4 October 2015

Criticising Religion

Except for a brief period in my life, I have lived a life of vegetarianism. As of today, for both ethical and spiritual reasons, I am vegetarian. I am not sure, but I think I have tasted beef once (outside this country). I did not like it. But then again, I have never really got used to non-vegetarian food. But that does not mean that I will kill you if you eat beef. Or stop you from eating beef. Please lead your life the way you want - based on your desires and the consequences of your actions.

But I would like it if you please don't mix politics and religion. Theology from politicians will always be focussed on creating a voter support. It will rarely be for the goals that religion aims to achieve. No politician will talk of oneness of his supporters and opposers. But almost all religions talk of the unity of all people. It is the politicisation of religion (by politicians and sometimes by religious leaders) that creates conflict. Though, in the true sense of the term, any religious leader doing such things would be more of a politician and less of a religious leader.

If anyone (politician or otherwise) tells you that its Hindu to do this and not Hindu to do that, please don't accept his/her word at face value. Please do your research. There are plenty of books on the subject, if you are genuinely interested (for example, History of Dharamasatras by PV Kane). Don't believe me, don't even believe Gandhi. Go to the scripture, read the commentary and judge for yourself. That is if you are interested. If you are used to second hand knowledge and you usually accept other peoples views as your views, then skip the research and live a second hand life.

A corollary to that is please don't comment on Hinduism or for that matter any religion or anything, without having an idea of what the faith or institution preaches or is about. So don't comment on the Vedas or their origin or their contents without having even the slightest idea what they are about. Read a digest on the subject and perhaps then you are qualified to comment.

If you find that a particular practice is inhumane, a waste of resource or not compatible with fundamental rights, you are right to question it. But don't stop there. Every question that is worth asking is worth answering. Find out how the practice started, what is its relevance, why it should be scrapped and can there be an alternative.

Also maintain consistency in your questioning. If you think pouring milk over an idol is a waste because there are hungry children, then so is pouring beers at a party when there are thirsty children. If immersing idols in a river causes water pollution then so does waste poured by leather tanneries. If blasphemy is freedom of expression, then religious rituals are also freedom of expression. Uphold the rules of "harm principle" and "fair comment" on either side of the fence. I usually find these lacking in criticisms of faith/religion.

I am not saying that the practices of religion are okay because there is another equal evil. But that, when you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers that are pointing at you. Maybe, your outrage is justified. But my plea is that you channelise that outrage into something productive. No one is going to come and do the dirty work for you. You will only have to do it. By all means, question the practices of others. But remember, that the questioning doesn't absolve you of your duties. If you see an evil happening and it disturbs you, go and correct it yourself.

I can't tell you how to lead your life. I am no expert or authority on the subject. These are just my suggestions and I can only hope that they will yield good results.

Narayan Narayan!

Lord Narayan in the cosmic ocean
Image Source : http://gaudiyahistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Madhvacharya-6.jpg

5 September 2015

Janamasthmi

I love Janamasthmi. While I am a believer of Vedanta and non-duality, for some unknown reason I am drawn to Krishna. He is not my ishta deva in the sense that I worship Him to the exclusion of Others, but that He is in someway special to me. So this year, I have made a tiny collection of writings on Krishna :

  • Madhurashatakam
Madhurashatakam was composed by Shri Vallabhacharya. The composition uses very simple words to convey the madhura nature of Krishna. It has been beautifully sung by MS Subbulakshmi. Please take out time and hear it. You can see the verse by verse translation here

  • Murli baj uththi anghata
Recently, I purchased a book on Bulleh Shah published by the Sahitya Akademi and written by Prof. Surindar Singh Kohli. Came across the following Punjabi composition from one of Shahji's Kafis :

Murli baj uththi anghata
Sun sun bhul gayya sabh bata
Sun sun Sham Sundar dia bata
Bulhe Shah main tad birlai
Jad di murli Kahn bajai
Bauri ho ke tain wal dhai
Kaho ji kit wal dast barata

The flute is being played suddenly (by Lord Krishna)
Hearing the flute of (the Beloved) and also the talk about Him,
I have forgotten everything else.
When the Lord played on the flute, I, Bulhe Shah, cried in agony.
I became mad and ran towards the Lord.
The lover (gopi) asks, with whom the gift of love is being shared?

(The translation has been lifted from the book. Other translations may vary)

  • Hari Tum Haro
Apparently, this Meerbai bhajan was a favourite of Gandhiji and he requested MS Subbulakshmi to sing it for him on his birthday. While there are many renditions, I personally find this one the best. If I could sing, I would probably sing it like this. Krishna's life as a pastoral cowherd and later as a kingmaker is full of incidents in which He is the saviour. Thus, it is apt to ask Him to relieve our suffering. (The expressions pastoral and kingmaker have been inspired from the title of a book published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math)

You can find the words and English translation over here

  • Nath Anathan ki Sudh Leeje
Shout out to Gaana.com for showing me this wonderful Surdas Bhajan. Absolutely love it. You should hear it too. Unfortunately, I could not find a translation for the wordings. I have attempted a translation. Please read it with a handful of salt. 

Nath Anathan ki sudh leeje
Tum bin deen dukhi hai Gopi
Beg hi darshan deeje Prabhuji
Nath Anathan ki sudh leeje

Nainan jal bhar aaye Hari bin
Uddhava ko patiya likh deeje
Surdas Prabhu aas milan ki
Abki ber Braj aawan keeje
Nath Anathan ki sudh leeje

Lord, remember the orphaned (for they have no protector)
Without You the Gopis are sad and suffering
Lord, please give your darshan (meet us)

Without Hari, the eyes are filled with tears
(At least) send (us) your message through Uddhava
Surdas is yearning for You
This time come to Braj!

  • Hari Har Simaya
My Nani used to sing this couplet. Lovingly, she used to explain each word to me. She had immense faith in God and was a true devotee.

Hari har simaya, hari daaliyon mai
Wahi jhoomta hai jo haryaliyon mai
Hari har, Hari har, Hari har, Hari!
Meri baari kyun itni deri kari

Hari is in everything, Hari is in the green branches
He is the one who dances in all greenery
Hari is everywhere, Hari is everywhere
When it is my turn, why are You so late?


Happy Janamasthmi to everyone. May this day mark the end of all evil within us.


Source : Shri Nathji Krishna celebrating the festival of Sharad Purnima. Nathdwara, Rajasthan circa AD 1800. Currently on display at National Museum, New Delhi

4 August 2015

The Logjam

We think their idea is wrong,
But we won’t discuss it on any prong;
Rather we will make noise and run to the well,
Break all rules and make Parliament a living hell;
But no misbehaviour goes unpunished,
Madamji threw us out, thinking it was the end of the skirmish.

We are unshrinking like teenage daredevils,
Protest we shall and let sessions crumble;
Black bands, huge placards and a fiery slogan,
“Death to Democracy” is our loaded shotgun;
No matter how many rules we shall break,
Madamji dare not scold us for her own sake!

As they sow, so shall they reap,
This is what they did and must now receive;
Who cares about law making or the Mango Man?
It’s all about opposing and so we must continue this logjam;
We will not falter or agree on any account,
Madamji can call us for as many meetings as she wants.

Doing so, we will not let them work,
And around election claim that they are the ones that shirked;
This is how it has always been- an affair ending in nil,
From one Animal Farm to another still;
What can we do differently?
Madamji wonders about her next step, patiently.

Source : http://www.weeklyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Parliament.jpg

11 July 2015

Much obliged!

During my first law internship, I spent a significant amount of time observing proceedings in the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court. Often, the Hon'ble Judges would lighten the mood with their jokes and comments (without any compromise to the delivery of justice). Following are some excerpts from my notebook :

Referring to the hundreds of post its on a particular document -
"What is this colourful petition about?"

In various debt recovery suits -
"Where is the money? How much money have you brought today?" 
"Don't be greedy. Take some money and be done with it. I will not be here in 5 years, but this petition will be. Better you settle it now." 
"This is their mentality. They will spend 10,000 to recover 1,000!" 
"Whatever money was left, the company is using to pay their senior advocate."

In a suit concerning defective leather, Your Honour made a comparison to Maggi -
"What do you mean the leather 'tears'? How can leather just tear like that? Did it have lead in it?" 

In a case where there were multiple respondents and a particular respondent (4) agreed with the claims of the petitioner -
"How have you bribed Respondent 4?"

A company was being wound up and it had multiple creditors. Recovery proceedings were pending in court

Referring to the directors of the company -
"Where are the directors of this company? Are they cooling it off in a holiday destination? Is there a provision to bring them back?" 
"The birds have gone to poop."

Referring to the official representative of that company (who was present in court) -
"So we will let loose the creditors on him. But what will they get. They can take his clothes."

Counsel praying for more time because he was recently appointed -
"Will the respondent change counsel again next time?"

On the use of abbreviations -
"What is R4? It's Respondent 4. Speak in full."  

Counsel - "Your Lordship, they haven't filed SoB" 
Judge - "SoB?" 
Counsel - "Yes, Your Honour. The Statement of Objections" 
Judge - "The Americans use SoB as an abbreviation for something else. They don't use it the way you do!"

And some unclassified ones -
"If you come after 1 week, do you think I will forget what you said last time?" 
"No Mister, I want a disposal today!" 
"Your clients will not agree, so we will make it a decree!"


Mysore Government Offices, Cubbon Park
Source : http://peopleofindia1868-1875photos.blogspot.in/2011/11/images-of-british-india.html


Thanks to all my co-interns for making this internship super awesome. This post is dedicated to you.

Song - Happy by Pharrell Williams

1 May 2015

Necessary Evil

Read the following words in a book by Swami Chinmayanandaji :

Thus, we compromise with our ideal in seeking the temporary gratification of some passing whim of our mind. On such occasions the usual justification is that it is 'a necessary evil.' And it sounds quite an acceptable excuse in the ears of our society. But a spiritual student must avoid this thorny bush and should never think of taking shelter behind its poisonous foliage. For, invariably we find that 'a necessary evil' very soon becomes 'more and more necessary' and, as we repeat the evil again and again, it is found to become 'less and less evil' in our judgement! This is how a compromise once made tends to perpetuate itself as a habit of the mind. It is through such unconscious cracks that the meditative powers, cultivated and stored up in us, slowly leak out, and the seeker's bosom becomes empty of all its acquired beauty and glory. 

24 April 2015

HDFC Bank & The Expectations Treadmill

Imagine, there are two students X & Y. The first student, X, is a star student and always scores an A grade. The second student, Y, is an average student and always scores a B grade. In a certain examination, both students score an A grade. The 'reward' received by the average student will be more as he has beaten expectations. The expectation from the average student was to receive an average grade and by achieving an above average grade he has beaten those expectations. Whereas the star student has delivered what he always delivers i.e.: he has met his expectations. Further suppose, that in a later examination both of them score an A grade. In that situation, one would say that both have met their expectations.

The reference point for expectation is current performance.  To continuously beat expectations, star performers need to work harder and harder as expectations are higher and higher. In corporate finance, this principle is often termed as the expectations treadmill (To my limited knowledge, the phrase was coined by McKinsey consultants). Here is an excerpt from Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies (a publication by McKinsey & Co.), which explains the treadmill with respect to companies (screenshot taken from Google Books) :



HDFC Bank came out with its Q4 Results yesterday. Following are some quotes from this report :

"HDFC Bank Ltd’s steady performance in recent times hasn’t set its stock on fire."
"Its March quarter net profit growth of 20.65% also didn’t excite investors in a tepid market."
"Although the bank has been delivering a steady net profit growth of at least 20% in the past eight quarters even when economic growth was sluggish, it is still a comedown from the pace of the four years prior to that. At that time, the bank delivered a 30% net profit growth quarter after quarter"
"To be sure, it has comfortably beaten the industry loan growth rate, as has been its practice"
"That doesn’t seem to be enough for a bank that trades at the highest valuation among the world’s largest banks, according to Bloomberg data. To generate market-beating returns over the medium term, HDFC Bank will have to get back to its old ways of 30% profit growth."
Thus, even though HDFC Bank is probably best in class with respect to growth and returns and that its latest results might be the best among private banks, it still failed to excite investors. The expectation from HDFC Bank was to beat its past record. Such is the strength of future expectations. (As of writing, the share price of HDFC Bank has changed negligibly)

Well, I will end with the wise words of Shakespeare, which might not be absolutely fitting but are wise anyway :
"Expectation is the root of all heartache"
- William Shakespeare

22 April 2015

Cause & Effect

In December 2014, Howard Marks sent out a memo to Oaktree clients titled 'The Lessons of Oil'. While discussing the impact of the recent oil price fall, he remarks :

...the current situation with oil also illustrates how difficult it is to understand the full range of potential ramifications. Most people easily grasp the immediate impact of developments, but few understand the "second-order" consequences...as well as the third and the fourth...

He then goes on to illustrate some of the direct consequences and their ramifications. It is mesmerising to see some of those come to life. For instance :

(an oil price decline implies)..investment in oil drilling declines, causing the earnings of oil service companies to shrink, along with employment in the industry.. 

by causing demand for oil services to decline, reduced drilling leads the service companies to bid lower for business. This improves the economics of drilling and thus helps the oil companies

On 21 April 2015, Wipro came out with its Q4 results. The company was hit by the decline in oil price. According to this article, Wipro's oil and gas business (i.e.: services to oil and gas companies) accounts for ~16% of the company's total revenues. The CEO said in an interview following the announcement - "In oil and gas, $1 trillion worth of capital expenditure has been stopped midstream." The article further states that - 'the management continues to see “pricing pressure” in commodity deals, as reflected in the operating margin narrowing to 22.2% from 22.6% at the end of March last year.'

When commoners like me, think of a decline in the oil price, the horizon is limited to the cost of petrol. How cheap is fuel going to be for my car? It doesn't extend to the full range of potential ramifications. The outlook is limited.

It is  fascinating to see how two seemingly unrelated events can serve as cause and effect. I believe, a similar concept is that of the butterfly effect, wherein a small change can lead to totally unexpected consequences.

Just wanted to share some more examples :

i) Weather in Indian Politics

A recent article in Mint postulates that some of India's political movements have been guided by the weather and not just ideology. It talks of the events of 1965, 1973, 1989 & 2002. The idea is that bad weather/monsoon leads to bad harvest, which in turn leads to disgruntled farmers and rising food inflation, which leads to an unhappy populous**. The article goes on to say - "These examples suggest that weather politics in India has two patterns. The first is a quiet crisis that leads to the exit of a government and the victory of the main opposition party by default: 2002, and to a more limited extent, the crisis of 1966-69, are examples of this trend. 1973 and 1989 represent the other pattern, where the crises presented an opportunity and (JP) Narayan and (VP) Singh made the most of them." So not only does one need a solid ideology, a touch of bad weather would help too.

**A decent monsoon is not only crucial for the farmer but also for the whole nation. Bad monsoon, implies food inflation, implies lesser disposable income for non-essentials. It also means irritable moods due to the prolonged heat and summer. Higher inflation and poor rural demand (due to lower farmer incomes) is bad for consumer companies and companies that focus on agricultural products. It might also be bad for banks for farmers would fail to repay loans. This might force the government to step in and waive off these loans. To fund this, taxes might have to be increased and that would further impact disposable incomes of citizens. Thus, there is good reason why one should hope/pray for a decent monsoon in a country like India.

ii) Right to Die as a Fundamental Right

In 1994, a bench of two judges of the Supreme Court in P.Rathinam v. Union Of India held that attempt to suicide as an offence was unconstitutional as it was violative of the right to life (which according to the Learned Judges included the right to die). This is a popular view and many of us advocate for the inclusion of the right to die as a fundamental right. In 1996, a petition was decided in the Supreme Court (Smt. Gian Kaur v. The State Of Punjab), where the issue was a consequence of the 1994 judgement. If the right to die was a fundamental right, then abetment to suicide could no longer be an offence; as anyone helping someone die would be helping the fulfilment of his fundamental rights. Surely, assisting someone fulfil their fundamental rights could not be called an offence. 

In Gian Kaur's case, the Hon'ble Court declared the former case to be incorrect and held that while attempt to suicide was an undesirable offence, it could not be declared as a component of the right to life and hence abetment to suicide would still remain an offence. Thus, even though declaring right to die as a fundamental right seems intuitive, it might have serious ramifications in law and hence caution needs to be exercised before making such claims.

iii) Child Marriages - Void?

Another example is that of child marriages. Under Hindu Marriage Act, certain marriages have been declared as void (like second marriages) and certain marriages have been declared as voidable (such as a marriage with inadequate consent). Child marriages have not been declared as either. Section 16 of the Act grants legitimacy to the children of void and voidable marriages (as described in the Act).

In a matter (Pinninti Venkataramana v. State) that came up before the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the issue was whether child marriages are void or voidable or valid. Interpreting the various provisions of the Act, the Court held that the Act did not explicitly declare child marriages as void. Since, only marriages as described in the Act have the benefit of Sec 16; if the Court were to interpret child marriages as void, the same benefit would not be available to such marriages. Thus, the children born of innocent unions (child marriages) would become illegitimate/bastards. To protect their interest, the Court could not suo moto declare such marriages as void. 

Further, the brides in these marriages must be protected. Given the social strata in which such marriages happen, if marriages were allowed to be broken so simply, then minor brides might be deserted without any protection/maintenance. The minor brides might not be accepted in their parental homes either. Given his, the legislature is right in providing them protection under the law by holding such marriages as valid. 

Thus, popular opinion might be that the institution of child marriage must be discouraged and declaring them void is a step in that direction, but there are ramifications to such declaration. (On a side note, child marriages are punishable under Hindu Marriage Act and voidable at the option of the minor party under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. Children of such unions are also granted legitimacy under the latter Act.)

I am going to end with two quotes, the second being a little misplaced :

"By becoming interested in the cause, we are less likely to dislike the effect."
-Dale Carnegie
"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper"
-W.B. Yeats 

31 March 2015

Similar Sounding Tunes

I saw the new Sanpdeal commercial on TV today. The background music seemed too familiar. It wasn't one of those generic tunes. It was distinct in construction but familiar in sound. I went through one of those unsettling moments when a tune is stuck in your head and you search the depths of your memory jar for its name.

After much struggle, I remembered that the tune was from the soundtrack of "Little Miss Sunshine". It is no surprise that I remembered the music from that movie. Not only is the movie truly delightful, the music is absolutely brilliant. If you have not seen the movie, I strongly recommend it.

Anyway, here are the two clips. Let me know if you also think that the two are similar :

i) Snapdeal Advertisement :



ii) "The Winner Is" from Little Miss Sunshine :


4 March 2015

A law school is not a checklist

I joined the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (hereinafter called 'Faculty') in July 2014 for my Bachelors in Law. Shortly after, the Bar Council of India (BCI) announced that the Faculty was no longer recognised by them. As a result, graduates from the University can no longer enrol with the Bar and hence cannot practice as lawyers (though there is some 'provisional' or 'temporary' enrolment that is still possible).

The reason for the withdrawal of recognition was the non-compliance of the BCI norms. The BCI regulates the legal profession and legal education in the country. This is the report that was filed by the Council based on its inspection of the Faculty of Law premises. I have not read the report, but this article states that there are various concerns with respect to infrastructure, classroom facilities, the nature of employment of teachers etc.

Previously, I had written to a Committee regarding the Functioning of the Delhi University and had been fairly critical of the Faculty. But I do not think that I ever suggested the removal of recognition or the 'shutting down' of colleges/schools.

I do not want to get into the tussle between the Dean of the Faculty and the BCI and who did what. Apparently, the Faculty did not apply for renewal of the recognition for a set of consecutive years and the Dean should be blamed for that. However, the BCI's attitude is equally puzzling, especially its remarks on 'shutting down'. Here is why :

  1. This country is going through a crisis of education. We don't have enough universities. The demand for seats is ever increasing, especially since the implementation of reservations. Now, in that backdrop you want to shut down or remove affiliation to an institution that gives education to four thousand students? Such a remark, even obiter in a report by the BCI is extremely ill-suited
  2. I do not believe that we have enough law schools or lawyers in this country. If we do, then the BCI should not have approved 400+ colleges in the last two years. And even if there is a surplus, there is an even greater surplus of students demanding this area of study. Should we deny them education because we have too many existing professionals? Communist much?
  3. The Faculty's infrastructure is abysmal. The teaching is also just about okay. These are factors that affect education. Yet, we find that lawyers from this Faculty do fairly well in the Courts of Law. Even if that is not the case, there is no trend to suggest that graduates from this Faculty are bad lawyers. If the purpose of infrastructure and 'good teaching' is 'good' lawyers and we are able to achieve that without those pre-conditions; then certainly there is no need to be coercive with regard to these pre-conditions. I am not saying that there is no need to change status quo. I am saying there is no need for the 'you better listen to me or I will discredit you' tone
  4. The BCI needs to acknowledge that there can be different ways of teaching law and that the way they prescribe isn't going to be 'the only way'. Just like creating toilets doesn't make people use them, similarly installing projectors will not be of use if the bulk of the class doesn't have money for laptops. How many students from Hindi medium backgrounds enter the National Law Schools? My hunch is that it is very little. There are many in this Faculty. If you shut this place, where will they go? Leave aside the fact that there are few places that offer a 3 year law degree. When the RTE came into force, small private schools faced closure because they weren't affiliated. The quality of education provided by them was of no concern. They lacked affiliation and hence were shut. Many NGOs that ran schools were forced to close and reasonably decent education was snatched away from the children. The BCI's behaviour is reminiscent in this regard
  5. The 'reasonable man' is an argument that is oft quoted in judgements. Yet, we find that the committee's 17 recommendations fail that test. The committee suggested that unless these 17 conditions were met, affiliation will not be extended (for 2015-16 onwards). These recommendations included hiring regular teachers, implementing wifi, increasing computers, limiting the access of the college only to law students, access to latest legal software, change in college timings (which meant discontinuation of the evening batch), construction of a moot court hall, internship for students, well equipped common rooms, improved toilet and classroom facilities, improved seminar rooms and auditoriums, 'impressive' meeting rooms and electronic gadgets in classrooms etc. I am no expert at implementation but I do believe that the above recommendations will take more than a year to implement. It must be kept in mind that you are looking at a Faculty that might need approval from the University for large expenses. It is not a completely autonomous unit like the National Law Schools. How could it even be possible for the Faculty to implement these by July 2015, when the college classrooms are empty only in June and July? Regarding infrastructure, I have heard that there is a new building in construction. If that is to be held, then all the recommendations with respect to the physical infrastructure are useless because they will be inoperative when the new building commences operations
  6. I believe that the BCI has made an incorrect comparison. The Faculty is not a National Law School. Yet, it has been examined by those standards. The Faculty never had the advantage of setting up a plush new enormous campus (50-70km away from the heart of the city). It was limited to the campus it had. The starting point and the means of these two institutions are very different. The fee structure is enormously different. Leave aside, the large gap in the number of students that receive education in them (~500 vs ~ 4000). It is like comparing Singapore and India
  7. I also think the BCI erred in its behaviour. If the Faculty had not applied for re-affiliation, then it owed a duty to take care towards the prospective students of the Faculty. It knew that the Faculty had no affiliation, that it had no good basis to admit candidates - yet it allowed that to happen to the detriment of the students. It did not caution students regarding the lack of affiliation. The UGC had done the same when it came to the affiliation of IIPM. I think, that the offer of the BCI to extend affiliation to students of the Faculty till the 2014-15 batch stems from their own negligence and not from their infinite compassion towards the plight of the students 
No doubt, that the Faculty is also at fault for not applying for affiliation. I mean what sort of Dean would let this happen. And his handling of the situation isn't great either. However, all this is not about the BCI or the Dean. This is about the students - existing and prospective. What will they do? And where will they go? If not Faculty of Delhi, then where? Will 1500 students not get law admissions in 2015? ~750 are reserved seats - where will those students go? Strangely, neither the BCI nor the Dean nor the MHRD has anything to say about them. We are left to the fate and egos of these institutions. No wonder then, that education in this country is in the state that it is today.

I understand that sometimes change needs to pushed down people's throats. And withdrawing recognition can be one such tactic. However, change needs to be holistic. The policy makers at the top cannot lay down rules without any idea of the realities at the bottom. In this case, the BCI has set norms that are obviously unachievable by the Faculty; not to forget completely detrimental to the students. The BCI and the Faculty ought to reach an understanding on this (sooner rather than later). Unless they want writ petitions, candle light vigils and strikes by alumni lawyers. This is not a threat. It is reasonably foreseeable that all of this will happen.

After all, a law school is not a checklist of 17 items.


Image : http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/thumb/msid-18543007,width-400,resizemode-4/kanoon-and-rajni.jpg


16 February 2015

Sanskrit

I promised myself that I will not enter this debate again. My experience has been that the debate on 'Sanskrit' is hard to win because the other party never responds to your evidence. When you tell them that learning Sanskrit has X benefits, they think your claims are ill founded and are coming from a sense of patriotism and not from a sense of pragmatism. They don't doubt scientific inquiry as a process, they doubt the end results of your scientific inquiry.

Today, I came across an interesting piece on the 'Relevance of Sanskrit in Contemporary Society' by B. Mahadevan. Mahadevan is a professor at the IIM-B. The write up is the most honest piece I have ever read on the subject. I just had to share it. Take out sometime and read it :

http://www.iimb.ernet.in/~mahadev/samskrit_why.pdf

Here are some excerpts :

- So what I am trying to say is that this business of saying, ‘you can translate what ever is in Sanskrit into some other language and solve the problem’, will not solve the problem. It can actually create a whole set of problems which we may have to solve.

- A bee makes a lot of noise as long as it sits on the flower and begins to suck the honey. Once it starts eating honey; there is no noise. The same way, without tasting this nectar of Sanskrit in its entirety, we are making a lot of noise. It is only required that we spend our time drawing from this great source, which we have never attempted.

- So what is dead? Our entire sanskriti is in Sanskrit only. Our entire tradition is in Sanskrit only – whether you like it or not, that is a fact.

-There is a German firm, which has patented the Gayathri Mantra – what it means is that everyday when I do the Sandhya Vandanam, I should pay them – fortunately I think India is excluded from that. Just as Gayathri Mantra the term ‘Veda’ has also been patented.

I would appreciate that you don't ad-hominem the professor by tracing his political connections or schooling or other ideological leanings. If you have a problem with the arguments, respond to those. There is no need to get personal.

Hope you like it.

14 February 2015

Mughal Gardens

Today, I visited the Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Each year, the Gardens are thrown open to the public for about a month in Feb-March. Today happened to be the first day of the annual festival. The gardens are simply amazing! Super pretty. Any admirer of nature would have a great time and should visit the Gardens at least once. I owe my visit to the insistence of a dear friend. Thank you :)

Here are some snippets.

The entrance to the North Block. The writing reads :

Liberty will not descend to a people. A people must raise themselves to Liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed

Apparently, the Colonial British government put this up when they were constructing this side of Delhi. Make what you want of what they were trying to imply.



On the other side of the North Block, we found monkeys sifting through the garbage. We need to do a lot more to get a Swachh Bharat :



Now to the gardens! Here are some flower pictures :











The wonderful flower carpet. Soon there will be articles describing the carpet as communal and anti-secular. Not to forget, environmentally damaging :



The closest I will ever get to the Rashtrapati Bhawan without getting arrested :




Some interesting flower names. Very designer :


Rose Christian Dior (apologies for the bad photograph)


Rose Okla Homa


Rose Eiffel Tower


Rose Just Joey


Rose Scentimantal


Ice plant meets China Man


Happiness



Queen Elizabeth 


Just in case the barricade got lost :



In that spirit, just in case President Mukherjee forgets what he inaugurated after completing a year in office :


Pranab Mukherjee Public Library

And finally, the customary “I was here” picture. Appropriately dressed for the day- check:


Happy Valentines Day


13 January 2015

Winter Dressing

I avoid giving fashion advice. Most of my friends and family would testify that I dress averagely. Yet, I want to share this passionate rant about winter clothing. My close friends have already heard bits and pieces of it. In a nutshell, my hypothesis is that we (we as in people in Delhi) don't dress adequately for the winter. It is not that we look horrible. In fact, we look absolutely stunning. My belief is that despite the clothes and the layers, we end up shivering and feeling cold.

The purpose of clothes

To my understanding, clothing has a two fold purpose. First is to protect from weather and terrain. Thus, you have hot pants and shorts in hot weather, coats, shawls and jackets in winters and rain coats for monsoons. 

Secondly, people use it as a tool to look good. This also includes fashion as understood in the popular sense. Thus, you have low waist jeans in a particular collection and skinny jeans in the other. I do not know if there is a functional difference between the two, but there is an appearance difference between them. 

A popular denim brand recently came out with a "commuter jeans" which has a functional difference from other jeans in the sense that it helps in mobility, safety and convenience. I have not used it, but the advertisement suggests that it has all sorts of secret pockets and that you can jump over fences wearing them (personally I believe that you can't jump in any jeans). Anyway, the said jeans is a good example of the two purposes of clothing (that is if the jeans are really effective for commuting).

In this post, my focus will be on the first purpose. 

Delhi Winter

The Delhi Tourism website describes the average minimum and maximum temperature as 5 and 25 degree celsius respectively. Generally, the weather is very cold. While most days are sunny, there are also days with no sun and sometimes there is little rain. Most homes don't have a central heating mechanism and hence even at home, one is sufficiently bundled up. There is no snow and temperatures rarely hits 0 degrees. The advised clothing is woollen, complimented with body warmers.


Source : Delhi Tourism Website

What do Delhites dress like?

I have three observations with respect to the current way of our winter dressing :

i) Cotton sweaters are useless

The various types of sweater fabrics, in the degree of least warm to most warm are :
  • Cotton
  • Acrylic - warmer than cotton, but not as much as wool
  • Wool (degree of warmth varies by wool type, you can see the various types on this eBay link)
Delhites wear many layers of clothing. That is important because it traps heat. But it is equally important that each of those layers is woollen. If the purpose is to keep warm, clothes with woollen content will keep you warmer compared to cotton ones. Perhaps two cotton layers maybe the equivalent of one woollen layer. Thus, many layers of clothing does not necessarily imply warmer clothing, especially if those layers are cotton.

I explored the men's sweater range at a few e-commerce websites. Following are some observations from one of those websites (Jabong) :

The website classified ~2200 sweaters by fabric. Of these, 43% are cotton sweaters. Assuming wool means 100% wool/primarily wool, only ~15% of the sweaters are "woollen" (wool + wool rich). 

"Blended" could mean any mix of cotton, acrylic and wool. Personally, I have two sweaters that have 20% wool and 80% wool and both may be classified as "Blended"  (the mix is often printed on the tag of the sweater - either behind the neck or on the bottom left side). Generally, the degree of wool mix is not available as a filter on e-commerce websites. Given the wide possibilities of mix and limited data, I have ignored "Blended"

Sweaters by fabric, Source : Jabong


Cotton, wool and wool rich sweaters have the following price bands respectively :

Cotton Sweaters have a wide price range. In the premium (above INR 3000) range, there were brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica and Gant. In the densest range (INR 1000 - 1500), there are brands such as Indian Terrain, Benetton, Monte Carlo, British Cross and Highlander 


Cotton Sweaters, Source : Jabong, 12 Jan 2015


Woollen sweaters had few options under INR 1000. These were all sleeveless sweaters (which are cheaper compared to full sleeves). The next range ie: INR 1000 to 1500 had brands such as Cantabill, Fabtree and Monte Carlo (sleeveless). The INR 1500 - 2000 range was predominantly Monte Carlo. The premium range, which went as high as INR 7000, had brands such as Calvin Klein and Wills Lifestyle

Wool Sweaters, Source : Jabong, 12 Jan 2015


Wool Rich sweaters seemed the most expensive of the lot. Below INR 2000, there was only one full sleeves sweater by Benetton and others were without sleeves. The next bracket had Benetton sweaters priced at INR 2500 (after discount). They had some sort of Cashmere blend (a sort of high quality wool; super soft) 

Wool Rich Sweaters, Source : Jabong, 12 Jan 2015


Woollen clothing is expensive but is more effective in keeping you warm (on a one to one basis). The above analysis shows that the cost of two cotton sweaters is the same as one woollen sweater within the same brand (say Benetton). Searches on Myntra and Snapdeal showed a similar differential between cotton and woollen sweaters.

If we believe that two cotton sweaters have the same effectiveness as one woollen sweater, then I would prefer the one woollen sweater. It would be lighter and more convenient. On the other hand, the two cotton sweaters will give you more colours, designs and options. Functionally, woollen sweaters have an advantage as they will be lighter. Through the lens of fashion, cotton sweaters will have an advantage.

My suggestion would be to purchase woollen sweaters. You can check the composition of wool on the label attached to the sweater or on the back of the neck or on the bottom left side. These sweaters are lighter, softer and warmer.

ii) Thicker the better

That's what she said? My second hypothesis is that consumers tend to mistake thicker garments as warmer garments. That is again not true. What matters is the filing of the jacket/main material used. A thick cotton jacket might have the same warmth as a thin and lightweight polyester jacket (same cotton and woollen sweater logic).

A good example to show this is the change in the use of "Razais". Earlier, the Razais used in my home were thick and bulky and I would die a warm death under their weight. However, there has been an advent of newer and lighter quilts that are equally warm and far more convenient to use and store. This shows that what matters is the filling and not the weight.

This website explains the various types of insulated outerwear. Not all are available in India. For example, down jackets are extremely warm and light weight (one recent user described them as smokin' hot). The water resistant versions are often used in times of snow. The same are not available in India (probably because of their limited usage or perhaps it is an untapped market). 

According to an overview of e-commerce websites, common materials used in jackets are cotton, nylon and polyester (excluding blended versions). Even though cotton is not warm or as warm as polyester, yet their quantity on e-commerce portals is roughly the same :


Myntra
Snapdeal
Jabong
Cotton
825
611
381
Polyester
931
749
382
Nylon
520
412
-
Source : E-commerce websites, 12 Jan 2015

Functionally speaking, please buy polyester jackets. They are thinner and warmer. Price differentials between cotton and polyester exist. But if you are going to spend about INR 2000 on a jacket, then might as well spend a little more and get something better. If you go abroad, buy a down jacket. For a down jacket that is suited to Delhi weather, you might find something that is cheaper than a polyester jacket (as priced in Delhi) but manifold warmer. 

iii) Sasta bhi ho, acha bhi ho (should be cheap, should be good)

My final hypothesis has no evidence. Based on my unsubstantiated beliefs on the Indian consumer, I feel that the following summarises winter shopping :

The Indian consumer (middle class?) is increasingly brand conscious. She enters a branded store to purchase winter clothing. But she is also price sensitive. Hence, she ends up purchasing the cheapest branded winter clothing which is often a cotton product. 

Considerations are given to colour and design, followed by available size and fit. However, the warmth of the garment is not a part of the evaluation criteria at any stage.

I would urge you to prioritise the functional aspect of clothing especially when it comes to winter clothing. Summer clothing is easier because most of the stuff is cotton. Functionally efficient winter clothes may or may not be dashing, but they will keep you warm.

Limitations in the analysis

  • Geographically, India is a diverse country. The degree of winter varies from one region to another. Thus, woollen clothes might work in Delhi but they might not be as useful in Bangalore (where single digit temperatures are rare). Online shopping portals cater to the whole country. Hence, conclusions with respect to the winter preferences of a region cannot be made based on the national stock of an online portal. The portal will accommodate both cotton and polyester choices for the different temperatures in India. Ideally, the sample set should be the collection in local Delhi stores
  • The analysis conspicuously misses out the various types of Indian consumers. The major group that it misses out are those who mostly buy unbranded products. Most unbranded products do not carry information on the make/material used. In such cases, various layers of clothing and thick jackets are legitimate biases. Given the brands mentioned in the analysis, the focus of the study seems to be on the relatively wealthier class of consumers
  • The third hypothesis is a tautological. If the focus of the analysis is on consumers that buy branded products, then by definition they will be brand conscious. Additionally, it is a bit unsettling to imagine that brand conscious consumers will also be price sensitive. The presence of the former usually implies the absence of the latter (at least to a certain extent)

Despite these limitations, I hope that the analysis raised/answered some questions for you. Thank you so much for reading. If you have any feedback, please do share!

In the upcoming winter sale season, I hope that smart deals come your way and that this post proves to be useful.

Happy Lohri! :D

6 January 2015

Legal Nugget : Anti-conversion laws

This is an information piece on anti-conversion laws. Personal opinion is at the end of the post.

I. Anti-conversion laws have been around for a while

Some states in India have a "Freedom of Religion Act" aka Anti-Conversion Law. Key provisions are :
  • Does not allow persons to convert others by the use of force, allurement or the threat of divine displeasure
  • Asks for registration of the conversion with the local collector/magistrate AFTER the conversion, within a specified period (EXCEPT in Gujarat, where you have to take PRIOR permission)
Legal provisions of some of the states : Arunachal PradeshMadhya PradeshOrissaGujarat

II. Most of them are constitutionally valid
  • In 1977, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Orissa and Madhya Pradesh Acts (see here)
  • The prior permission to convert restricts the freedom of religion. The after conversion intimation is not restrictive. Comparison can be made to marriage laws where a registration of marriage facilitates the proof of marriage but does not impact the validity of marriage
  • A petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court challenging the state law. Don't know the status of the same. Found this article only
III. Law Commission of India recommended conversion related provisions during UPA-2

Interesting to note that the Law Commission of India in 2010 recommended some guidelines. See page 20 (para 16) of their report.

Personal Opinion :
Over the years, there have been several instances of mass conversions and conversions in exchange for goodies. A religious conversion cannot simply happen through the performance of a certain ceremony or by declaration or by an affidavit. It should be preceded by a shift in the persons' conception of God. From the point of theology, the latter is the necessary condition while the former is an ancillary condition.

A conversion has many legal and social consequences. In India, personal laws are governed by the religion of the party and can vary greatly from one religion to another (polygamy, maintenance, divorce, inheritance etc.). Thus, a conclusive proof of conversion would be desirable.

The performances of rituals, customs and duties of the new religion can be guiding factors to infer successful conversion. However, there can be instances of families converting from religion A to religion B, yet continuing with some of the customs of their earlier faith. Hence, there can be no direct proof of a persons' shift in the belief of God.

The elements of a "genuine" conversion are difficult to prove. On the other hand, bogus conversions are simpler to prove. There are some instances where the conversion is clearly a sham. Mass conversions is one such example. Conversion in exchange for money/food is another. In these instances, the culpability of the offence is on the converter and not on the converted.

The matter of conversion and of one's faith is personal. If person A bribes person B to convert and B agrees, then that is a reflection of the religious beliefs of those two. Person A clearly wants more "numbers" on his side and is ready to recruit non-believers. Person B is ready to renounce his faith in exchange for money goes to show how much of a believer he is. Both of them have made a mockery of religion.


In light of the above, my recommendation would be :
  • Punishing the converter for forcible conversions (using coercion, threat, violence, fraud, misrepresentation, undue influence etc.). I would be apprehensive to include allurement. While the former forces consent, the latter invites consent. In the former, there is no consent since force has been used, but in the latter the offer is so good that the converted sees it as a beneficial transaction. However, some forms of allurement may constitute as undue influence (providing food and healthcare to the poor)
  • A duty upon the converted to report his conversion to local magistrate AFTER the conversion. Like mentioned above, a conversion has manifold implications and hence there should not be any ambiguity
  • The non-reporting of conversion will not have a bearing on the conversion itself. But for the conversion to have legal effects, it must be reported to the magistrate. While a mental conversion is good in theology, it is not good in law



    Image : http://www.quazoo.com/q/Religious_conversion