.

Gone are those days when jobs were scarce and even double graduates would find it difficult to land a job. The power has shifted to employees. I run a business and I know! Finding people from Peon or Project Manager is a daunting task. Finding and retaining people is becoming a challenge. Even finding a domestic help, a cook, baby sitter or a carpenter is becoming difficult. Everybody and anybody who has some education or some skill is able to find work, is earning and in turn SPENDING.

Indian democratic system, however corrupt or inept makes rotation of power possible. Our judicial process may be slow but our judiciary still has power. A corrupt democracy is better than a dictatorship where the money is engulfed by a single person. At least in a democracy, people will be wary of open corruption. It’s the power of democracy where ministers have to resign for a scam and get arrested. People don’t need to get on the streets like Egypt to remove the corrupt from power.

As long as there is democracy and hence rotation of power, economic progress will keep on going. Politicians need popular support to retain the power. In a democratic society the only way is to share the progress with people. As long as the economy is doing good, people won’t mind a few corrupt people. It’s better to have 10 corrupt people in charge and sharing the loot amongst themselves than having a dictator who runs the country as his personal kingdom.

Touching the feet is one stupid Indian tradition. It’s meant to show respect towards the elders and it’s a way of seeking blessings.

Asking for blessings? Excuse me! What is that? Blessings? What does it do? You obviously don’t have any super power to make radical changes in my life, so put the blessing things away!

Respect? Sure I respect other people, not just people who are older than me but also people who are younger than me! There are other ways of showing respect. Touching the feet is NOT one of them! Smile, shake hand, say a few warm words, give a hug. That’s enough to show your respect. No individual deserves any special gesture like touching feet just by the virtue of being older! Radical? Yes!

I have always disliked this stupid practice. Partly because of my dad. Whenever someone would try to touch his feet, he would stop him or her and would rather shake hands or give a hug, but touching the feet? Big NO! That is what he inculcated in me I believe. (Something that my mom frowns upon, but we have our way)

Most of the people don’t actually touch the feet, they only bend slightly and reach out till knees giving an impression of touching the feet. Cut the crap guys! Who are you fooling!!

It’s more of a cultural thing, I know. It’s how we Indians show respect towards elders. But not all cultural things are good or necessary. Sati was once in our culture, but that was the most stupid thing to have happened to human intelligence and it’s no longer there. Touching feet is another stupid thing. The oldies really get on my nerves when they equate the action with “Sanskar” – the familial value system. If you don’t touch feet, you lack Sanskar! If you do, you are a very “good” boy with good Sanskars! WTF!!!

Another stupid Indian tradition is gifting the money. This one is amazing. You visit someone’s home on some good occasion, the elders give you money. Some number ending with 1. Depending on the nature of the relationship and wealth of the giving party the amount could be Rs. 21, 51, 101, 151, 201 like that. When I and my wife visit our uncles’ homes, we get money. When their kids visit our home, my parents return the favour. The favour is mostly returned in the proportion of favours received! People actually keep track of money thus received in a diary!! Especially on occasions like wedding and reciprocate at a suitable occasion to the other party!! I don’t see any logic. I visit their home I get 100 Rupees, they come to our house they get 100 Rupees back. So why get in all such useless transactions?!!

We need to cut the useless crap! Can’t have stupidities rolling around in our daily life.

Update:

This is not an issue of hygiene at all. Me not liking the practice of touching feet has to do with me being an atheist. Touching feet somehow gives a deity like status to humans. And since I don’t believe in any deities and gods, I see no reason to make gods out of humans. As I have mentioned being older does not give any extra qualities to a person. And when it comes to parents we humans are not doing any favours to our kids by giving them birth or raising them. We are just performing a biological function which our genes make us do.

It’s been two years since the ghastly attack on India took place in my Mumbai.

As usual our PM vows to bring 26/11 perpetrators to book.

Mr Singh, do you have courage to order RAW to start an insurgency in Pakistan and assassinate the perpetrators in their home? Like Israel did to perpetrators of Munich massacre?

We don’t need to “bring them to book” we know what is happening with Kasab in the name of judicial proceedings. That fucker is still alive and eating our food at the cost of taxpayers!

Can we do that Mr Singh?