LOOT

Lets start with the goals of IIT Kanpur. The aim of the Institute as proclaimed on its website is " to provide meaningful education, to conduct original research of the highest standard and to provide leadership in technological innovation for the industrial growth of the country." In the era of globalization & liberalization it becomes difficult to limit the growth only to 'the country'. Where about more than 75% people lives below Rs.90 per day IIT gets a funding of about 80 crores a year from the Governement of India which means directly from the pockets of taxpayers. But being one of the premier institutes of the country and the high standards demanded the amount can be justified fair enough.

The students mainly coming from the middle class of the country enjoy the best of the art facilities which help us grow. But another problem starts growing .We become addicted to them. In all the wonderful college experience the IIT provides years that pass like wind. Time comes when the graduation day is near and the future plans take the front seat. As most of the time has already spent in bulla we do not get time to plan anyhting. As very few people know what companies or firms they want to join it becomes difficult for many of us to actually search or know about different firms or their application criteria. But as the time has evolved our seniors has devised a simple formula of tackling our problem and created a students' body for placements called SPO. Now the responsibility is given to it to call and bring 'as many as ' companies possible . A firm is invited to the college as long as it provides a good salary. As the constitution of the country provides for liberty,we can join any firm without any limitation to "technical innovation" or "industrial growth".

Now in the race to grab the highest of the packages available we forget to check what the company actually does or how does the company get benefited from us. It was painful to hear from one of my closest friends, " I will say yes to anything the company demands ". We even forget to check our market prices even while selling ourselves. Placements start at IIT campuses almost at the same time and the first to visit the campuses are all the foreign firms. Forget about the Public Sector Units, even the private Indian companies have to take a backseat because of comparatively lesser value packages offered. As the days pass by and celebrations start for being 'placed' at XYZ the tension grows among few. Because it was a race we feel defeated to see more and more people crossing the finish line. The stress grows to an extent where students suffer from sleepless nights. It is sad to know that even after seeing the list of 200 to-be-visiting companies in the campus and hardly anyone offering a job of less than 6 LPA some of us suffers from such stress.Those of us who are in the celebrating team still do not find time to check the working of the company celebrated in full details or thinking about if any other better option is available to us. Now the time comes of joining.

Withing a month the facebook starts telling the experiences. While some really feel to have struck gold , a large number feels cheated. There are cases when there is no facebook status springing up! Why??
Last year a firm called 'Surya Roshni' came to the campus and 'took' some students of Material and Metallurgical engineering. No details of training were given before. The students are taken to camps far from city where there is no office. For next 4 months they are not told about the functioning of the company. Not even once, the details about the job are mentioned in their 'training' period. Instead as part of training they are taught about how to live without food, without water, without talking to anyone. To the surprise of some they are lectured about Hinduism and the need of a 'Hindu-Rashtra'. Anti-islamic lectures are being given regularly by the 'scholars' of the society. They are given strict orders of not keeping cell phones with them or any communication outside the camp. The letters they write are all checked before submission. To more surprise students still keep practicing everything as they are given Rs.2000 at the end of each day! It was not the first time it happened. The same company gave the same training to the students taken a year before. The so called 'guiding seniors' did not care to even inform the coming students or the SPO about the training they underwent. The story of right wing fundamentalism penetrating so easily in the IITians' life goes unheard.

How and on what basis the company come to a government institute remains completely in the hands of the students. While every company symbolizes growth and development according to many, we fail on most of the accounts to tell HOW? How on earth does the famous trading company Future First contributes in any type of growth? The firm only works on the principle of finding the loopholes or the limits of a computed graph . The company recruits the IITians on the terms that they will get profit as a commission if they make huge gains but will be thrown out if their calculations or judgements make losses for some consecutive days. Though the company's principle may be justified but when the clock strikes 10 and the trading starts even if the guy wants to urinate he will find it difficult to leave the place as it may incur immediate losses. The continuous pressure of making gains in as many transactions as possible starts eating up his life. Why is it that we fail to understand the human costs involved?

As it is always the money that matters lets talk about that. The funding in IITs was made like an investment from the people for highly educating a few which would lead to engineers or leaders who would ultimately reap benefits for the society either by the production or by creating jobs. We will apply our best skills to answer the question and satisfy ourselves even when it clearly looks like a loss in the 'investment' we represent. Today forget about the high profits many of us would fail to show even a small return or care for the principal amount. Then we will say a Narayanmurthy has been produced and it is a lot!

After repeated asking for donations to the institute the overall contribution still remains abysmally low. It had been always followed in our traditions that instead of being forced a person shall be motivated enough to give back himself. But when asked about the opinion of giving back they would say it is one's own choice and he should be left free. These alumni are the topmost payed employees in the country- Analysts, consultants, managers, CEOs, top bureaucrats and various well payed jobs in the country and around the world. A 24 year old getting a job in London or New York would find tonnes of "Congratulations" on his facebook profile. Two decades earlier when we were criticized for "Brain-drain" we defended by saying the country does not provide ample opportunities or the money for a comfortable life for us. Today we would complain the Mumbai pot-holes or Banglore traffic. Why shall we be congratulated so much ....just because we made our package twice and life more luxurious which would hardly change anything for anyone else? Why is still a job in foreign country is regarded so high in our minds? Are we still bounded by the traditional inferior mindset of generations? Does that inferior feeling not undermine the huge success and potential of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and Mumbai? If asked today we would again throw words like Globalization, Liberalization, New Right Philosophy etc etc. as if the world is today a global village and we are the only chowkidars of our "Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam". We believe firmly in Capitalism but would not give a thought on what social principles we got our education. When the world is such a global village why was our fees paid only by Indian taxpayers?

Today when after continuous persuasions for donations we fail to offload the burden on the institute and the Indian exchequer, the IIT council decides . They decide to ask the IITians to pay at least their fees and that too after they get a job or the employer who is getting a well trained individual for almost no extra cost shall pay on his behalf. Within no time the news draws criticism from the the alumni as well as the students of IITs. That shows how impulsive we are and how offended we feel that we do not care to give even some hours to think about the recommendations.

It is time we recognize what the country gave us when we had no money to get such an education abroad. It is time when we recognize it is not fair for a man earning 2 lakh per annum having his own family and problems to pay for our education. It is time we break the chains of inferior mindsets about ourselves. It is time when we become responsible. It is time when we stand up and accept wholeheartedly what we owe to the nation. It is time we give back at least what we looted from the country.

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Million Mutinies

The time has come when everyone is aware of atleast one common issue i.e. Corruption and a crusade against it. The Anna phenomenon, if not anything, has brought the issue to the forefront. Kisan Baburao Hazare , a soldier of 60s leading the youth of 2011. The movement is termed as the August Kranti and the second struggle for freedom . But what makes it a kranti or a movement of this level? Why are the huge crowd mainly the college students are attracted towards it? The man is for a just cause, The man has impeccable integrity, the man has not a penny to be questioned, the man has a clean professional record, the man has a Padma Bhushan for decoration , adorned with successes for the right causes and the man is not alone. He is there with the aid and advise of the fantastic five, the names which has become household today. They themselves are the ones that a boy or a girl wants to be. Arwind Kejriwal , an IIT Kharagpur alumnus , an IRS officer and then credited among those who brought RTI in our lives. Kiran Bedi, the name already known to people before this movement only because of her achievements and integrity. Santosh Hegde, a retired SC judge and the Lokayukta whose work lead to the resignation of someone like Yedyruppa, the strongest horse in BJP's power in Southern India . And the lawyers' duo of Bhushans where one had been the Union Law Minister of the country. Now when such people come into the forefront the questions on constitutionality, legality etc. of the movement shall be put to rest.

The outpore is not the result of the govt.'s blunder of arresting the people , but the reasons that are known to everyone who live in this country. Though the action certainly helped in increasing the numbers on the first two days it can not be held resonsible for the sea of humanity seen in Delhi and Mumbai a day ago. The biggest rally, political or non-political, ever seen in independent India is mind boggling. Before one could get down from the metro a huge crowd could be seen on the platform with the flags and the gandhian topi, heading towards the India gate to join thousands in the rally. But to the surprise there were already lakhs occupying the 5 km lane to Ramlila maidan which was packed with another lakh. In Mumbai 'one lakh marched' and the city didnot see such a response even in its worst times. Other cities across India also had big rallies. This is the gathering only of those who had opportunity and time to be there . We should not forget the millions who may have wished to be a part of it.

As a witness to this movement I cannot but want to show what I saw at Ramlila. During the day the mood is euphoric, emphatic in naarebaazi and patriotic in waving hundred tricolors. The mood of jubilation, celebration engulfs anyone who is just present anywhere near the ground. The feeling that today one is not alone and lakhs can stand up together for one cause, the single feeling of hope over rides the persistent solitude which had gripped a person so long wanting to voice against anything unjust. Charged with encouraging voice of Anna or the spiritual speeches of leaders people realize that this is exactly what they wanted to hear when they came here. People recording the spiritual speeches on their smart-phones . I never before thought the spiritual speeches are worth enough to be recorded by so many. In the night the loudspeakers are shut down after 10pm. People start leaving the grounds leaving for thousands of those who either do not find time during the day to come there or those who carry the movement night and day without interrupting. The food is already prepared and then distributed to everyone by 100s of volunteers. The volunteer does not mean you would find them with a badge but anyone who just stands up to serve. You will find people cleaning up the place. If one see the sheer size of the ground and the volume of packets and waste thrown one would say it would take days to clean up. But to the surprise it doesnot take even 15 minutes to clean everything. More than a hundred youngsters are seen picking up each and every single waste packet and collecting in a sack. As soon as something is thrown a person would come and pick it up. This is the first time I have seen in my life when the boys in 20s with spiking hair and rugged jeans clean a place which is muddied with waste and rains. This is the place which does not care who throws the waste , is he rich or poor? It does not care who picks up the waste, is he rich or poor?

When you snatch your eyes from the cleaning process you would find many people huddled up in tens of groups while some still in the same mood of naarebaazi. If you go close to one of the ten groups you will find a remarkable structure and composition. The inner circle with about 10-15 people with candles lit in the middle and about 20 other standing around them. It involves mainly youngsters and middle-aged people with one or two elderly. The group continuously chant slogans and sing the patriotic songs. As the night goes deeper the group starts discussing things among themselves. If you can spend 15 minutes there you will understand how much a common man knows about the issues surrounding us and the problems we face. This group comprises of students, servicemen, unemployed, rich, poor, rural, urban , Hindu , Muslim , everyone. The whole India is seen to be represented on one platform. The talks are informative, the mood is mainly of self-realization. You will easily find someone saying it is because "we do not vote the correct person" or "we do not vote at all when the time comes" or "the corruption prevails because we have been accepting it as a norm either by giving it or by taking it". Another two minutes and the eyes swelled when a middle-aged Muslim (recognizable with his attire in this holy month of Ramzan),said, " Bhai, in logo ne hume baat rakha hai. Agar hum tum aaj saath na hue to kuchh nahi ho sakta". I found a 60 year old preaching the importance of morality in life. Another man and he talks about the corruption prevailing in Panchayats and about a farmer's plight in today's village. a media camera comes in between and the discussion is interrupted. But in some time the mood is euphoric again with someone starting, " Apni azzadi ko hum hargiz mita sakte nahi..." and the song continues with everyone singing with full energy. It continues for hours with more people joining and leaving from the group. I went to another group and saw two people in a fierce debate- if one common language is necessary in India and if English can & should be that language. The people around were moderating and contributing with their points. Some smaller groups of 4-5 people are spread here and there with some sleeping and some just sitting there with a placard proclaiming "On hunger strike since 6 days". Strangely I found a boy in late teens dressed in uniform and sitting quitely and the board read "Mamma , I am not coming home". For some time I got concerned if he is Okay but then I saw around and realized he has no fault of his own. In this satyagraha too there is silence which can be heard only at the ground but difficult to capture by any media. Some naarebaazi still goes on at the other end. Some are still busy in serving food and water while some others cleaning the place.

Every one including something as pure as this movement has to be criticized by many. I see many showing their disapproval to the things going on. I know everyone shall have right to disagree but I only found people either misinformed about the Jan Lokpal bill or they never even bothered to check what it says. There are many who just criticize the movement for the sake of standing away from a crowd. Or some who thinks if they know a word like Oligarchy they shall use it. Some say many of the people standing there do not know what the bill actually says. I want to know how many people in the country knew about the laws and how many discussions were there in the country when the constitution was being framed. The majority follow the leaders and they believe in them. You cannot expect each and everyone to read and understand each and every provision or a method of law making when more than a quarter of the country is still illiterate. Even to them I shall tell that yesterday a rickshaw waala told me all the provisions in the two bills in discussion. This is the first time ever that a bill is discussed so widely and so efficiently in India. Arundhati Roy wrote an article which somehow got a place in one of the finest dailies but the article is so narrow minded and lacks complete knowledge of facts. Her view that a Lokpal would lead to another set of independent bureaucratic institution and now one has to pay a bribe to two organisations instead of one is mind-boggling. That means she is against the setting up of any Lokpal ever . So according to her as the Election Commission is an independent bureaucratic body and may lead to more corruption it shall be abolished. Or if we have police who takes a 100 rupee note to clear the passport inquiry we shall abolish the system of police inquiry itself. Some say it is against democracy and parliament. They are either the people of parliament or the ones who most of the other times criticizes the parliament itself. At one time they would say MPs are most corrupt , they are criminal, they shall be killed but at this time they take the custodian rights of projecting the parliament as the most sacrosanct. Even to them I shall ask to give me one instance when the constitution or parliament is over ridden in the demands of Team Anna.

For years we had been complaining in our drawing rooms, for years there had been frustrations for the politicians and we know almost each and every problem today is because of corruption. For years we had seen a vacuum of leaders who could go beyond their political lines. I see the hope of filling the vacuum with Anna and his strong team coming out at the front. But when I go to Ramlila I forget the criticisms , I forget the relentless government. The forget the continuous frustrating silence of the government and the Prime Minister. I know when the real leaders emerge the virtual fall silent. But the mood present in the air of a revolution engulfs me. As they say the noise of debates & discussions is music of democracy . The continuous patriotic songs is music to the ears which always heard that the people of the country are dead and they do not care any damn thing happening across them. This marks the beginning of transition from "nothing can change in this country" to "I am the change"

They say it is madness, they say the government won't bend , they say it would lead to anarchy. I see unity, I see hope, I see waving flags, I see discussions, I see people breaking the shackles of caste, religion, I see patriotism, I see leaders emerging, I see a society integrating, I see a nation building. I do not care what they say, I do not even care how soon the bill is passed I am just too involved and ecstatic in seeing what I am seeing.

Egypt

First picture which used to come to mind when we heard Egypt was the immovable ancient Pyramids and the dead mummies. But this time the country is alive more than anytime . The silent waters of Nile are roaring for a revolution. The civilization of 6000 years old is the centre of the world news today. This is the country which the whole arab world looks to for all the colors. It may be music, fashion trends or its movies. But today it is at the center for the most dramatic change in a regime which we ever encountered in our lives.

The Rebel
30 year old authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak comes to an end. The fire which was started by a young Tunisian vegetable seller setting himself ablaze seems to engulf the arab world soon. When Tunisia was burning Mubarak was fearful of an uprising in home . He continuously made remarks condemning the protests. The critics around the world mentioned the fear for him but no one thought it would be so soon and so large . Lets try to answer the million dollar question of WHY this sudden rebellion? Some says its economic ,some says political while some says its mixture of many things. The unemployment has risen all across the world not just Egypt.The country has a per capita income of US$ 2500 ,about 2.5 times that of India which is more or less calm in every aspect. Moreover the protests are urban. They are spread mainly in the biggest cities of Cairo and Alexandria. If you say its political , the main opposition of Muslim Brotherhood ,which wants Sharia law for the country, says several polls, does not contribute more than 25% of the protests.If there is face that is emerging out is that of the Nobel laureate Mohd. ElBaradei who returned to Egypt just when it all started. But it remains the protests of the public. The belief that the protests may be Islamic is rebuffed at the first sight of million march which does not have a single signboard of religious significance. The protests include Muslims, Christians all together standing for one demand. The continuous oppression and frustration is what is coming out today in the form of the biggest rebel Egypt has seen. 'Freedom of oneself to choose ' is what is echoing the most. Not just to choose a leader but to choose a way of life . The freedom of speech , freedom of assembly,and numerous human rights which sometimes seem of little significance to the rulers, have become more important than anything today. The pride and self respect of oneself oppressed under years of autocracy excites the Egyptian today to come out from home and join the protests.

The Reaction
The other important thing to notice is the world reaction. The United States today stands in a fix. Egypt is most important ally for making peace in the west Asia. In 1979 Egypt-Israeli peace agreement took place and lead to yearly aid from America reaching to US$ 1.3 billion today.Years of calculations and strategies now seem to confront the ideals of USA. How much it may have hated but had to choose between the democratic principles and the important ally of years. Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu will remain with very limited allies in middle-east after Hosni Mubarak is gone. The continuous rise of Iran's power and the growing influence of islamists had made the two leaders come together.Israel till today is strongly condemning every support to the protestors in Egypt. Turkish prez has called for step down of Mubarak and France ,Germany remains on the public side from the start. Jordan and Syria fears for the turmoil in their own countries.It seems to be mainly an arab world problem But it is important to see how our country reacts. It may seems today why should we care enough . But when such a historic day is written in the life of a nation it does not forget to note down the names which voiced for a support . May be just a voice and nothing else. Our diplomats need to calculate very fast the significance of that voice . India may have some fears of an Islamist regime after Mubarak but being the biggest democracy of the world it can not silence itself from the basic principles it survives on. If on one side we demand to be at centre stage at UN on the other we try to distance our self from every little risk in diplomacy. Bangladesh remembers the aid from India during its formation and so will Afghanistan . Maybe in those cases the choices were simple but it is time we start to choose the correct rather than the easy.If a nation stands against its ruler it naturally expects some support from outside in whatever form it may come.

The Mood
Another important thing is the nature of the revolt. It was not ignited by some catastrophic event. Not by any genocide or assassination of a political figure.But a common man realizing his right to freedom. It is not restricted to labourers and peasants against unemployment and poverty but consists of all sections including educated ,modern and most urban of the country. And they are helping each other with food, medical aids, and anything which is possible. The army giving all support to the public. The mood is not of violence but of celebration. Recent reports narrates incidence of football match between public and military prized for a tank !Women and men shouting same slogans standing in the same crowd. An old lady said "I sneezed and someone offered me a handkerchief". The people are helpful to each other and are not chaotic when ATMs , shops and internet have been closed down. They are realizing one common purpose that is a real republic , a nation of people with power residing all with them.

The Future
From Tunisia to Egypt and seems spreading towards Jordan,where the government is making number of changes in the power sharing and increasing the expenditure as much as it can to avoid another domino fall.Next in line may be Yemen or Syria but the events of Arab world show clearly that they are not to be limited to these countries. It can not be said surely if the winds of change will limit to this part of the world. If the Saharan sands can cross the Arabian sea and vast Himalayas to make a desert in China it will be naive to think the winds of change for democracy can not penetrate the Asian giant. If not today or tomorrow it now seems in the internet world that the people of China will rise for the constitutional changes before than it was thought of. It seems all calm across the Tibet to Chinese Seas .But one spark may end everthing.May be we shall not compare the situations of two great civilizations of the world today but it would not take a lifetime to see that Tahrir square of today can be Tiananmen square one day.