Why leak the Radia Tapes? It's time to talk motive

More important even than who leaked the tapes may be another question: why?

It is illegal to leak government secrets.  This is true in every country in the world, and there are a lot of really good reasons for it: governments--like businessmen, lawyers, and mental health professionals--sometimes need to do things confidentially.

Of course there are times when breaking the law is called for in order to prevent something terrible from happening. It is OK to break the speed limit, if you need to get a dying man to the hospital. It is OK to reveal confidential documents that will prevent large scale theft or corruption; and following orders is no excuse for committing or aiding in the commission of war crimes or crimes against humanity.

We don't know who leaked the Radia Tapes yet, but they probably could have come from one of only three places: the Finance Ministry, the Home Ministry, or the Prime Minister's Office. Who knows? Not me.  But a lot of people like me have been assuming that whoever leaked the Radia Tapes has done us all a great favor by shining the light on some very bad things, and that he or she did so for reasons having something to do with an admirable desire to set wrong things right.

I think I even said something like that at a party recently, and the politically savvy people I was talking with promptly set me straight--after they had a good laugh at my expense. Sure, this leak has revealed some ugly truths we should all know about. And yes, it could have been motivated by a love for truth, justice and Mother India. But there are other, more plausible reasons why someone in a high place may have wanted this information public. Today, I'll list three. There are probably many more, but I've forgotten what they might be. If you've got a good one, why not add it in the comments? Of course, this is all just idle speculation. But remember, motive is something every crime show detective knows to look for, and it seems to work for them!

Damage control: A lot of money was lost to the public in the 2G scandal.  In a previous post, we laid out just how much 1.76 lakh crore rupees really is in terms we can all understand.  For now, let's just say the 2G scam will likely turn out to be the largest in modern Indian history. Whoever leaked the tapes knew that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report was going to make a lot of people look very, very bad. Not just people in the Telecom Ministry, but people in Finance and even in the PMO. The Radia Tapes help to focus public outrage on A. Raja and the Telecom guys. The tapes framed the story, so as to crop out certain very, very important people.

Coalition politics: The Radia Tapes made it possible for Congress to sack A. Raja, putting the blame on him only, while keeping the DMK in the UPA coalition. Presumably the DMK is not just worried about its electoral position in Tamil Nadu and its friendship with Congress, but also whether the CBI and friends have any dirt that goes beyond Raja. If that were the case, they would pretty much need to keep their mouths shut, wouldn't they?.

Get even with the press: A lot of dirt came out in the coverage of the CWG mess. Feelings got hurt. Maybe it's payback time. The first batch of Radia tapes were carefully edited in such a way as to insure the media got it's well-deserved share of the blame for this whole ugly affair. Blaming the media is also a form of damage control, because if you can spread dirt on everyone, then the public is left feeling there is really no alternative to dirty politics and dirty business. Ratan Tata's recent effort to slam the BJP in this context is a variant of this game.

So what to do? I agree with the editors of The Hindu on this one: A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is imperative at this point. It's hard to see what Congress gains by trying to delay this indefinitely, unless they feel UPA II wouldn't be able to withstand the truth--in that case, they've got nothing to lose by delaying except whatever public trust they've still got. 

Beyond the JPC, we have to hope that there is a thorough house cleaning, where people who are found responsible--be they members of the government, the media, or India Inc.--go to prison for long terms. You just can't fight corruption of this magnitude by giving middle level bureaucrats a few years in jail; you have to go after the big guys and you have to lock them up for long periods of time if they are found guilty. Otherwise, the temptation to play dirty will continue to be irresistible. And dirty business, dirty media, dirty government is a big part of what is killing democracy in this country.

Lessons from a village school: energy, honesty and the price of pessimism

In this post, Gandhi fellow Kabir Arora writes about the school in Rajasthan where he did his village immersion. What is working? What is holding it back?

Rajkiya Ucch Prathamik Vidyalaya-Chhota Lohsana

The school assigned to me was a kilometer or two from the accommodation. An old building with eleven rooms, a kitchen, two toilets never opened and two Ghomut. One hundred forty five kids, 8 classes with 5 teachers, a PT Instructor and a cook. Being a nodal school, it should have staff of 9 people. Doesn't matter! Government Schools are not made for educating masses but data collection centers.

The school is being lead by Bhagirath ji, second to him is Mr. Satpal who teaches English. Hindi is assigned to the lady teacher whose name I don't remember now. Maths is the responsibility of Bhagirath ji and Mr. Surjit for junior classes. Mr. Vijay takes Social Sciences period, the PT instructor is given health education. The subjects which are left are taken collectively.

The classes which were offered to me in platter were 1^st,2^nd , 3^rd, 4^th & 8^th standard. For primary classes I used to take mathematics while I took Geography voluntarily for the senior most class.

The very first day at school I was thrown to fifth standard. Found myself totally confused. Did some random exercises from their maths text book. Later the Headmaster (HM) sensed that I'm not worth for that class so I was never sent their again.

1^st and 2^nd Standard used to sit together, I used to take their class for an hour after the midday meal. I'd take 3^rd standard in the first and 4^th in the second hour. In between those two classes we used to have pani peshab ki chhuti (break for ten minutes to go to toilet or satisfy thirst).

1^st-2^nd collectively had around twenty five kids, while 3^rd had 18 students but only 12-15 used to turn up. Lowest number was in 4^th with only 10 class members. Lot of activities were repeated from the LQ and I took the school as continuation of the same process. Here the response of kids was amazing. Many kids were so straightforward that they used to argue with me. Affection was shown through gestures like hugging, holding my finger.

The “prayer” was banned by Rajasthan Government to stop the flow of Swine Flu. Surprisingly my school staff took it literally. They used to have assembly where prathna was not done. Registers were filled with attendance, while demotivating speeches were delivered by both Headmaster and the PT instructor. Instead of passing optimism around, they promoted negativity in the school to motivate kids, but no progress from other side.

Bhagirath is meditating, but Ganges is hesitant to flow!

Mr. Bhagirath Singh Sunda, commonly referred “Bhagirath Ji”, is the headmaster of school. A very interesting person with good height and old man kind of looks. I met him last time in a Jaipur Kick start workshop. Not much interaction happened between us. But he seems to question everything, very high expectations and like to do role modeling. Sometimes he would grab attention by being very vocal. This was my image before meeting him. The moment I reached the school, he was ready to shoot me with his questions. The moment I entered his house, he was filled with humility of a host. A very different side of his character.

He seems to be an ideal teacher for rural belt. Punctual and walks very fast, I literally have to run behind him. I liked to attend his class which is always full of chaos and vibrancy. The new teaching techniques are used. Kids love him, talk to him with no fear. He likes to sing with them, they too enjoy his company. This is only for the kids in primary classes.

He is always criticizing the kids of senior classes on the ground of behavior and their laid back attitude to study. The whole school is actually falling under the category of fear free. Still, the PT instructor uses his hand sometimes on kids, but he is very much attached to them too.

The headmaster always complains about the extra work passed by the government to teachers. For the state, teaching in school is the last priority. He even stated that the government just want to close all the government schools. The quality is degrading but the teachers are not the only ones to be blamed. The state is equally responsible for it. In front of my eyes, he received a post in which he was asked to submit the minute details of midday meal from year 2001 to 2010 to Midday Meal department in four days.

Why is the state not hiring clerks to do this job, there is large scale underemployment and unemployment all around? The headmaster never missed his class because of the statistical work, the time after school was used complete it. Everyday he used to stay in school for hours after it is officially over, filling the files, answering queries forwarded by various departments. He was honest to his job. Because of his high expectations and role modeling in the school, a very different environment especially for teachers has been created. When he is in school all teachers will take their class. Otherwise they will have leisure time except the PTI and the lady teacher who were regular to their respective classes.

He also seems to be very much unsatisfied with the performance of his team. Most of the time he underestimates the person next to him. On my part I had to show him the demo so that he acts to my advice. At many places I was very hesitant to talk to him because of his idealization of himself. Working with him at times was fun, sometimes frustrating. Especially so because both of us carried our formal and professional relationship at home too, which disconnected me from his realities. At certain instances I felt like running out of the fence created around me. Something was there stopped me. The life at his home was lavish, filled with loneliness all around.

We used to reflect together on the day's act. He is very pessimistic person, so I was forced to put my pessimism aside. He used to come to the room with thoughts about how nothing works here. From my literary interest, I used to pick up tales and anecdotes and narrate them to him. How a dumb student like Vardraj became Sanskrit Grammar expert Pannini. Transformation done by Tarun Bharat Sangh in Alwar. Panchayati Raj institution performing amazingly in Uttarakhand, organic farming changing lives of farmers were all incidents narrated to him to make him optimistic. He also concluded that things take time to change, we should do our Karma.

In evenings it used to be like a grandson telling tales with positive note to his grandfather. At one instance he asked me if I'm placed in his position with the similar sort of team how will I work. I was lost for a moment, gathered courage to say that even I'll loose my interest, but will keep on heading and searching for inspiration to move forward.

There is a strong rivalry going between the PT instructor and the headmaster. One day, the PTI took me aside, opened his heart and complained about same thing which even I noticed. Bhagirath ji constantly blamed the lack of interest of parents in their wards' education. All the miseries in school had guardians as their convicts.

If I'm asked what is the one sole thing which I would want to see changed in his attitude, it would be turning negativity to a ray of hope, accepting the individuals the way they are. The moment it happens school will reach its level of perfection, everything will come on track. My hypothesis! 

For more of Kabir's experiences, see:

Journey Just Begun

A Gandhi Fellow in Jaitpura: Introducing the School

If I were my own teacher: confidence, colour and voices
Steep Climb 
Tourist Guide  

Ambition, Injection, Multiplication: anecdotes from a Jaitpura School 

Unanswered questions: final words from a Jaitpura School 

Kabir Arora's Village Immersion: Ram Kahani Begins  

Pindan Chon Pind Sunida Baas Dhakkan

An evening of blunder: bad manners, drinking and disappearing peacocks 

My Father is in Iraq--What?

Lonely Urban India

Binayak Sen gets life in prison, India Inc. gets Rs 1.76 lakh crore; what are we left with?

A Congress spokesman said yesterday that to dismiss the Sen verdict outright would mean India is a 'banana republic'...were his remarks more candid than he intended? 

The life sentence given to Dr. Binayak Sen for criminal conspiracy to commit sedition is almost too much to believe, even for those of us who have become jaded by a central government that talks endlessly about the common man, but seems to listen only to the oligarchs who are robbing the country--sometimes, legally, sometimes illegally--of almost unimaginable amounts of money. I find myself speechless.  Fortunately, the editors over at The Hindu were not speechless.  Here's what the opening sentence of the editorial they ran on Christmas day:

The life sentence handed down to Binayak Sen by a Chhattisgarh trial court on Friday is so over the top and outrageous that it calls into question the fundamentals of the Indian justice system.

Those are extraordinarily strong words, but this was an extraordinary verdict. Just as extraordinary, was the way Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi explained his party's neutrality in the matter.  Here's how The Hindu reported his remarks:

Mr. Singhvi pointed out that dismissing the verdict outright would mean that India was a “banana republic.” He urged everyone to take pride in the fact that the country had an “independent judiciary.”  

Well, perhaps Mr. Singhvi is on to something. Perhaps it really is better for us to pretend this verdict is about justice, if only because the alternative is just too terrifying. 

By the way, what Mr. Singhvi really wanted to talk about--the BJP's connection to the Radia case--was reported in another article on the same page. As was the fact that the CBI investigations of  the 2G scam and CWG corruption are continuing. That's wonderful.  When someone steals Rs. 1.76 lakh core from the public coffers in a country where 1250 people die from diarrhea-related illness each day due to lack of clean water, then words like corruption and scam seem somehow inadequate.  Rs. 1.76 lakh core is a huge amount of money; invested properly, it would save lives--lakhs of them.

But does anyone expect anyone connected to the 2G spectrum mess to get a life sentence in prison? I'd be surprised if Niira Radia or A. Raja get more than a slap on the wrist.  And as for the guys they are working for--Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, India Inc.--well, they'll just go on making fistfuls of money.

I've read a lot about the Binayak Sen case, and I'm not going to rehash it all here. You can start with this article from Hard News. Then google if you want more. I'm convinced the good doctor is innocent.  Forget the life sentence-- he deserves our thanks and respect for dedicating his life to the struggle for human rights.

If you want to do something more than read, you can start by signing this letter to the President.

You can also join the Free Dr. Binayak Sen Campaign on FB and spread the word.

Lonely Urban India

In this report about his stay in the village, Gandhi Fellow Kabir Arora writes about hospitality, loneliness, corruption, naxalism and more.

Lonely Urban India

I was reading a cover story in a journal on increasing loneliness in urban and metropolitan cities of the country. The very next morning, Bhagirath ji and I were walking to school. While walking we came across an old man who was from another village. Bhagirath ji and the old guy met for the first time. They asked about each other's introduction. The old guy was in Baas Dhakkan at some villager's house for a night and was walking back to his village. The way they were interacting with each other it seemed they knew each other from a long time. Suddenly two strangers came very close and started discussing family affairs. It was very interesting for me. As the lonely urban India was still criss-crossing my mind, where no one matters except me and myself. Here, these people live in open fields and accept every new person coming on their way.
 

Struggling with a question: Can I do this in Delhi or for that matter in my own hometown in Jalandhar? Walk down the road and start interacting with a stranger!

Rein Basera

The moment I got down, the first question which Bhagirath ji asked was about my prospective stay. I was prepared for the worst case scenario where I'd have to stay in a school. Bhagirath ji had some other idea in mind. He invited me to his house where I stayed for next whole month. They alloted me their Bhethak (drawing room). A cot with bedding and a loi (shawl for men) was offered to sleep. When the first week got over they felt that somewhere I'm feeling bored. They shifted the television to my room. It was exactly placed on my head side.

Hearing a news bulletin at seven from Jaipur studio and two bulletins (in Hindi and English) from Delhi at 8:00 became a habit. Many a times we used to discuss them.

Bhagirath ji's family in their household included his wife and son. Three of them. His brothers with their wives were staying next door. All the members  and around were old. I was the youngest person there. The lady of the house rarely interacted with me. Many a times I felt that I'm staying in a rural house of Punjab.

Bhagirath ji will be the last person in his family who tilled his land. His sons and grandsons will move away from their “roots”.

I used to open my eyes at six in the morning and see sunrise while lying on my bed. Actually used to wait for Bhagirath ji's call “Kabir ji”. I was neither allowed to fetch water for my shower from Kund, nor to wash my utensils after having food. The most lavish, pampered and dependent part of my life was the month I spent there.

The timing for eating and sleeping were fixed. At around 7 o'clock in the morning, when I was ready after the shower, tea with some namkeen and biscuits were served. Many a times I was given Dahi Roti which initially I didn't like but later got used to and accepted it as my destiny. Lunch was at around one with a subzi, lot of rotis and curd. In dinner, which was served at exact seven thirty in the evening, a subzi with rotis and milk were tabled in the room. Rice with Daal was given once in a week.

To show respect I never left anything behind as food waste whether many a times I didn't liked eating the same thing again and again. I loved having Karhi which was amazing. Tea with Matira or Kaakadi  was also served as evening snacks at four.

The family didn't know my caste and surname. For them I was Mohammedan. They never questioned my belief. One day elder brother of Bhagirath ji came at home. Ayodhya Verdict was suppose to be declared next day. He asked my opinion on the Ayodhya issue. He wanted me to react to the assumptions being made on the verdict. My answer was very simple that we should focus more on immediate priorities than fighting on the basis of faith. He was not convinced but we never had conversation on the same issue again. One day he came up with a question about “democracy in India”. He was looking for my opinion about it. I replied with a pessimistic view and said that I'm hopeless about it. He himself added and concluded the discussion by saying that there is anarchy all around which is not a healthy sign.

The lavish spending on Commonwealth Games while the food prices are rising and anarchy all around also became a part of discussion. Naxalism was discussed in length. The discussions in the rural India especially in those households which are educated  have started questioning state's propaganda. Sooner this fire can spread to the surroundings.

Just a hope! Later become a mass resistance movement!

Life in the village is a survival issue but there is happiness all around. Nobody  in front of me talked about poverty. Yes price rise & corruption in Panchayati Raj institutions were always potrayed. Many villagers are suffering from the increasing alcoholism. The drinks are not for pleasure but to forget the worries of day to day life. 

For more of Kabir's experiences, see:

Journey Just Begun

A Gandhi Fellow in Jaitpura: Introducing the School

If I were my own teacher: confidence, colour and voices
Steep Climb 
Tourist Guide  

Ambition, Injection, Multiplication: anecdotes from a Jaitpura School 

Unanswered questions: final words from a Jaitpura School 

Kabir Arora's Village Immersion: Ram Kahani Begins  

Pindan Chon Pind Sunida Baas Dhakkan

An evening of blunder: bad manners, drinking and disappearing peacocks 

My Father is in Iraq--What?

Best Dhabas in Delhi: Jagdamba Bhog, Shahpur Jat

Shahpur Jat, one of South Delhi's urban villages, is undergoing a gentrification of sorts.  Along its edges, it is now possible to buy stylish shoes, pizza, high priced coffee, English books and more.  You can even get an artistic tatoo.  Small publishers, software engineers and artists have set up offices and studios in buildings which, until recently, provided crowded living quarters to local workers. 

It's hard to say how all this is affecting everyday life in the area.  On the upside, new business means new jobs, though most of the professional work goes to people from outside the neighborhood.  Still, some of the new businesses do hire local working class youth, educated in the area.  On the downside, rents are going up in certain parts of the village.  This is difficult for workers who are seeking low cost housing in South Delhi--of that, there can be little doubt.  This kind of displacement rarely makes the news, because it involves lease agreements and not bulldozers.  But it is displacement, nonetheless.  

How far will it go? That's hard to say.  The very density of the housing and the narrowness of the lanes makes it likely that a complete transformation of Shahpur Jat is unlikely to happen anytime soon.  And in many cases, ownership of buildings is shared; in those situations, renting out a floor is typically a lot easier than selling the whole building.  My guess is that unless someone very powerful organises a lot of bulldozers--something which seems unlikely at this point-- gentrification will remain an incremental, problematic process, pushing from the edges, slowly inward.

But this post is supposed to be a dhaba review, not an essay about gentrification.  Well, if you live or work or shop in or near Shahpur Jat, there are a lot of places you can eat.  Try them out--except the pizza place; skip that entirely--there are a lot of better choices.  

I spent some time in the area recently with a friend who works there, and I was impressed with Jagdamba Bhog, a small joint that serves a different dish every day. Some days, it's rajma chawal, some days it's chole chawal, some days it's kadi chawal.  Most days there's a sabzi and roti as well. The food is spicy and hot and is served on eco-friendly steel plates.  If you are lucky, you'll get a spot to stand and eat.  If you eat there in summer, you won't have AC of course, but you may catch a cool breeze from the dhaba's water cooler. Of course, take away is also an option.

Rs. 20 buys you enough food to fill most human beings up.  In fact, after a week of eating there, I had to let my belt out one notch--and that's not a joke!  This food is made for fellows who work hard for a living; it's not short on carbohydrates.  Still, the rajma itself tends to be pretty thin--protein is a little harder to come by on a Rs. 20 budget these days.  But if you feel shortchanged, appeal to the chef with a smile, and you will surely be rewarded!

To get there, find the road that runs along side the maidan that separates Shahpurjat from Panchsheel Park.  When you see the temple pictured at right, head straight in and don't stop until you reach the first T point.  On your right, you will find, Jagdamba Bhog. Simple, like much of what's good in life.  And you can rest assured knowing that your AC-free, locally grown, locally prepared meal is greener than most meals you'll find in Delhi.

Happy eating!

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Sometimes greentech is really low-tech.  For more of the best dhabas in Delhi--and other green 'cheap and best' technology, check out our low tech green page!