Donations

Whenever there is some emergency due to a natural calamity or what we say ‘force majuere’ event, we find many people announcing donations as well as canvassing for it. So far so good. No issues with that. People who want to donate to some good cause for society may do so. That is entirely acceptable and a personal decision. It needs to be appreciated. But what I feel irritated about is the obsession amongst the common public with who have donated what. With social media, this is a more pronounced phenomenon. I wonder what people achieve by these discussions or comparisons? These are plainly inconsequential and fall into the category of the spiteful gossips that ladies have in social functions about the dresses or ornaments of others. 

Then there are people who want to blame and shame people who won’t open their purses for donation or chose not to publicize their act of charity. This, I think is the most negative of reactions. Sitting afar, not knowing anything about a person , his financial condition or his mental state at that moment and commenting about his act of charity or rather the lack of it. Why should one expect someone to part with his hard-earned money just to help others? If the state wants, it can always confiscate the money. But that depends upon the state, the type of government, the laws prevailing, the nature of the emergency and the overall situation, in general. 

If you detest socialism, talk of the power of capital , believe in feudalism, root for profit in normal circumstances, then why want others to help you in an emergency? Perish or rise , depending on your resources and capital. After all only the fittest survives isn’t it ? 

And, if you hate capitalism , want the world to be a place where everybody lives with equal rights and privileges, where resources are shared, no barriers of class exist , then ask yourself what have you done to achieve it. What prevented you and others to get together, fight it out. And please don’t give me those high sounding theories of dialectical materialism or any such nonsense. Revolution is the only way and it is not a one-time thing. It has to happen continuously. 

Just don’t blame or shame anybody unwilling to donate. And stop highlighting or going over the town with what someone has donated. It is just another way of publicity and attempts to gain traction to leverage upon and get concessions. Sounds brutally cynical, did you say? Can’t help it. 

And …………….. if you are really so particular that donations need to be highlighted and made public then why are you silent about the apparently anonymous donations made to the political parties?

Lock-down musings 28032020

After almost 72 hours, today I ventured out of home primarily to get some milk and secondarily for fresh veggies. I don't know about other parts of the city or the country but here ( Keshtopur, Kolkata) almost everything is available. Though, a few notches below the normal times. Milk, fish, chicken, eggs, packaged bread, and vegetables are sufficient in quantity and the price is also normal. People were wearing masks or covered there faces with handkerchiefs and more or less avoiding close contacts with others. Police vans blaring instructions and civic volunteers trying to control the crowd were also visible.

There was not much of a mad rush when I went out - about 8 in the morning. One reason may be that at the initial stage, people had hoarded to their heart's content. The other reason could also be, as explained by a gentleman bargaining with the fish vendor - it was the last week of the month and salary was still four days away. But the shelves of the grocery shops looked sparse and there were small queues before them.

I got a litre of milk, then also bought some biscuits and a packet of chanachur. As such I don't drink milk normally but use it to prepare Dahi at home which I have for breakfast regularly. Then I got some vegetables too - carrot, beans, bitter gourd.

The fish vendors were calling out the customers. The price was just a wee bit higher than what they should be normal but not too exorbitant. Fresh live smaller Rohu was Rs 250 per kg and a small variety of Pomfret Rs 450, to give you an idea. I got a 650 gm Rohu for me. Satisfied, I didn't linger and returned back. The entire operation was completed in 25 minutes. I'm now good for another 3 days of self incarceration and without Dahi would be fine for 4 more days. Hopefully, the scourge will diminish by then.

******************

This lockdown has emphasised so many things that we have ignored in our lives or wished away as old fashioned values. There are many lessons for us to learn, which I daresay won't be done. Looking at it, I don't think the fear that people are experiencing is only about losing their own lives. We all understand that we can't live forever and when the time for goodbye comes, there's no way to stop it. And if we have life destined for us, then we can live on, despite anything and everything even in a vegetative state. And still, now, the death rate from the virus is low, compared to other viral diseases and lifestyle diseases that we call upon to ourselves. So that's not the real problem.
The fear stems from something else. It is more about the near and dear ones. It is about the part one plays in the probable death of someone, by accident, ignorance or negligence. Despite so many negatives and selfishness that we display, this human perception is the reason that the Covid-19 menace weighs upon our minds, collectively.
I personally believe that the virulence of the disease will not stay too long and we may see it tapering off by mid-April. And, India may manage to escape the severe depredation by the virus. Call it a prophecy or mock me as a budding astrologer, I really wish to bet on it. This has nothing to do with any knowledge or exclusive power but a sixth sense type of perception.
But.. but. ..but....... I don't also believe that we will get a full respite from the menace. It will continue to manifest itself in different pockets and such isolations will be a way of life for many people and many places, going forward. Our only hope to eradicate this virus is an effective vaccine or medicine, hopefully without other side effects. The sooner we get it, the better. Otherwise, Covid-19 will be a real pestilence.
If you notice, in the wake of such threats, our lifestyle changes. Many things we carry on for a long time, even centuries, get dumped for new practices. Take AIDS for example. First we, Indians laughed it off as a sexually transmitted disease of those western people and nature's curse on homosexuals. We were only much bothered about the sex part and thought it to be something like Syphilis or Gonorrhea. By the way, many Indians are still afflicted by these diseases as well as other STDs. We are not, were never, a holier than thou society in the matter of sex or sexual preferences. And after globalization, both the past tricks known and the present social mores gathered have made Indian society much permissive about sex.
But the problem was not sex itself. When people realized that condoms are necessary but not the only way to protect them from sex, and understood that AIDS was not all about having sex only. It could be transmitted by other means too. Disposable syringes, razors became a part of life. Before AIDS happened the syringes for medication or blood transfusion were just sanitized by spirit or some other chemicals. Very quickly, it all changed, even in rural areas and hinterlands.

For centuries, the old type of razor blades (Ustura/ Khoor) was used by the barbers for shaving. Now, no more. In our own joint family, I have seen the common razor blades used by male members for shaving. Sharpening it on a piece of stone was a ritual practiced by the users before shaving. All that changed.

Similarly, now this ritual of washing hands or the use of sanitizers will catch up. Earlier most people were not too particular about common colds or flu. In fact, I guess we have built up some levels of immunity to them. But from now on, probably anybody with a fever and sore throat will feel that extra fear of infecting others and vice versa. The practice of visiting the workplace with fever was always bad. Now it will be deemed criminal.

As I said earlier, till some vaccine or medicine to counter the virus is invented, it will continue to lark around through carriers and the fear is it may also mutate and make itself resistant to natural forces and local conditions into new strains. As it is, the nature of the COVID-19 is different from others. By itself, it is probably less harmful than Dengue, Malaria or even swine flu ( it is actually a variant, I believe). But the effect it has on the immunity system is more dangerous, it appears and therefore people with serious ailments of the organs are in the high-risk category. Another thing to note is that it attacks the respiratory organs most. With the high level of air pollution, the danger is aggravated. the problem is increased manifold by the way it is transmitted and the long incubation period as it remains active.

Lock-down Musings 27032020

One of the worrisome factor to deal with during such self-quarantine is the effect it has on your health, not only physical but also mental. Because all said and done and in spite of what you may do, there are always those nagging doubts, suspicions, apprehensions, and anxieties that keep on visiting us at the subconscious level. For those who are older and not so young with certain diagnosed lifestyle diseases or other organ-related ailments, the necessity of remaining fit and fine is much more because of the attendant problems of logistics and medical help. Simply speaking, nobody can afford to fall ill for other reasons now, in addition to saving themselves from the COVID-19 virus.

Prolonged sitting on the couch or prone position on the bed will definitely worsen the back pain and general weakness. Boredom makes us look for the easy way out to beat it, i.e. by eating more which not only adds up to the weight but also creates acidity that spoils sleep. Therefore I urge that my friends should take care of their healths during this period. I am speaking from my experiences and not sermonising, Please also remember that I have no professional qualification or locus standi to act as an advisor for health, nutrition or fitness matters.

One of the steps that I have taken to de-stress myself is exercising twice-morning and evening, for about 30 minutes or more daily. These are simple ones. In fact, the practice of Surya Namaskar of 10-15 rounds in one go will generate a lot of sweat and loosen the limbs. Plus I am setting a very tough target of holding on to the plank position of 5 minutes by the end of this period. Presently, my performance is normal below two minutes for the first attempt and one and a half minutes for the next attempts. For everybody, at least two sets of 15 repetitions of freehand exercises, leg-rising, twisting, toe-touching and some physiotherapy like pushing the wall, low-intensity stretching, etc are necessary. Of course, depending upon the age and health factors. Some Jugaad ideas like filling two 2-liter bottles with water as dumb-bells and using a chair for squats will help. But remember, there's no need to overdo anything;  feeling comfortable should be the overall objective.

Another step I have taken is to do away with dinner and replace it with a soup of boiled vegetables and chicken, just one medium bowl, or a cup of Horlicks (thick). This helps to get a good sleep and feel less bloated. It also makes you rise early in the morning. But anybody skipping solid dinner must make plans in advance for the breakfast the next day as you will feel quite hungry in the morning. Otherwise too, it is better to cut down slightly on rice and bread as these are now the main staple available for many. 

I have also taken a conscious decision to not store alcohol at home. I am not too much of a drinker alone except the occasional beers on hot summer afternoons or a glass of Rum-pani on cold winter days. But it is better to do away with the temptation at the root itself, more so when alone and fallible. May sound a bit surprising to some friends but I swear on the Constitution, this is a fact. 

I would have loved to do away with smoking too, in this opportunity. Sadly, this only addiction proves to be strong enough for me to leave, till now. So I have brought two packs and cut all the cigarettes with a blade to half. Hopefully, this will limit the only personal bad habit I have.  

**************

Well, Murakami has floored me in the first reading. Obviously, the English translation will not retain the flavour. But it is definitely different and you can feel it. There is a distinct style of Asianness in his writing but the setting is modern. The book I am reading right now- Kafka On the Shore is written in the first-person narrative and has short sentences. which gives a sort of defined pattern to the story and leaves no loose ends.  But I've read only 79 pages till now. So let me complete and then, maybe I will search for more of him.  

Lock-down musings 26032020

Due to a combination of fate and a certain amount of indecision from me, I find myself separated from my family in Mumbai. I returned to Kolkata on 15th, which I shouldn't have done and on 18th when a brainwave struck me to go back to Mumbai, I should have listened to it. 

Anyway, we are all fit and fine as of now and that matters. Other than having a persisting worry or anxiety about my wife at Mumbai and the fact that the journey is not possible or advisable now, I am actually not very much hampered with the lockdown. I'm staying firmly put in my small flat and not venturing out unnecessarily.

No experience goes waste in life. My stint of a 10 day Vipassana course has now come to my rescue. And actually speaking, other than the physical nearness to the family and a sense of not fulfilling a responsibility, it is not a big deal.

I have no problem with cooking or other daily chores and fortunately, it's a small flat in Kolkata, where I live. So the daily grind is a breeze and anyway, I was doing it already. I am capable of two things only according to my better half - reading and writing. So I'm doing them with full gusto.

When I get time from reading, I will pen my #lockdown #musings intermittently. More as a note. Pardon me if there are multiple posts from me appearing in your timeline. You have the option to ignore them. Or you may value-add your experience too as a comment. Cheers

****************************

I have been more or less under a self-imposed lockdown since the 18th. This means that I have completed more than a week of confinement within the four walls of a small flat. During this period, I had gone out only four times to stock up on certain essentials. The only people who visited my door are two - The safaiwalla and the waterman. For more than 48 hours on the trot, I'm in my flat except two occasions that I went up to the roof to get some fresh air.

During this period of one week, I finished three books. Of them, 'Anarchy' by Dalrymple was already half-read, then for a different taste took up Archer's 'Nothing ventured'. I have now only two physical books in stock. But over the net many ebooks are there. Some friends have sent many old comics, detective stories, and ghost stories mainly in Bengali. Going through the comics intermittently.

Another ebook I just finished this afternoon, before writing this post was 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Konrad. I had this one with me for more than two years and always wanted to read it. If you remember, the famous movie 'Apocalypse Now' was based on this book, in a different setting.

Listening to songs on the mobile also keep me occupied, the only problem being the use of earphones as I have not brought my BlueTooth mini speaker with me. So it is with some restrictions. Next on the list is to watch some cult westerns on the youtube.

But for now, my first Murakami - Kafka On The Shore beckons. Feeling a bit overawed. Will I get into it? No doubt it will take it's time to finish.

Stop blaming China for everything

In the wake of the pandemic, for the last three months or more, China-bashing has become a pastime worldwide. If closely observed, all such negative portrayal of China, it's government, it's people emanate from the West and lapped up throughout the world.

We have heard about conspiracy theories that blamed the release and spread of the virus due to some alleged biological weapons tested by China gone wrong. We found many people ascribing to the disease to the entire Chinese race for their food habits.

Then once the Chinese government started an all-out mobilization of forces to tackle the menace head-on, we started hearing complaints about how draconian the steps were. We were told that not only forced quarantine but thousands of people are being summarily exterminated by the Chinese authorities to stop the spread of the disease. Some people pointed out how cruel the Chinese were and the others nodded their head recounting their 'Cultural Revolution' and 'Population control' measures.

Now China seems to have managed to somehow control the disease spreading within their own boundaries, while it rages on, in the western nations. But here too, the China bashers have an excuse. We are now being subjected to the theory that this pandemic was an attempt by China to disrupt the global economy and buy assets at a throwaway price. Back to square one.

I for one refuse to believe in this sort of China-bashing or anti-China propaganda. Not that I know much about China or its people. Nor do I have any special reasons to defend or justify the government of China. I generally go by the basics and simple logic. My idea is that a country with a population of 140 million and such an old civilization can't be treated this way with sweeping generalizations or assumptions. It's true that the Chinese are seen as reticent and secretive by all other nations. But that is more due to the language barrier and their culture of not sharing information. This is nothing new. Barring few notable exceptions, historically China has always remained an elusive place unlike India or other Southeast Asian countries.

People are blaming China with secondhand information gathered from western sources. Most probably these are planted in the media by vested interests, more likely to be intelligence agencies and dirty tricks departments of various western countries. Falling for such propaganda will be a big mistake.

Anyway, China can't be blamed for everything. They may be blamed for some things, even many things, depending on how much you really know about them or what is the source of your secondhand information. At least I don't buy the line of argument that is being bandied about their complicity in the COVID-19 pandemic. If you do, it could be your naive understanding. Think again.

Bank merger in the times of Corona

Time and again, it has been pointed out by various well-meaning sources how the proposed mergers of PSU Banks were detrimental to the economy, more so when a global recession has firmly set in across economies. However, in spite of the industry level opposition to the proposal, the merger of Banks has been announced by Finance Minister and also as per the Gazette Notification, issued by the Government of India on 04.03.2020. Under Section 9 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition & Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970, the merger of 10 Nationalized Banks into 4 Banks, is to be effective from 01.04.2020.

As it happens, the virulent outbreak of COVID 19 has seriously affected the entire world since the beginning of this year and countries after one another is locking down their businesses and normal life of the citizens. Your attention must have been seized of the adverse effects of the Coronavirus across the entire global economy. India has not been spared and presently we are gearing up at the national level to combat this scourge. Already public gatherings, official meetings, travel, tourism, etc. have been curtailed to the barest minimum. Many educational institutions have been closed, commercial and business establishments are encouraging their employees to work from home. All these are done by the government to check the spread of the disease and save precious human lives.

Any person with even a certain level of common sense will appreciate that the Banking activities also involve interacting with thousands of public on a daily basis, while transacting their Banking requirements, including cash transactions and other physical interfaces across the counters. There is every need to protect the bank staff too from the possible threat of Coronavirus as well as the customers using the various services by visiting the branches, offices or ATMs. A situation where the Banks may have to be shut down or severely curtail their physical interactions with customers can not be ruled away at this stage. In fact, it is high time that a task force be formed involving the government and bank functionaries to review the threat perception arising out of the pandemic and decide on the viability of the branches being kept open vis-à-vis the danger it puts the society and the country as a whole.

Any pragmatic person will clearly understand how the twin events of Bank mergers and COVID 19 scare can combine into a deadly cocktail to debilitate our economy. In this context, let us not forget how the decision of 'Demonetisation' in 2016 and the introduction of GST in 2017 affected the manufacturing, trade and services sector of the economy and hastened the lowering of GDP in spite of benign crude oil prices globally. Another fatal blow in the form of disruption in the banking sector will definitely take our economy back by years, if not decades.

Moreover, all the tasks related to the proposed merger of Banks w.e.f 01.04.2020 will involve thousands of our members, other employees, and even many of the outsourced personnel on a day and night basis exposing them to the risk of being contaminated by the virus. There will be the requirement of continuous synergy meetings of various steering committees at all levels to carry out various essential tasks related to a successful operation, post-merger. The logistics of the whole process will be quite a task to accomplish, from past experiences of previous such amalgamation of banks.

Therefore, in the interests of the country, its people and the economy the decision to merge the Banks w.e.f. 01.04.2020, must be deferred for an indefinite period. The matter may be reviewed after the effect of the Corona virus wanes and the effects of it on the economy is neutralised. This will not only be an appropriate step in terms of governance but also a very agile humanitarian act, which will redeem the faith of people.

But is anybody interested? Or am I talking nonsense? Only time will tell.

One of the best forms of tribute that a man can pay to his wife was recently done by Mitchell Starc, the Australian cricketer. He took leave from his duty of playing against South Africa in the ongoing ODI series and travelled 10000 kms away to Sydney. To watch and encourage his wife Alyssa Healey playing the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup against India. This is what an enlightened and evolved person should be like. Salute to him for his act of proving himself as a real MAN.

And it also speaks highly of the society and the upbringing that a male is encouraged to do such. Lastly, let us not forget to appreciate the Australian Cricket Board for allowing Starc to do so and release him temporarily from an ongoing series.

Alyssa Healey helped Australia to lift the World Cup for the fifth time and surely made her husband and country proud on the Women's Day.

Spark

They waited eagerly 

on the ground 

looking heavenwards 

as that tiny #spark of light 

changed gradually 

into a dazzling metallic object 

shaped like a huge flying disc 

gleaming in the sky 

leaving a trail 

of bluish grey furrow mark 

in the orange sky

#vss365

YES BANK BAIL OUT

The financial crisis that the Yes Bank has brought upon itself and by a domino effect on the economy of the country is a culmination of total mismanagement by the top officials of the Bank and apathy by the regulators. This unsavoury episode brings to focus, the great risks and lack of any meaningful oversight on the business conducted by the private banks in India.

But not stopping here, the problem is accentuated and the contagion risk is increased by the moves to bail out the bank from its present crisis through the intervention of State Bank of India. Enough hints on this matter were provided by the Chairman, SBI when he spoke about - YES Bank will not be allowed to fail and that some "solution" will emerge to straighten its financial condition - on 23rd January 2020. Now the picture is clear with the RBI appointing the recently resigned DMD & CFO of SBI as the head of Yes Bank, suspending the board . That this is under a game plan becomes clear as the person recently resigned from SBI which is not a common event. This bailout action as proposed is against prudence or common sense, more so under the present scenario of a global recession and precarious situation of the economy. One can be pretty sure that this is being done under some kind of fiat by the government who wishes to hide the dirt under the carpet. This is not surprising as we find the government increasingly pursuing a policy of ‘privatisation of profit and nationalisation of loss.’

We are reminded of 2004 when the Global Trust Bank, another private sector bank was taken over by the Oriental Bank of Commerce. The striking similarity in the high flyer profile of the CEOs of both the private Banks and the much-hyped performance of the shares of the Banks at the bourses is worth recapitulating. This is therefore not something new or innovative as a solution for the crisis. Rather it raises a question if lessons were really learned from previous experiences. Whether the regulators had formulated any plans to avoid such catastrophes in the first place is a point to ponder. If not, then who takes responsibility is the next question.

Coming to the matter of intervention of SBI to bail out Yes Bank, it is difficult to understand the logic behind it. The SBI has just come out from the aftermath of a messy and lengthy process of amalgamation of its five subsidiary banks, in spite of sharing a lot of synergy with it. Now if it has to or it is forced to take the Yes Bank under its fold, then that will surely sound warning bells all around. But then such decisions are taken by the executives and approved by the Board. It is doubtful whether the Board members are aware of their duties to protect the company. They appear to be fulfilling the interests of the corporates and the government by proxy. Further without the representatives from the workmen and officers on the board, such decisions are being passed without any note of dissent or even meaningful discussion.

On one hand, we find that the SBI and other PSU Banks dragging their feet with inordinate delay in settling the bipartite negotiations with the employees represented by the recognized unions pleading lack of funds to meet the wage bill. We find that the interest rate on deposits is being regularly decreased along with charges and commissions on different services increased hampering the depositors and constituents. On the other hand, we find huge corporate NPAs being written off in a routine manner and without compunction. And now, with bailouts of their competitors in the private sector, the whole financial infrastructure is being seriously compromised.

We are not opposed to the private sector per se or even private banks as long as they operate within the framework of guidelines and laws framed for the banking sector. We acknowledge their relevance for the introduction of new business models and ideas. They can provide good competition for PSU sector financial institutions. But our sad experience is that they are overhyped entities generally operating at the whims or fancies of individuals at the behest of vested interest groups. Their business model of reckless and aggressive growth is laced with an assumption of high-risk assets and multiple violations of norms and guidelines which makes the whole system unsustainable. Yet as the going got good, these persons are lionised by the media with the help of a certain amount of organised promotion activities and the image of a fast-growing efficient company is projected from all available platforms. But in the finance world, it is very difficult to sit upon inherently risky positions for a considerable period of time and therefore the sins of omissions and commissions catch up with these high flyers at some point in time. We have recently seen the heads of the two top private sector Banks being ingloriously and unceremoniously unseated from their positions after long spells of role model stature. So it will be quite moronic to assume that everyone in the system responsible for monitoring, regulating and disciplining these private sector Banks are innocently unaware of what happened in Yes Bank.

The problem is compounded by the general insensitive approach of the government towards the PSU sector and revival of the PSU banks with a long term vision and nurturing approach. The recent decision to merge the PSU Banks is one such step in the wrong direction. There should be a strong protest against the bailout of Private Sector Banks by the PSU Banks and the answer to these apprehensions should be placed as a white paper on record in the public domain to warn the depositors, account holders, customers and the general citizens of the risks and dangers involved, not only to the Banks but to the whole financial system of the nation.

Atlantic

Spread like a big question mark

between here to eternity 

lies my own #Atlantic 

I need to cross it 

even if once to get the answers 

all those fears that hold me 

all those doubts that make it 

such a barrier to overcome 

I have to dive into it 

to find those deep dark secrets 

Of people before me

who failed to reach the other side

#vss365

#JustArunangshu 

 

Riots

#RandomThoughts Never lose sight of a simple truth . After thousands of arguments and counter arguments, frantic soul searching , delirious breast beating, toxic outcomes, cynical justifications, in depth researches , well meaning posts , candle light vigils, human chains whatever you can think of. The basic reasons for every riot are the same.

Riots happen and are created with the motive to usurp landed properties . They are instigated with communal and sectarian colours . But shorn of all accompanying emotional hyperboles ,the cold reality is that riots help to get properties, areas vacated and claimed at a pittance of their values. Riots are the ugliest expression of capitalism.

It is not a new theory . Just a simple fact. This also holds true for those mysterious fires that happen in old bazars and godowns at regular intervals . 2 plus 2 is always 4 .

People live in today . Nobody cares to follow up or go into history to understand events. The main reasons for fights still remain the two most primordial - land and women . Scratch the surface and the reasons will reveal themselves. Religion is a just a paint to hide the evil intentions.