Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Policiy of Subsidy, Corruption and Development (or the lack of it)

Now for some serious conversation. My current project on the efficacy of the 6th Schedule of the Indian constitution has enlightened me on several aspects of the misuse of this provision. For starters, what really strikes me is the very blatant diversion of funds that take place. To put it plainly, its nothing short of a loot. An astronomical amount of money is being pumped into this region in the name of Counter-Insurgency measures( most of which is unaccounted for) and Development. But the reality is that this money seldom percolates down to the grassroots. So, inevitably there is a huge market for this floating money ---- greasing several palms for work to get done, as corruption has become institutionalized in these parts....bottlenecks that one has to encounter everyday.

Also in opposition to the Development that should have taken place at the grassroots, what one gets to see is the manifestation of easy money in the form of a sprawling urban concrete jungle...all the trappings of easy and unaccountable money. It is rather well known that apart from the insurgents operating in the region, there is an emergent class of noveau riche- the surrendered insurgents. They are no less than the mafia operating in other parts of the country, notably Mumbai. It is through sheer gun and muscle power that they boss around town....controlling several markets in the city and beyond. They invest heavily in some of the most lucrative businesses in the region, namely coal, tea and timber and ofcourse the latest trend is to invest heavily in real estate.

The skyline of Guwahati has undergone a massive transformation in the last couple of years....there are malls, restaurants and lounge bars (thats the latest to hit the city). Fine, people can argue that its all for the better, people here have an option to go out and have fun...but the moot question really is, what is the source of these huge investments? G is fast emerging as a fledgling metropolis. So there are hundreds of high rise apartment blocks dotting the landscape without sparing a thought to the receding water table and the fact that G falls within the Seismic Zone and is prone to earthquakes....caution thrown to the wind...all that one gets to see are towering concrete jungles amidst the green spaces. The rampant corruption that one witnesses everyday is claustrophobic.

Coming back to the problem of the 6th Schedule. One thing i have realized is that the policy of allocating out subsidies is just killing the entire process. The need of the hour is the formulation of policies that can deliver goods rather than placating public sentiments by giving them more subsidies. Every now and then huge monetary packages are announced by the Centre. But is there any mechanism in place which carries out an evaluation of the utilization of the funds ? That is the most important thing, you can't just give and give ...thinking that that will solve the problem. That surely won't. What is required is some transparency in not just the devolution of finances but also the implementation of the policies and monitoring of the supposed utilization.

Whenever i think of these issues , I am left with more questions than answers . Working at the grassroots has made me realize that for all the cosmetic changes that may have taken place , there are huge gaping holes that need to be filled below, before any genuine Development can emerge!!

****** Since i live in Guwahati and since Guwahati is the hub of the Northeast, my discussion is confined to this city and based on my field experiences.

Wishlist.......

A Wishlist thats forever growing :

1) A cottage with an attic on a mountain or alternatively in a quaint village in Old Goa by the sea ( so much for the idealist in me!!).
2) Learn the art of pottery making ....love the feel of mud and clay.
3) Travel all over the Northeast as well as to Ladakh. I have in mind some places in the Northeast such as Khonoma ...A.Z.Phizo's village in Nagaland, Dzuko Valley ( also called the Valley of Flowers), Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh ( especially Pasighat , Tawang etc) , Sikkim ( the pristine and unspoilt East and West Sikkim). I would also love to go Ladakh.
4) I also dream of opening up an outlet for tribal artefacts, candles, handmade paper and nature-based products someday......

Friday, April 21, 2006

Maze of Uncertainty.....

I sit silently
Plotting my own end

Dreams of a bygone era
Crumbling to dust

Mere specks in the vast horizon called Life.




Stark and real
The pain simmering within

A multitude of thoughts cloud my mind
Spiked with uncertainty
Blurred and Misty
A veil of confusion
Sits placidly on a terrain of indecision.




Concentric circles
Formed in the landscape of my mind
Drawing me within the inner sanctum

As i take a walk through this uncertain maze
I see glimpses of my past fly by
Like snapshots in an old album
Aged and crumpled
Dog eared and yellowed
Weathered by the Pain and Hurt....



Staring at my face
Distant and Unrecognizable...

Memories
.....Are all I am left with....


***** My thoughts after a particularly harrowing week emotionally.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Breaks, Thoughts and More ....

Was out for less than a week. It was a sudden decision.....getting really bored with the life out here..actually, not just bored but irritated....multiple problems of water shortage, frequent power cuts, office politics .....just about everything under the sun....to drive one up the wall!! So I went off to D...most of my friends were out of town....could hang out with them only for a day or so....but the break served its purpose....transporting me to a different space and time, not without its share of problems....but a change nevertheless!!! That i think is very important ...to take short breaks...unwind....and get back to the mundaneness of everyday existence.

*******

Did a lot of thinking lately about the myriad problems in my life.....career, relationships....professional and otherwise.....fear of stagnation....multiple questions cropped in my mind .....but i just thought n thought ..... didn't arrive at any solution. Questioning oneself is good ...but floating in a rather fluid state of mind at a particularly confusing period of life is very bothersome.

*******

Also brought to my notice for the umpteenth time ...was the fact that i Think too much. I confess wholeheartedly that i do....but i don't think its all that bad...yeah i may get a little hypered about stuff...but on the whole ...i think( yeah i do "think) .....its not that bad a thing in life to re-think and re-look at one's existence!!!

Anyway, too many 'thoughts' are creeping out to assasinate the very essence of this post.

So let me just cut out my thoughts....and bring this post to an end..

Till next time then...