Satire: The Week that was – 26 Nov to 2 Dec 2017

 Brian Fernandes   ¦     Dec 02, 2017 04:13:12 PM (IST)

“Laughter is an instant vacation,” said Milton Berle. Here at NK, we would like to contribute to lightening your mood in preparation for a meaningful and relaxed weekend. So here's a tongue- in-cheek look at the events of the week that has passed, for which you have patiently been waiting :)

Constitution Day (National Law Day), also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on November 26 every year, to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1949 after, mind you, a very spirited debate in the Parliament; the same one that rarely sees a debate these days. In fact, the next session will be, like all things modern and Chinese, the instant and short-lived variety – just 10 days.

Given the pressures of the modern world and the no fly lists of airlines, maybe the next logical step is to have the sessions by Skype through VPN under the Digital India Initiative! In any case our leaders say that High Speed Internet for all will be a reality by 2019. This way parliamentarians can devote all their time in the service of their constituents, sessions can be called at short notice, be short and swift, and the tax payer (now that there many more of them) can save mightily on travel and sitting allowances – What say thou?

November 26 being the National Law Day, also saw the PM stressing that the legislature, the judiciary and the executive were part of the same family and should work to strengthen each other, even as the Chief Justice and the law minister sparred over the issue of judicial activism. Sure, the three wings of governance functioning as a family can bring cohesion, in deed if not in thought, for in the Indian context, the word of the head of the family is the law! But like teenagers in a family, a few in the constitutional scheme of things do tend to think for themselves and can be very argumentative, though they identify strongly with the family always! No stress there!

November 26, 2017 by coincidence, also happens to be the 9th Anniversary of the most dastardly and cowardly attack by terrorists on Indian soil. Flash backs on television reminded us of our vulnerability, and we were humbled by the courage of our soldiers, and the resilience of our country men in the wake of the attacks. That the then government responded with diplomacy and evidence rather than bullets and brutality, might have been based on the premise that the pen is mightier than the sword. However, this is a theory that has succeeded only after the sword is bent and spent.

There was also something unique that took place on Sunday, at the start of the week. People tasked with other important roles in the nation’s capital flew down en masse to Gujarat from Delhi to listen to the radio over a cup of tea! Perhaps the radio signals in the nation’s capital had deteriorated due to the pollution or other reasons, or the tea was not as good, or the tea leaves had become too costly after the advent of GST, or maybe there was not enough cash going around to purchase the tea or indeed the airlines, barring IndiGo had come out with one of their many year end offers! Could be anyone of the reasons. Oh! I completely forgot about the Gujarat Elections!

With the Gujarat Model and Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas slogans not cutting much ice among the public according to media reports, it was back to humble beginnings on the campaign trail. “Yes I sold Tea, I didn’t sell the nation,” thundered the PM. Taking a cue from this rallying cry, a cup of tea is likely to be offered (not sold) to every voter at every booth in the state, before he/she enters the booth - a good way to kill two birds with one stone - beat incumbency, and provide a boost for Skill India! By the time the election results are out, so many people would have learned a new skill! As for those that had a hand in selling the nation as alleged, be warned - never ever drink tea made by those hands - they are stained beyond Vim!

The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of India hosted Ivanka Trump, American dynast - daughter of and advisor to the US President Donald J Trump - for a gala dinner, ironically, at Hyderabad's famous Falaknuma Palace. Luckily, there had been no call for its destruction prior to the dinner, given that it was built by the Nizams who were distantly related to the Mughals. We can rest assured there will be none hereafter – History was rewritten here.

Reportedly, for the dinner, a five-course menu, inspired by Hyderabad's famed cuisine, prepared by a host of culinary experts, was set out on its historical 101 seater dining table. The lavish menu supposedly contained a mix of exotic Indian ingredients and delicacies like dahike kebab, goshtshikampuri kebab, kubanikemalaikofta, murgpistakasalan and sitaphalkulfi presented over several courses - Aghaz (soup), Waqfa (sorbet), Mezban (appetisers), Mashgool Dastarkhwan (main course) and Zauq-e-shahi (dessert). Neither banned items nor tea was served according to reports emanating from the summit.
The long awaited tryst between the PM and the dynast (albeit American Dynast) at the Hyderabad Global Entrepreneurs Summit, was watched with keen eyes because it was in the midst of the Gujarat election campaign and we all know what that is about! The American Dynast however, went against the grain to lavishly praise the transformational PM, and rightly so. Both also spoke passionately about empowering women. Nobody mentioned chopped noses and the Women’s Reservation Bill, and rightly so!

Meanwhile in Delhi, the Supreme Court, unusually curtailed the freedom of expression of Netas, and upheld the freedom of the creative filmmaker whose role in society was to express freely, with what is widely known in the civilized world as "reasonable restrictions" (he will have to obtain the certification of CBFC, and they are known to be very reasonable) when it said they – the Netas - should not speak on subjects beyond their jurisdiction. Now the Netas have apparently decided that if they cannot express, then the film maker must… at a parliamentary panel hearing to which he has been summoned, CBFC notwithstanding. It’s a screenplay deserving of a Film Fare award.

Another Royal Wedding is on the anvil – next year. Prince Harry, third in line to the Throne of England, is all set to marry American actress Meghan Markle, (not to be confused with German Chancellor Angela Merkel – they are miles apart. in more than geography), a constant on the American television legal drama ‘Suits’ for 7 seasons now, playing the sassy paralegal, Rachel Zane. They apparently suited each other, and will make it a legal drama next May. Not may... definitely! Everything’s ready but the date, though the two have been reportedly dating since October 2016. It is learnt that the British PM, Theresa may attend.

The icing on the cake was when Virat Kohli and his team crushed the Sri Lankan team with the heavy road roller used to deaden the cricket pitch to go one up in the ongoing 3 match bilateral series with one to go - to be played in poor visibility in Delhi. Probably will have to guess where the ball is landing and follow through!

The way the Indian team have been playing under Kohli’s aggressive leadership, provides for hope in South Africa in January, but there I understand, the rollers used are mighty different and could unsettle the sub continental competitive edge the team enjoys. Time will tell – it always does, no matter the watch.

Have a good weekend!

https://www.newskarnataka.com/features/nk-satire-the-week-that-was-26-nov-to-2-dec-2017

Henry D’Silva’s Konkani Film ‘Nashibaso Khel’ breaks new ground

 Brian Fernandes   ¦     Sep 19, 2017 03:15:10 PM (IST)

He may have suspected he had a hit on his hands, but little did he know that within the year it would reach 400 shows - It is slated to celebrate its 400th show within a year of its release in London. A proud moment for its producer, Henry D’Silva, a Mangalorean by birth and a Mumbaikar by domicile as it is for all Mangaloreans. Henry D’Silva spoke exclusively to Karnataka Today’s managing editor Brian Fernandes on his journey into the film industry.

Konkani language is spoken mainly in the Indian states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and to a smaller extent in Kerala. Konkani films come in three distinct dialects Goan, Southern Saraswat and Mangalorean to cater to those specific linguistic communities and therein lies the dilemma of the Konkani Film industry.

The industry is limited by its fragmented audience and inadequate government support. Despite this there have been nearly 47 films since 1950 which saw the first full length feature film being released in the Goan dialect ‘MogasoAnvaddo’ by Jerry Braganza. The First Mangalorean dialect full length feature film Mog Ani Moipass came out in 1977 and the industry has not looked back since. Most of the years since then saw a single Konkani film release, but there have been a spate of releases in the last 4 years 16.

Since Ujwadu, a 2011 Konkani film directed by KasargodChinna and produced by KJ Dhananjaya and AnuradhaPadiyar there has been no Mangalorean Konkani film until, Henry D’Silva’s ‘NashibasoKhel’ (Game of fate)

Producer Henry D'Silva, at the time of the release had said, "I do not expect any profit from this movie, but it was my desire to produce a movie and do something for Konkani cinema. When Harry Fernandes willingly accepted my idea, it boosted my confidence. The story is something different from other usual movies. Music is also different from the traditional Konkani songs. I know, in theatres Konkani movies won't run for long, but a few shows will surely boost our confidence”.

Excerpts

When NashibasoKhel was released in 2016, it was predicted to be trendsetter. It had a storyline different from the normal, it was the first non Goan dialect film released in almost four years and it had Bollywood director Harry Fernandes at the helm. It is now about to reach its zenith with 400 shows in India and abroad. Please elaborate on your motivation to make this film, and the journey so far..

From the past 40 years I am a part of the Konkani fraternity. Konkani language has been an integral part of my life. My passion and love for Konkani drove me to organize many dramas and musical nights.

In 1988, I made my first video film titled “KhazarantUprant” .At that point I spent Rs. 1,00,000/- and sold 500 cassettes. This first initiative got me an overwhelming response from more than 10,000 Konkani lovers. For the last 10 years there wasn’t a Konkani movie made, so with this dream in my heart I kept thinking of a good story to make my dream come true. Then like the movie title, “NashibasoKhel” (Game of fate), I hit upon right story line.

For the execution of my dream I am grateful to a lot of Konkani loving people along with my family members for their generous contribution in every aspect. The main characters of the movie along with the crew were etched in my mind while writing the story and our director Mr. Harry Fernandes’s experience in Bhojpuri and Marathi films has been to my benefit, also he has helped me in the post production of this movie.

My connections with people and the Konkani associations worldwide were a strong factor in helping me reach 400 shows globally. According to me for a movie to reach this monumental feat of 400 shows in our Konkani industry within a year itself is a marvel. In keeping with its success streak I intend to celebrate NashibasoKhel’s 400th show in London. This movie has gotten a record breaking response and I am looking forward to reach its 500th show.

Can you give our readers a couple of interesting ancedotes during the making of the film?

Everything in the movie went on smoothly..

There was a long gap between your first video, or Film KazarachaUpranth and Noshibachokhell – Any particular reason?

The reason for the long gap between my first movie “KhazaranUprant” and “NashibasoKhel” is definitely due to the research to find out what the Konkani people would like to see onscreen today. Times are changing and so are the situations, to see a family movie do so well regionally and globally is heartwarming. I am glad that I could do it “better late than never”.

What does it take in terms of time, money and effort to make a good Konkani film? Is the return on investment good enough for more people to venture into Konkani Film Production?

The most important requisite for a good Konkani movie is undoubtedly the STORY. The maximum time to complete a Konkani movie is about 2-3months provided the location and actors have time to spare. This is unachievable without the efforts and cooperation of the entire unit as a team. Also it is a reality that I could not have done this without generous sponsors and co-producers. So it is my humble request to people to come forward to invest in our movies if they hope to watch better Konkani movies on screen in the future. It is a very simple logic that a good script means a successful movie therefore good returns, it all comes down to what I began with – A GOOD STORY LINE.

Is there any government support for the industry, and if not what would kind of support would you like to see

The Government subsidy is only 20% (i.e Rs. 10,00,000/- ) for Konkani that is our regional language. I feel the government should do more if our Konkani industry has to come up further by providing financial support on a larger scale. Also in theatres Konkani regional films should have a fixed rate compared to other regional films.

Overall the Konkani Film Industry is dominated by Goan Dialect films. In fact of the 48 odd films released since 1950, which was the inaugural year, around 35 are of the Goan Dialect. Mangalorean Konkani Dialect comprise 14, of which 9 are of pure Mangalorean Christian Dialect. What do you have to say in this regard?

Goa is a commercial and cultural hub for dramas (tiatr) and films. Goan dialect films have government and public support, it is not the same in Mangalore. In Mangalore there are a lot of associations but no one comes forward to take initiative to finance or to organize shows which is trulysad considering how much talent and creativity remains unutilized. People have become self-centered and don’t think of the society as a whole.

Over the last 67 years, there has been in most years, just one Konkani film released per year. However over the last 4 years, nearly 18 films have been released, and interestingly 4 are in the Mangalorean Dialect. What do you attribute this increase in productivity in the Konkani Film Industry?

I believe that people used to go for dramas and musical nights earlier, but that has come to a standstill. Nowadays, people have extremely high standards when it comes to the content they like to watch be itTV serials or in cinemas - they are very choosy. So with so much of competition and comparisons the Konkani film industry is trying to use the “less is more” formula of showing strong matter in a 2 hour film instead of putting too many dramas that hardly people attend these days. I too have been successful in targeting only the 30+ agegroup audience which means there is still a long way to go to get our youth to come and watch a good Konkani movie with great subject matter.

Personally for you, how has Konkani film making affected your life – family, finances and business commitments?

Konkani film making has affected me tremendously as it took me 40 years to take this giant leap. I could only accomplish this because of my family’s support. Once you step into movies, one can’t venture into anything else as film making is a very complex process with a lot of planning, marketing, decision making and publicity activities that goes into it every day. The movie overall is played at the end but a lot goes into its making with a lot of patience, sacrifice, and hard work.

Would you like to take this journey into the Konkani Film industry further? What are your plans?

Of course, I will do my best to take the Konkani language and the film industry forward because there is a lot to be done. We as a community have a lot of untapped potential and resources that the world needs to know. We have so much talent that is just waiting for a platform to be showcased. If each person can do their bit and contribute, it won’t be long before our film industry makes an impact with great movies. My plan is to try to release a new movie targeting all the age groups by raising the bar. My goal is to keep our Konkani language alive and breathing by keeping up with the changing times.

https://www.newskarnataka.com/features/henry-dsilvas-konkani-film-nashibaso-khel-breaks-new-ground

Satire: The Week that was - 19 to 25 Nov 2017

 Brian Fernandes   ¦     Nov 25, 2017 11:28:23 AM (IST)

It's another weekend folks! We all have had a long and tiring week. It's time to put our feet up and relax. We need to laugh more and not take life too seriously. There's time for seriousness on Monday. Here at NK, we would like to contribute to lightening your mood in preparation for a meaningful and relaxed weekend. So here's a tongue in cheek look at the events of the week that was...

The hen that lays the golden egg is no longer unique, and poultry farmers are rejoicing as egg prices soar. Indeed, I heard that poultry farmers have now begun communicating with their hens to persuade them to lay their eggs every alternate day rather than every day, even as the term 'henpecked' assumes a whole new meaning!

My eyes well up before I break it for my daily dose of protein - something I used to do mechanically in the past! But then I must be paying the price, metaphorically speaking, for breaking too many when they were 50 paisa each. That might have been a long time ago, but interestingly neither the shape, size nor colour of the egg has changed with time- It's still oval, palm sized and white! So what has? Maybe the inside? Yes, there you have it! The inside has changed from yellow to Gold! Oh My! What’s in store for us? Certainly not the egg. But there's always a silver lining - we’ll never end up with egg on our face! Can’t afford it!

As things stand, the TV channels would have you believe that the nation doesn’t want to know about egg prices, nor farmers problems, for there was neither mention nor debate on either one even as thousands of farmers gathered at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi early in the week for a common cause - a one-time complete waiver of farmer loans and fair prices (Minimum support Price mechanism) for their produce. They didn’t even get to see a TV camera or crew. It was like the channels had adopted a minimum shut up price!

On the other hand, the lesser aspects of our democracy as we know it, played out in full media glare at the Imphal airport when a passenger's flight departure was deliberately delayed for the arrival of the President’s flight. The passenger pleaded and then argued with the Minister of Tourism, present and awaiting his arrival, but to no avail - the pecking order must prevail, as it has prevailed since our independence, was the answer. It was not yet time for Parivartan! Incidentally, the Bolsheviks in Russia too promised a peoples revolution, but when doing so they didn’t mention it was for some of the people like the politburo!

Meanwhile in Karnataka, some people are rallying for change! Following the demonetization and digitalization of cash transactions, it’s probably important otherwise we may land up with eggs in our pockets. Eclairs have lost their value. So that at least is about to change. Maybe the rally will change more than change itself.

What a wonderful couple Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh make - They are the brand ambassadors for their Royal House of Windsor and more importantly, the universal institution of marriage, an institution that has long being corrupted by issues of fidelity, compatibility, multiplicity, duplicity and homogeneity! They have stuck together for 70 years through thick and kin and an aging eternal wannabe king! Like a real Queen, Queen Elizabeth II has remained dignified through upheavals in her family, and Prince Phillip, like the royal stock he hails from - he was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark - like most husbands in modern day marriages, stood steadfastly by her side, as she took important decisions, quietly smiling at her jokes, lending his hand for support and generally being chivalrous and indulgent as she hogged the limelight by right. Incidentally, his grandparents were Mountbattens! Ring a bell? Great, Wise Roy!

Kings and Queens, whether divine descendants or political ascendants, produce Princes. Modern day princes are mostly political, because the monarchy has metamorphosed into a democratic political dynasty - now that’s a brain twister! Repeat it ten times quickly in your head! A long awaited announcement about the elevation of one such prince, brought all and sundry to the television screen, with more questions than answers, more derision than appreciation and more wonderment than acceptance except from the prince himself. He was busy patching up breaking alliances in Gujarat, going hammer and tongs at the central government and generally going about his business. Even his tweeter Pidi remained silent on the subject! Trick or treat?

We often forget that Queens are also women, and the world has a lot to learn from how we honour our women, for we do it in the most unique way - We stage protests to protect the honour of one we have never seen, either in person or on the big screen, only heard or read about, and by threatening to chop off the nose of another! How this extends the honour of a woman is mystical in more ways than one, just like our land! Maybe it’s some form of democracy - of a woman, for a woman, by a man! Indeed the new normal has progressed so much that it is now gender neutral, just as our constitution says all laws must be - choppers will be applied to all raised fingers, irrespective of the gender - so mind it said Quick Gun Murugan! Maybe choppers are freely available now that illegal slaughter is banned!

In faraway Zimbabwe, a dictator did what he does best, dictate....his resignation! He possibly even looked up the dictionary before doing so, because for 37 years and counting, he did not have the word in his vocabulary! Fighting from the bush and relishing a palace, fighting a perceived oppressor and becoming one himself, asking a nation to worship a civil war hero and expecting the same people to worship the love of his life, are dichotomies that a nation and his bush mates could not or refused to comprehend. This lack of comprehension extended to his steno, and his dictation had to come to a stop with one last letter and it was in English, not French!

Closer to home, the Karnataka legislative assembly voted as one to clear the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment's Act after the Doctors of the state gave it a powerful but painful injection. The cleared bill, given its ills and chills, was dipped in saline to make it sterile and had all its glucose drained, before it was discharged - ironically without a bill - as per the Act, the Government absorbed the costs! Meanwhile in North India, another bill was being raised, not by a government, but by a private medical establishment - it was an infection free itemised sanitized bill - 660 injections and 2700 gloves were used according it, including one to hand it over, lest infection rather than money should change hands! So, like for any medicine, there are contraindications, and how they will affect the patient is not clear at the time of treatment, but the writing is on the wall - and unlike a doctor’s prescription this writing is easily readable!

Have a great weekend!

https://www.newskarnataka.com/features/nk-satire-the-week-that-was-19-to-25-nov-2017

Satire: The Week that was - 12 to 18 Nov 2017

 Brian Fernandes   ¦     Nov 18, 2017 04:28:13 PM (IST)

It's the weekend folks! We all have had a long and tiring week. It's time to put our feet up and relax. We need to laugh more and not take life too seriously. There's time for seriousness on Monday. Here at NK, we would like to contribute to lightenining your mood in preparation for a meaningful and relaxed weekend. So here's a tongue in cheek look at the events of the week that was....

22 years is a long time in anyone's life. Lots of changes take place in the body, mind and soul. In the life of a state, it is perhaps a short time span - for the same party has been voted to power in the state of Gujurat five times over the last 22 years! No changes in body, mind, or soul, just the head - that too out of necessity. This time around, the body is feeling its age, and holding on to the rails. It's unlikely it will falter, but it will have to take its vitamins regularly as the immune deficiency syndrome makes its way westward.

Down South, the surgical strikes (not the SS of the Germans for the uninitiated) continue - In Karnataka, the doctors weilded the scalpel and in Tamil Nadu, the IT department acted in binary to identify, search and destroy Brashtachar Mostly! like the guided supersonic missile - Brahmos. In Karnataka, doctors quit their jobs to ensure they stay put, and MLA's quit theirs, to ensure that peace prevailed. Both succeeded, and most patients recovered on their own, though some succumbed. Surgical strikes do work - though like any doctor will tell you - none can predict the outcome of the operation!

Over the week we could not have seen what was happening in the national capital city of Delhi too well - if we were out on the street, that is - There was a lot of smog that affected our vision and our breathing apparatuses. Where it came from, was a matter of endless debate in the TV studios and in the halls of power where, thankfully, viewers could see more clearly as there were smog filters in the form of air conditioners and sealed doors and windows. Many proposals were examined in these halls, and though none were implemented, the problem just went away, the Almighty having decided that its best he does the job Himself, leaving the TV Channels and hosts bereft of a lively though impermeable topic of discussion. Where it came from and where it went no longer mattered by the end of the week, though now all the stakeholders barring the public have come together to pin the blame on the dust storms of the middle east - A fine end to a very challenging game!

The smog in Delhi may have obfuscated the view from the pew, but only for while! The Pew Research Center, a US nonpartisan think tank, (wonder what that is!) confirmed what most Indians already know: that the Prime Minister continues to be popular at the national level, just as he was in Gujurat for a long time. It was only 2,464 people in a country of a billion that said so, according to them, but don't you buy the entire basket of grapes after tasting just one? And then the ruling party sensed a change of mood in the country when Moody's upgraded their rating of the country's credit worthiness after 14 years - Such moodiness often leads to depression and we are glad that they could lift our spirits! We can now play our Trump card! - Wouldn't really require a hug to get easier credit terms for new war trumps.

Queens and their stories have often fascinated us - they are present in history, folklore and films - and there lies the problem. Queens in a film must be real, while in history or folklore they can be themselves! It's been a few weeks now, that controversy has raged over a film that depicted a queen - the accusation was that it was fiction made out to be fact and therefore, a distortion of history as some of us know it, which is unacceptable... to some of us. In a democracy some of us are more important than the rest of us!

The rain in Kolkata over the last couple of days was the cold shower that the Indian team needed before they travelled to distant shores to wield the willow! The seam made the team uncomfortable and it came apart like nine pins in front of a swaying bowling ball. But the game, though truncated, has much to offer - a wake up call, a reality check and a reminder that team India is vulnerable even in its own fort.

Have a good weekend!

https://www.newskarnataka.com/features/the-week-that-was-12-to-18-nov-2017

Man-O-Pause

We’ve all played housie. It’s a number game. I’m intrigued by two numbers on the ticket – because of what the announcer without fail repeats when he comes to those numbers. He says Eyes down for your next number - Men get naughty at four O, forty he announces and I quietly tick the number on my ticket, I feel al tingly  inside!.  Your next number, half way home five zero, Fifty. Man! It gives me pause – man o pause. In the space of a decade I have gone from naughty to dotty!

I’m the type of guy who likes to get on with life rather than pause so I wondered if I am going thru a midlife crisis -  the numbers were just about right, but what about the rest?  Now, come to think of it, there were warning signs  –

·         My career had plateaued, not that I was on Mount Everest, or even Kanchenjunga it was more like Chamundi Betta.

·         The controlling hormone in me suddenly had started to act up. It allowed a few parts of my body to suddenly fail, while maintaining the rest of me in good condition – Hair grew where it is not supposed to and refused to where it once used to – the nose and the ears, and the head and my feet got tangled on the dance floor, without a drink!

·         I began to forget - If you are married you and over forty you’ll have noticed this problem - when you wake up you wonder who the hell is  sleeping next to you. 

·         I changed physically  -  I grew in the middle and shrank everywhere else.  I didn’t really struggle to stay in shape, because I felt comfortable with the thought that round is a shape.

·         My prism had a new design – it had become a monochromatic grey – Perhaps I couldn’t see clearly or it had become my defining colour.

·         One more symptom I noticed that perhaps was related to the Man O pause. When I was younger, let’s say in my teens I looked at older women as prospective life partners – both the one I fell in love with and the one I married, unluckily perhaps the same woman, were older. But by the time I paused to rewind, I had a problem with numbers – I began to prefer the smaller numbers to the bigger ones!  But that I guess can be normal - My research tells me that at 16, boys seek women who are roughly two years older than them. This age gap narrows to zero by the time we are 24 and thereafter we prefer younger women, with the age gap progressively increasing to only 12 years by our own old age.

·         But now I’m often more irritable and angry than before, especially when I have to get up and go for an early morning TM meet. Thank God today’s meet is in the evening – My wife is a counsellor, and when I’m irritable she says – it’s the sign of your midlife crisis – what you need to do is quickly cross it and go on to the other side -  I was not sure if she was referring to my age or some kind of immovable property not located on this planet!

My symptoms suggest to me I have a full blown midlife crisis. “A person often makes an impulsive decision uncharacteristically or changes their lifestyle dramatically,” says Sheila K. Collins, PhD, a psychotherapist and author of Stillpoint: The Dance of Self-Caring and Self-Healing.  Did I do that, I asked myself, and the answer is yes. Back in 2012, joining toastmasters was an uncharacteristic and impulsive decision that changed my lifestyle….totally. 

It’s time to pause, fast forward and play! And everyone is encouraging me do that, except my children – they want me to pause… which I’ve already done, rewind and play. I laugh it off but stay positive as my research shows that midlife unhappiness patterns, have a “U-shaped curve” with a very clear low period during midlife. So if I make it through this rough period, according to the study,  by the time I turn 70, I’ll experience the happiness and mental health of a 20-year old! Wow that’s something to live for – and Ill be looking for older women all over again!

Demonetization – A transaction analysis approach to understanding the decision!

Demonetization – A transaction analysis approach to understanding the decision!

Transactional Analysis is a concept developed by Eric Berne in the 1950’s and from there corporate managers began to use it to improve interactions among individuals on teams and between teams.  It fell into a state of disuse because of its complexity.  However it has its usefulness in understanding democratic interactions and decision making.

TA categorizes and calibrates ego into three basic states – the Parent, the Adult and the Child and suggests that interactions are dependent on the ego state of the individuals concerned.  Knowledge of one’s own ego state can also lend its philosophy to manipulation of others.

Berne suggested that three basic personalities or ego states operate in an individual and his attitude and behaviour flows from his ego state.

Basic Personality/ Ego State	Characteristic Attitude	Feelings behaviour and langauge
PARENT	Critical Parent	makes rules and sets limits
		disciplines, judges and criticises
	Nurturing Parent	advises and guides
		protects and nurtures
ADULT		concerned with data and facts
		considers options and estimates probabilities
		makes unemotional decisions
		plans and makes things happen
CHILD	Free (Natural) Child	fun-loving and energetic
		creative and spontaneous
	Adapted Child	compliant and polite
		rebellious and manipulative

Berne also said that life positions that individuals take flow from these ego states as follows

I'M NOT OK  -  YOU'RE OK	I'M OK  -  YOU'RE OK
"I wish I could do that as well as you do" – Let me get away from others	"Hey, we're making good progress now" – I get on well with others.
I'M NOT OK -  YOU'RE NOT OK	I'M OK - YOU'RE NOT OK
"Oh this is terrible - we'll never make it" – We’re going nowhere	"You're not doing that right - let me show you" – Get rid of others

It’s true that people move around from one life position to another, depending on the situation, but there is always a pre disposed position or a preferred position that people tend to revert to, based on early life experiences. So basically our life positions determine our attitudes and pre disposed life positions influence our attitudes to the world at large greatly.

The  "I'm OK, you're OK" kind of people get on with life as adults. They're confident and happy about life and work, and interact by collaboration and mutual respect, even when they disagree.

The “I'm OK, you're not OK" people tend to be smug and superior.  They belittle others, who they view as incompetent and untrustworthy, and are often competitive and power-hungry. They talks about others from a position of superiority considering themselves perfect in relation to others, hence their decisions and their interactions may not reflect reality as it exists on the ground. Many managers and persons in authority fall in this trap. Games they play are include playing the victim or the rescuer.

The I'm not OK, you're OK"  people often feel sad, inadequate or even stupid in comparison to others.  They undervalue their skills and contribution and withdraw from problems.

And the last “I'm not OK, you're not OK" people feel confused or aimless.  They don't see the point of doing anything, and so usually don't bother. They drift.

Berne suggested that all communication (he called them transactions) between people are characterised by the Ego State of the two participants.  Incidentally they also determine the style of decision making and interaction and if one were to apply this Transactional Analysis theory to the Demonetization decision and subsequent controversy the following conclusions can be reached.

a.    Given the background above, it would seem that the decision was taken from the decision maker’s life position of “I’m ok, you’re not ok”.  The Chronology, the aftermath and the pronouncements of the leadership support this conclusion.  Leadership Speeches in India, starting with the dramatic announcement of demonetization on November 8^th, and surprisingly and painfully in Japan too, suggested that all of India was corrupt and the corrupt must be punished.  It was the critical parent talking – taking a critical position, and promising retribution for bad behaviour and then setting limits – like parents often do with their children, perhaps missing the point that Indians do need to be dealt with as adults.

b.    The decisions in the aftermath of this earth quaking decision, were like aftershocks, changing in reach and magnitude from day to day. From being called criminals to be marked as criminals on their fingers came from a smug and superior position – a position of strength that cannot be argued with, in the parliament or outside especially on social media.  All opposition, or question marks on the decision were belittled with a counter question – are you with the hoarders or with the clean up?

c.    Then came the games people play, incidentally another book by Eric Berne, where the manipulative tendencies came to the fore. The decision maker justified the move by playing the victim, then the resucer, as he promised that the honest would be spared and would live happily ever after and finally the persecutor – a role he started with – You made me do this by your bad behaviour. Sample these Leadership Quotes and draw your own conclusions:

·         I was not born to sit on a chair of high office. Whatever I had, my family, my home...I left it for the nation

·         Yes I also feel the pain. These steps taken were not a display of arrogance. I have seen poverty & understand people's problems

·         We took a key step to help the honest citizen of India defeat the menace of black money

·         Previous governments neglected this; Did I hide anything? We took a key step to help honest citizen to defeat the menace of graft.

·         Why do we have to put the future of our youth at stake? Those who want to do politics are free to do so.

·         This suffering is for 50 days; After cleanliness, not even a mosquito can fly; People in 2G scam have to stand in queue for Rs 4,000.

·         If I commit any mistake, I am ready to face any punishment the country will give me. But I promise to deliver corruption-free India.

·         I know the forces up against me, they may not let me live, they may ruin me because their loot of 70 years is in trouble, but I am prepared.

·         The people have chosen a government and they expect much from it. In 2014, many people voted to free the nation from corruption... If any money that was looted in India and has left Indian shores, it is our duty to find out about it.

·         They think they can stop Modi by creating hurdles and harrowing me. I will not be cowed down. I will not stop doing these things, even if someone were to set me on fire alive

So what can we expect down the line? More of the same. For people who are in this life position, have a “perfection driver, and their personal strivings makes others seem less perfect. Note the 24 hour work days, the smug speeches, the “I” vehicle of change. Taibi Kahler identified this as one of five drivers in the field of Transactional Analysis.

They believe that they must succeed in everything they do, and be hailed as wonderful and correct in every way, even though what they do may not deserve that praise.  They are generally neat and well-groomed and display an ever so slight hint of narcissism never completely satisfied with what they do or have achieved and so work very hard.  However they also are very scared of failure, or losing control and therefore over compensate in so many different ways especially while exercising control. The Demonetization decision is a case in point!

Demonetization may be good for some, bad for others, and according to most will bring long term gain with short term pain. Only time will tell. However speculation is rife about the next moves in the game of money – but given the ego states from which the leadership operates, brace for more and as you complete the non-monetary transaction with the leadership, it’s best you respond, not react!

Demonetization - Putting the cart before the horse

The story of the 2016 demonetization scheme in India is similar to the cropping paddy. The plants are ripped out when the produce is ripe with no warning and the same rice is resowed only to be ripped out again come harvest season. In between they are at the mercy of natural elements, with no protection or fall back options, unless grown in a rich farmer's field, where pumped water and rich fertilizer abound for nurture. It would appear then, from all accounts of the chaos that ensued after the decision was made, that the Government in taking and executing this momentous and as the social media army call it, historic decision has put the cart before the horse.  Let’s see how.

Black money has two components. One, money derived from criminal acts like smuggling, bribery, sale of drugs etc. and the other from the evasion of taxes. Evasion of taxes is primarily a system problem. Indians are the saving kind and will adopt any means to save money including avoiding paying taxes which again has two reasons. If they pay the full component of tax they literally have nothing left in the kitty to consume or keep up with their neighbours, as what remains after paying income taxes is taxed at an extremely high level indirectly when they purchase goods and services, including strangely, a life insurance policy. The other, unlike in Western countries where too the tax component is high, the return in the form of amenities provided for the tax paid is very little.  This is evidenced by the roads, the health care system, and the education system and many other public amenities which are by and large non-existent or minimally present. All the tax money is wasted on sops for vote banks. So one can't really blame the people of the country or hold them responsible for not wanting to pay taxes and punish them. It’s insensitive of those who wield power over the taxpayers’ money! The system needs a clean-up and tax paid must have a visible return. Then things will change. Because after paying the correct taxes you probably will still have to bribe, perhaps because the system is not yet fixed, which leads us to the second dimension of Black Money - it does not really exist!

Yes it does not! But what goes around comes around….The Colour of the money depends on the hand that holds it. In the RBI's hand, like it is now post demonetization, there is only one colour, irrespective of legality - White! In one person's hand, if undeclared in an IT return or taxes are not paid on it, it turns black. Should the person holding it invest it in gold, land, or even in the purchase of white goods, or even a movie ticket, it turns white as it converts itself into a legitimate asset to have to hold from that day on! It’s not the money per se, but the process and the person that needs to be targeted or you'll be throwing the baby out with the bath water, especially if you empty 86% of the bath tub as this government has done with its rather unprovoked scheme of demonetization that should have and could have come after the many avenues for generation were tightened to a hair’s width.

What needs to be done there is twofold - strike at the root of the problem - areas like political funding, higher education professional fees, the undervaluation of land deals, the professional sector (the accounting, health care and legal sector), the government procurement and licensing sector and purchase of gold.  Each of these sectors should have first been targeted with a series of measures before demonetization. In addition, taxes should have been rationalized, reduced, exemptions eradicated and if possible, income tax eliminated altogether by piggy backing it as an expenditure tax on the GST slabs proposed.  It’s simple and easy to do. It can widen the base, eradicate harassment and lower the effective tax rate all in one go. It will also spare the poor - Please read this article (http://www.newskarnataka.com/opinion/its-time-to-abolish-income-tax-but-how) written as far back as May 2015.

Let’s see what perhaps should have and could have been done in each of these sectors prior to demonetization:

1. Political Funding:

Presently, funding below a cap of Rs: 20000 is non transparent - It is easy to change that especially with the majority that this government enjoys - No political party can argue with it as they are doing now without being labeled a black sheep. Yet not a word spoken on that either before demonetization or after. Getting political parties covered under the RTI would be the next step.

2. Education Capitation fees / Charitable Institutions:

Remove the education sector and charitable institutions from the Indian Trusts Act 1182 and Public Charitable Trust Act 1950 and move them into the Companies Act with a few exemptions. The disclosures and compulsions of the Companies Act will automatically strengthen transparency. Tax exemptions can continue to be provided to subsidize the sector however.

3. Undervaluation of land deals:

The problem with the real estate sector is the valuation, which is determined by demand and supply and fluctuates from location to location, from day to day and from every other angle possible including Vaasthu compliance.  It is not easy to determine or fix to prevent evasion by the buyer who would like to reduce his costs to the maximum, as also his desire to dispose of undeclared income he has earned elsewhere through his services in cash or through any other means including other land deals in cash.

The seller is often left with no choice whatsoever in the matter.  For example a healthcare professional, who generates undeclared wealth through his professional services rendered in cash may invest the same in the real estate sector purchasing a piece of land from a seller. Here he is hoping to convert his black money into white (through a purchase of DD in cash) / dispose it off partially (through the payment of the balance in black) even as he saves money on the stamp value. He is killing a lot of birds with one stone.  Ultimately the money starts circulating without a government record painting it black.  Although a state subject, it can be rather easily addressed if the stamp value is made inversely progressive - pay less stamp duty for higher value purchases with all properties being linked to the Aadhar no.

An additional liability is that of the Real Estate broker. For very little service, he charges a fee of 2% and demands that it be paid in cash. He does not have a professional licence, often does not have a registered office and yet makes a mountain of cash from literally nothing. This then circulates and comes around.  This must be regulated by the Real estate bill - where all such brokers are registered and licenced with an authority and have to submit annual returns to the authority concerned.

4. Professional services for cash:

This is one of the biggest areas of black money generation.  Professional services in the health care sector, legal, accounting and some other informal sectors including as bribes are largely based on cash transactions. Declaration of cash received for services is uneven and the undeclared portion as in the case of bribes in the government sector, goes to finance consumption of luxury goods and in some cases charitable causes. Eradicating these practices will prove more difficult than others, but can be tackled if income tax is abolished in its present form and it is piggy backed on the GST as an additional layered tax - there is no other way.  This will also sort out the unreported income in the rural sector.

5. Government Procurement and Licensing sector

The Times of India has reported that an engineer in Uttar Pradesh Government speaking anonymously said "A bribe is not a taboo in a government job". That perhaps sums it up.  Government has made a beginning with auctions of the resources of the country. Cannot the auction system be applied to the procurement sector too? It can is my guess, through a reverse auction or e-auction process. It is now standard practice worldwide and must be done even at the urban local bodies. Licensing and inspection must be brought down to a minimum through the streamline of various processes and the removal of discretionary powers of the concerned authorities.  Easy enough to do.

The regulatory and prosecutory mechanism too needs to be strengthened. Delays beyond 12 months must be eliminated statutorily for any deterrent to be effective. The investigative mechanism is non-existent presently. The Lok Pal Act is an example of poor execution and in the light of the haste with which demonetization has been introduced, begs the question as to why it is hanging fire. It is also noted that it has been amended recently to give added protection to the wrong doer!  Indeed the Supreme Court on 23.11.2016 castigated the government for the delay in the appointment of the Lok Pal and said it would itself act to appoint one if there was further delay, which might in the end be a good thing!

It’s only in the railways that an engine pushes the train forward from behind, but perhaps the government expected the horse to learn the tricks of the trade quickly? But while the train moves on tracks that are laid out as per a plan, the horse has to push the cart forward uphill on a bumpy and pot holed road that often disappears mid-way!