Dr.Manmohan Singh’s tenure : A corruption decade decayed the system

In a rare press conference, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called Mr. Narendra Modi as a “disastrous choice” if he becomes the Prime Minister, in addition to declaring that  he will not seek the PM’s office for the third term.  Mr. Rahul Gandhi will be the appropriate choice with all the credentials as the Congress party candidate, Dr. Singh added.

I am not a big follower of politics.  I, however, happened to watch the entire press conference yesterday (03/01/2014) and it left me with a disgusting impression.  When Dr. Singh was long ago introduced to the parliament, for a moment I thought that we are going to be blessed with a statesman amid tainted politicians,  but yesterday I noticed to see the body language of an apologetic guilty-Singh.

It was childishly ridiculous that Dr. Singh gave a clean chit to himself during his tenure for nearly a decade.  During his interaction with the media, he mentioned that history would be kinder to him than the media and the opposition parties.  He floated the flippant theory that most scandals of UPA-2 occurred during UPA-1.  It is unfortunate that he sought to take refuge that people endorsed Congress to power in 2009, desperately attempting to ratify the wrong-doings of UPA-1.  It was also sickening to listen to him when he bid to distinguish between his personal conduct and the performance of the government.

His utterances lacked even political logic.  Dr. Singh accused Mr. Modi  of “presiding over the massacre of 2002 riots” in Ahmedabad.  That the Supreme Court has already cleared Mr. Modi of all the charges is public knowledge, Dr. Singh’s allegation against Mr. Modi amounts to reviewing the Court ruling.   Can somebody clarify that under the recently enacted Lok Pal Bill, can a contempt petition be filed against a sitting Prime Minister?  As a PM , Dr. Singh could have, nay, should have initiated appropriate action against Mr. Modi.  Yet again he exposed his inability in saving the situation.   In the same breath, did not Congress party instigate the anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination?  Applying Dr. Singh’s formula, are we to believe that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was a “disaster” for presiding over the 1984-riots?

For once, I was able to observe a decisive politician in Dr. Singh.  The more he smacks of Mr. Modi, make no mistake, the more stronger the latter will be.  Hate speech against Mr. Modi only diminishes Dr. Singh’s stature.  Or is it that Dr. Singh is subtly playing the self-side goal as a settling score to the ignominy he suffered  all these years in the hands of the Gandhi family? After all, when it comes to politics, there is no permanent friends or foes!    On a serious note, it felt like a contrite looser talking to media, not like a PM of India.

The best joke comes when he says that Mr. Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to become the PM, showing how low sycophancy can take you down.

Hopes were aplenty with the people, because as a former bureaucrat before joining the government, Dr.Singh knew all kinds of inefficiencies existing in the bureaucratic system.  Alas, he failed to apply his knowledge for the improvement of the economy.  Or is it because he had to work under remote control?   In the whole of media comments and analysis, I found one thing common – corruption and inflation, huge issues we are facing today.

Pause for a moment.  Recall the series of scams – Common Wealth Games (CWG), Adarsh Housing scams,  2G scam, Coalgate – to name a few.  If you can restore the swindled amount, the Finance Minister will be presenting “Surplus” budgets, year after year; and I don’t have to pay Rs.100/-for a kg. of onions.

Or does he want to come to the open and say that the black money or hoards of it, all these, are due to “coalition partnership”?   Well, if you want to enjoy power, you should as well take ownership, Dr. Singh.  Or does he want to say that these are entirely the misdeeds of the Congress alone and the “beneficiaries”  have taken monstrously unfair leverage of the meekest PM we have ever had?  Or does he want to say the Congress had used the most qualified PM, as a shield and made him the obvious scapegoat who will be blamed for the Congress’ failures and the party will emerge out of this whole shoddy affairs as an unintended victim of a  bad prime-ministership and in the same stroke Mr. Rahul Gandhi will emerge as the savior?  Or at least, does he think that he could have done a better job as a Finance Minister than a thankless Prime Minister?

The reality is that after 10 years to Dr. Singh and 60 years to Congress, we are flooded with scams and rapes and inflation.  The people are visibly angry and disappointed.  Public opinion is severely against the Prime Minister and the Congress government.  India is potentially a rich country, but its fortunes are stolen by a few and stacked offshore.  Dr. Singh has grossly failed to communicate effectively what his government was, is and intended to do to curb corruption at high levels.  The anger and anguish of the people shoots because Dr. Singh is most educated and a seasoned economist.   He is relating the inflation to international economic changes.  Is the price rise happening in all countries?

But as a top leader Dr. Singh should know not the price increase, but the rampant corruption that led his party down in the recent assembly elections.  He can explain the price rise and always say it was beyond his control, but it would have been qualified statesmanship if he had taken  cognizance that corruption was the chief factor for the crisis.  Never in free India’s history has food inflation touched the dreaded double-digit.  All the hopes aspired by the people of this country are belied, thanks to the spinelessness displayed by the technocrat-turned-politician.  Sadly, he was unable to rule or control.  The people of India should be very careful in exercising their franchise.  Even if they poll for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the coming Lok Sabha elections, it tantamounts to allowing the same corrupt Congress through the back door.

Yet with all the failures, Dr. Singh still claimed that he was not a “weak leader”.  He has dented his goodwill.  His arguments were totally indefensible.  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has paved the way for Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Narendra Modi, leaving the government with a legacy of guilt and shame.After all, there is a huge gap between a good man and a good Prime Minister.

Let historians script their documentation.   Can we simultaneously expect the PM-in- office-not-in power, Dr. Singh relax and pen a memoir annexed to his conscience? 

Jai Hind!

Is boss a bad word?

 Leadership is action, not position. - Donald H. McGannon

My first impression about "boss" is to recall the villains of yesteryears  from whose mouth cigaratte will be hanging, wearing a  hat and dark glasses (day or night), turning around a swivel chair with hand rests, sporting a maniacal and loud laugh, holding glass half filled liquor, surrounded by about half-a-dozen sycophants......  We call our superiors "boss," and  it became a part of the everyday English lexicon. No wonder the title sits pretty on guys who derive pleasure by causing troubles to good folks in our film stories and in our work-spots too!

This is not to hammer out that boss is always wrong, but certainly boss is not always right.

We all have started out at some level lower than what we are today in our jobs. I have been lucky to have had mostly good bosses in my working life.  If you are accustomed   to  good boss, then having a bad boss is all the more difficult to cope with.

                            

Dhoni, the Leader

Boss

                                                           

I, nevertheless, interfaced two toxic bosses. To rewind:

1) I began my career in a rurban (yes, you are right, it is semi-urban) branch of a nationalised bank. The practice in that branch is the new-comer will work beyond office hours not to just complete his day's work but also clear up the "pendings" of the other co-workers, of course without any overtime/compensation.  This will go on for six months when the probationer will be, in the normal circumstances, confirmed into the permanent services of the bank.  From then on he will walk out royally at 5 p.m., thanks to the support of the trade union/s.  But to the likes of the management, the next probationer will invariably carry on the relay.  After my confirmation, one evening during an informal chat, I curiously asked my boss(?) why they treat the probationer like a bonded labour?  Pat came the reply: "Yes, I exploit and will continue to do so, because I was exploited and have to give it back!”.

2) Mr. Harjinder Singh (name changed), the Indian boss (Branch Manager of Wealth Management Division of a local bank in Dubai), clearly did not know the meaning of “value date” in banking parlance.  Being a banker, to term his ignorance “absurd and ridiculous” is to say the least.  One fine morning   I entered his cabin with a customer account statement. A credit entry relating to a clearing cheque deposit shows the current date (date of deposit) and underneath it showed the “value date” which is date of the next working day. While he insisted that the available balance includes the cheque in question deposited on the current date, I made  valiant attempt  in vain to make him understand that it was only the ledger balance and would become the available balance only the next working day subject to clearance of the instrument. In the normal course, I would not have had any problem in making an 8th grade student to understand. But our 'hero' would not lend his ears.  There was a keen contest as to who is taller - his ego or  his ignorance.  He shouted at the top of his voice at me; "Don't teach me banking.  I have come to this seat not to learn from you!....." I remained tight-lipped and left his cabin as if I chewed a bitter pill. The beginning of the strained bond!  I survived, of course, at the expense of my next grade.

3) In another case, I have known of a guy in Dubai who complained about his boss to the top boss about some fishy transaction.  The next day, the boss called the guy and flung the e-mail printout of the complaint originally mailed by the guy to the top boss.  "You have come to this country to make money.  If you have other ideas, get ready to join your family back home!"  Of course, the guy sadly had to fly back home!

You say, “boss I think…..”  The boss quickly responds, “when I want you to think then I will tell you!” Hundreds of such true "bad boss" stories would emerge, as you discuss with any  person next to you. I leave it to your thought the kind of boss you encounter(ed) in your career.  Of course, it could be you are a giver, if not a receiver; or even, like the first case quoted above.

Having a bad boss can be a very trying event .  They come in all shapes, sizes and genders.  The worst is when your boss's insecurity gets the better of him.  The insecurity is 'justified'  when he is not hired based on merit, but on his connection (like Mr. Harjinder Singh).

Cases are aplenty where one gets frustrated after a lot of dedicated and hard work, the boss still yells at you when he feels insecure about something, with no appreciation, let alone recognition.  And promotions... again wait for another year.  Subordinates are strong only when they unite ... but then it leads to another scenario of "UNION" which is slowly fading.  It is not easy, but not impossible.

You can't control the "bad" boss behaviour but you can make it clear in a professional manner that you will not accept their bad behaviour towards you (but easily said, rarely executed).  It may be possible to remove a bad boss, but beware - your health could go for a toss, and your career goes nowhere until you get another job or a better boss. After all, the boss remembers all my bad things than the good things

Of course, you may try to help your boss to achieve his goals, understand what he/she values - like is he a paragon who has a penchant for details, showing a sense of urgency...  He is not made a reporting authority for nothing (of course, his proximity to his boss can also be due to personal or biased reasons).  He worked his way up the ladder for this privilege.  Not every human is unreasonable, only situations make him or her that way. As a subordinate, try to be proactive and address the situation. Ensure that your good work does not escape the eyes of your boss as at time one must “blow their own trumpet”.   Conversation, official and otherwise, will be artificial and absolutely against conscience.  Though outwardly I used to say "Sir, this is the best tie I have seen you wearing!", whereas inwardly I used to spit at myself feeling grossly ashamed for cheating my conscience.

Life is always not fair. If your boss is determined to screw you, anticipate it and be prepared to accept it. There is no escape. Working is a necessity and not a luxury for most of us.  With the economic volatality, jobs are not as easy as the picking, particularly wherever the 360 degree appraisal is not the in-thing.  Learning how to and how not to lead or manage is something you learn from every boss.

Is it that boss and ego are made for each other, if not synonymous?  If the boss is good, I think we should title him a leader. Can we equate boss to a politician and leader to a statesman?  And if leader is bad, call him/her "boss".  "Boss" sounds unprofessional?

To end this feedback on "boss" (which can of course always be continued tirelessly) with a joke an old colleague shared with me recently : What do bullies and sperms have in  common? They both have a one-in-a-million chance of becoming a human being.

      

                                                                      =======

I invite your feedback to my mail id: krs1957@hotmail.com

Open Letter to Sachin Tendulkar

                                                                                                                           

                                                    

Place : Bangalore                                                                                                                            

05/06/2012

Dear  Sachin Tendulkar

Greetings!

I am not writing this letter to you to amplify your cricketing class and quality, which can of course be perpetually quantified.  The whole world is a witness to your potential! You have broken and created all cricketing records and made every Indian feel so proud. You have made every cricket fan all over the world to debate if Sachin is Cricket or Cricket is Sachin!  In the subsequent editions of Dictionary, we won’t be surprised to find the meaning of cricket as Sachin.

Today you have entered a different field.

You have made a good beginning that you would  “vow to bat for other sports” demonstrating your farsightedness and zeal for development of other sports. Probably you have commenced your new innings in a new wicket, notching your first record outside cricket.

While the gesture shown by you would not only overwhelm the other sportsmen and their fraternity, as a cricketer-cum-MP you have tried to lead by example for other cricketers to follow suit. As a token of first complement, can we expect our cricket heroes and officials to openly send greeting messages to our Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand on  his retaining the World Championship, by all means a great feat, which every Indian citizen should be proud of?

It is noteworthy to recall in the recently concluded IPL Edition-5, celebrities from other sports like Sania Mirza, Pankaj Advani ….enthusiastically presented themselves in the stadiums and cheered their favourite teams.  Such nice gestures opens the gate for mutual regards, respect and recognition for the sports as such.

Good!

 Let us for a moment consider your new found profession:

Becoming an MP is, nevertheless, a different assignment altogether.  Unlike contesting elections for MLA, MP posts, being nominated is undoubtedly a great honor (that does not, of course,  take away your due  of getting the highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna). Here is a chance for you, the record holder to open another record account.  This time with a difference, we will be spectators to see Sachin as a politician. Politician has become such an ugly word (no pun intended). You are a gentleman, but almost  a loner in politics.

Sachin, for all your contribution and dedication to the sport, you have not been involved even remotely in any controversy.  You are known for your straightforward disposition and impeccable integrity. In this field of politics, even if you  remain tightlipped, interpretations and misinterpretations will be galore.  Your will to deliver will be tested; after all, you have made entry into Indian politics. Will you be allowed to play a fair game in this field? For instance, Will you show your support for Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption? Which party you will  be joining/supporting? Can you ensure the sportsmen from other games are treated and rewarded on par with cricketers and  help bridge the gap of socio-economic disparity?

At 39, you will  be under pressure in cricket to take a decision about your impending retirement.  In politics you will be entering as a trainee; no pressures of retirement, educational background, past experience….

In cricket, you relinquished captaincy; in public life leadership trait is imminent.

In the cricket field, your favorite position is first slip! Outside cricket, I wonder if you are making the first slip!!

When you bat, you are, and, we are elated to watch your straight drive!  In politics, can you drive straight?

In a match, if you lose the toss, you can still win the game!  In party politics, if you don’t match with the team even for a genuine reason, you will go for a toss!!

For good on-field behavior and sportsmanship, you will be given fair play award!  Can you recall when was the last time fair play was observed in parliament?

Millions of children have taken you for a role-model because you are a  champion!  Can you show one role model in today’s politics? Can you cite at least one family advising their children to follow any one in politics?

You are a national obsession and every word you utter and every move you make will be minutely scrutinized.  All along, India as a whole has been following you  beyond parties and politics.  Sooner than later when you join a political party, you will be disappointing a fair portion of the nation.

Ensure your innocence and integrity is intact, which will be under tremendous pressure! Hard earned fame and glory!! Take care there is no dent!!!

Some quarters echo that cricketers in politics is far better than politicians in cricket! It is perfectly fair that it is your individual right and privilege of what to do or undo.  But the people of India has seen you not just as an impeccable individual, but an institution. You have set such high standards, it is difficult and disappointing to accept you as a politician!

I hope, Sachin as a cricketer prevails over Sachin as a politician!

All the very best for your new debut!

Take guard! Right Arm Over!! Play……..

Regards /C.S. Krishnamurthy

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/08/catches-win-matches-yet-fielder-is.html
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/08/book-mark-rahul-dravid-timeless-steel.html