What a life!

Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts

Thursday 11 October 2018

What are we really focusing on?

Are the words Trust and Faith, really just words or do they truly matter?

These days, and most nights too, are really about nerve wracking, brain hurting, deep and constant thinking. Primarily because, in as much as, I would like to think that most people are decent and believable, it seems otherwise in reality. This is apart from systems, practices and processes that stellar constellations which seem to move at their own indescribable and mysterious ways. Surely, these must be the result of influences by the august governance, judicial and cultural mores of India.

Image credit: Shutterstock. Modified by Anish Kumarswamy.

All it takes to open one's eyes is to see the kind of business practices that have been and continue to reign in India to date, simply because of the convoluted thinking processes and policies which have been followed and implemented by successive Government regimes - be it at the central or the state level.

The current Indian Prime Minister embarked on a "destroy unaccounted / black money drive" by demonetising an entire range of currency denominations. Yet, I see that on the street, in the real world, unaccounted cash driven business practices are still the norm, rather than the exception. Seems nearly seven decades of systemic abuse is quite resilient to such surgical strikes!

After having resided in the UAE wherein systems and processes are not as complex or at least, geared for making life easier for the ordinary person, and far more transparent, this momentous eye-opener for me has been the equivalent of an volcano going off in my head! Further, for someone like me, who has no black money at all, but rather a little bit of hard earned legal and completely accounted for money, colloquially known as white money, as well as potentially - documented, collaterally secured high interest loans to invest into a fledgling business, the not so surprising but personally earth shattering revelation happens: faith and trust have only one outcome - it will be abused. Everyone simply loves the challenge on figuring out how to game the system. So instead of correcting the system, we make it even more complex.

The whole process of even starting a business is so complicated and fraught with the high possibility of getting abused by either the system or the people entrenched in the system, that this is far more than an entry barrier for most people. It is actually a huge, rock solid, wall of detriment over which those who choose to sweat blood and tears to clamber over, may even find that success is not getting on top of this wall. It is not even about figuring out if the drop on the other side, may only break their legs if not necks! It is so much more than such simple achievements. Should one succeed to overcome this phase, then comes the next uphill struggle of remaining afloat and working crazy hard to maybe achieve a semblance of returns!

Isn't this why as a nation, we are still struggling to get out of being a third world nation?

More updates on my bakery & restaurant business attempt will follow once I can get my head around the same. More anon.

Sunday 18 September 2011

A short lived pleasure?

The pleasure

I like to fly. No, make that - I love to fly! I have flown on many airlines to various continents and countries. Each has been a different experience. Long distance flights, usually do mean a stop in between, giving the benefit of being out of the tube for a bit, stretching the legs, gazing at the products on sale, people watching, etc. Shorter distance flights mean smaller aircraft usually lesser leg room, but more take-off and landings. Either way, being in a flight from 100-40,000 feet above mean sea level, means many things to me. From the excitement of actually having lifted off, the destination, the beautiful working people on board i.e. the Flight Attendants, the conversations that happen between total strangers who are bound together in a flying tube for a few hours, the movies watched or food consumed, all of it brings a different sort of sensory pleasure in the 1-2 kilos of soft jelly-like substance inside my skull.

Maybe it, really, is about the whole 'movement' principle. If you are moving, chances are, you are doing something meaningful, in some manner, so to speak. Driving long distances is an equally good example. Love it too. Managing the steering wheel, keeping a fine balance of safety and speed within regulated limits, listening to music, watching places, people and objects go by - all bring that sensory pleasure. Maybe it really is true that life is about searching and experiencing the little and large pleasures. Maybe it is the seeking that is the pleasurable part. Either way, making sure that you live life to the fullest has to be an objective that you would agree with, wouldn't you?

All of the above now seem like a short lived pleasure!

Having spent some time in the Gulf, where fuel prices are really low in comparison to the rest of the world, and link infrastructure - especially roads, are in fantastic condition, I could say, I was spoilt with the consumption of the sensory pleasures of driving or flying. Even on a visit to Hong Kong, using public transportation that moved me efficiently was a pleasure. And while the price of owning vehicles is quite high due to limited land mass and congestion, the price of fuel, or travel, is not.

The Pain

Having been back home in India, for a bit now, reality has started sinking in to my dismay. I feel like that hungry child from whose hands, the treat has been snatched away. Make no mistake about it, I am an Indian and happy about being one. But am discontent with the way in which the policies of this country's government are created or implemented. Sure, I understand that there are 1.2 plus billion people in this land and that it is the 7th largest country in the world. But that, is no excuse for 60 years of ridiculous action or reaction, by the people's representatives, elected by the masses to govern, with the hope that these people will make life easier rather than almost impossible.

The latest blow to the Indian, has been the pricing of fuel. Regular petrol now costs: R 70 per litre equivalent to USD 5.7 per gallon (3.8 litres). It costs approximately USD 2.5 per gallon in America which is one of the largest consumers of fuel. An article by the Times of India, indicates that after taking into account the purchasing power parity after accounting for international fuel prices and currency exchange rates for India, petrol is still more expensive than all other countries in the world, barring 3 small countries! Diesel is more expensive than 136 other countries. In my opinion, fuel prices in some of the European countries are also higher than India. Whatever way the statistics are read, fact remains that Indian fuel pricing strategy is an anomaly that needs some serious attention from all of us. And not be misled by the publicly pronounced massive subsidies that the government claims to provide.

The policy mess

It is not merely foolish, it is downright crazy! Even if we import 70% of fuel from outside India, we have a pricing mechanism that ensures we pay far more than necessary. Over 50% of the cost of fuel in India is added taxes. This mechanism in reality, hurts everybody and everything - economically, financially and personally. Every time, fuel prices are increased there will be spate of activities ranging from strikes to protests to violence - which itself has a huge cost to all of us. And a few days later, we go back to our lives, grumbling and groaning in pain. Maybe this is because we are the great Indian democracy. Or maybe it is our ability to soldier on, thinking it is really beyond our control. Or maybe we are being extremely foolish.

First the government taxes fuels way too much. Then it claims to provide subsidies to keep prices down. Then it adjusts for inflation by increasing interest rates. The government does not create quality infrastructure from these taxes. This results in more bottlenecks as the number of people out in the market increases. Thus consuming even more fuel. This leads to even higher fuel imports. It is a vicious, never-ending cycle. Unless, the government can actually focus on streamlining the whole tax and fuel pricing mess. But who actually cares? Who actually wants to do anything about it? We can have a nation marching together for an anti-corruption crusade, but is there anybody out there who wants to sort this mess out?

The solution

Irrevocably, free the pricing. Privatise the oil supply and marketing firms. Less than 1% of Indians are employed in the government oil firms. Offer them the option of 3 years pay, until they either secure a job in the private firm or let them go. Let the market and currency exchange rates decide the price on a daily basis. Realistic taxation on the sold market prices of fuel, not the current rates which are unhealthy. Can you believe that over 65% of the Indian GDP basket taxes is from fuel alone? Imagine if for one month, none of us actually used our vehicles? Many of the government plans to spend money would be down the drain, without the easy revenue generated from fuel taxes. And note, it's only plans for reality is a different matter.

Whenever the price for crude goes down, the prices will come down automatically. And vice versa. Averaged out, the Indian will still pay much lower that what we do, right now! And by paying, I am not referring only to the actual price paid for fuel, but the indirect and direct taxes as well as inflated prices for various products and services, that also contribute to the way the policy makers currently mess up the whole supply and pricing equations.

Thursday 14 July 2011

Blasted! again and again

Today, I write this with a feeling that is anything but normal. But I am going to exactly express, what I feel. And if any of you who read this, feel the same way and choose to do something...anything, whatever you can, then it is one more step taken in the right direction.

Yesterday, once again Mumbai was shaken by multiple deadly 'Improvised Explosive Device' blasts. Once again the TV channels were running around showing repeated footage of the terrible event. Police were trying to figure out what was going on. Hospitals were trying to save lives. And many others rushed to see what is it like to be blasted! Newspapers have carried the ghastly images bringing them in printed color formats to the numbed senses of millions.

There are many of us out here, who feel a complete sense of outrage. A sense of being uncared for by the very people and the system which we subjugate to, every working minute, the Indian government leadership.

Terrorism of any sort is abominable! How many times do the citizens of India have to take these deadly intrusions into their lives? How many mothers have to cry? How many children have to be orphaned? How many fathers have to bleed in their hearts?

Safety and Security are not some optional check box on the list of living conditions in India. It is a necessity. It is a right.

Why is it that this right, this necessity is not being delivered by our leaders? A friend suggested that they are all corrupted and will not do anything beyond the immediate action of conducting press conferences.

Yes, the usual action of professing sympathy, displaying solemn grief with the victims is all fine. But what are our leaders doing to prevent this farce of security and safety to remain?

I agree that Indian civilians are courageous and continue to live despite the odds. However, our beloved leaders tread the path of indifference, making these very civilians ordinary and insecure and scared and living with the cudgels of fear around their minds.

The American, British, Australian, and more more other country leaders will go to war over its extraordinary citizens. They do not and will not accept that it is okay for their citizens to be targeted repeatedly by cowards who hide behind a the cloak of 'jihad' or 'injustice' or 'religious morals' or whatever it is that they subscribe to.

We all know that no activity takes place without a set of people teaming up. That includes Indian who are support and enabling other Indians and non-Indians to conduct this shameful and sad act of cowardice - killing regular Indians from a distance and more importantly - repeatedly showing how weak and ineffective our systems are in rebutting their attempts.

The point is, what are the Indian leaders going to do???

Do You Have It in you to take on the responsibility of securing our lives?

Do You Have It in you to go after those who commit these dastardly acts and bring them to our courts or deliver justice in any other manner?

Do you?