Want to hear something funny? I have a good one for you-“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Cracks me up every time.

The actual saying should be-“Necessity is the mother of adaptation, or maybe evolution.” Look around people, the nature is full of creatures that have adapted; not invented, but adapted, out of the need to survive, sustain, grow and multiply. But if anybody is itching to give me the whole –“Unlike other creatures, man is an intelligent being with a superior encephalon, which can innovate and invent” kind of an argument, I suggest you hold that itch for a few minutes more and read me out.

Let us not look at the saying in the Stone Age context, but in the context of recent times. In today’s world, where research and innovation are the henchmen of commercialization, a product is invented first and its necessity is created afterwards. Medicines are invented first and then diseases follow.

In other words, necessity follows invention. And this is made possible by one of the biggest scams in the history of the world-“Consumerism”. In today’s world success is equated with consumption. The more you consume the more successful you are. The entire education system pushes students to become better consumers. You are considered well educated and successful in life if you earn and spend more.

The latest addition to this con is the creation of a new species that I like to call-“The Uberconsumerist”. These mutants are like consumerists on steroids, specially designed to consume even those products that come with a guarantee that necessity will never follow their invention. Talking refrigerators, gory virtual games getting gorier with every new version, mobile apps that claim to make life simple but do just the opposite, combat and assault weapons that claim to be killer friendly and countless other things. It feels like, out of the entire human population, one part is paid just to come up with things that are not needed at all.

What these so called research and innovation teams, oh-so-proudly and aptly call “brainstorming”, is actually their “brain itching up a storm” to create something, anything necessary or unnecessary. These inventions are not followed by necessity, but addiction. After all, what is addiction, but an intense need which is not a necessity.

But addiction should be the least of our concerns while dealing with such inventions. The real threat comes from the fact that no one, not even the inventors can asses the risk of such inventions. Paraphrasing the words of renowned sociologist Anthony Giddens, we are not just manufacturing products but are manufacturing risks along with the products. It is a matter of great concern for social scientists all over that risk assessment as a branch of science has not been able to catch-up with the burgeoning inventions in the other disciplines of science. Such poorly equipped risk analysis system is incapable of fully assessing the risks of the new inventions.

We the market are handed these inventions just like a tiny toddler is handed a shiny looking pen. We don’t know that what we have in our hands may be mightier than sword. We are mesmerized by its shiny look and so we start scribbling, thinking of the entire world as our canvas. Social networking anyone? People, with no sense of restrain or propriety, doodle with the entire virtual world as the audience.

Here’s another good one for you – A voyeur and narcissist got married. Guess what they named their kids – Twitter and Facebook.

Another such invention – the reality shows on T.V – have changed the role that Television plays in our lives. T.V viewing used to be about vicarious entertainment, but not any more. With the advent of reality shows, the innocent couch potato’s vicarious needs have transformed into a voyeur’s perverted needs.

But, enough of this whining. Let’s talk about the solutions.

Remedy no.1 - The science of risk assessment should giddy-up so that all inventions can saddle up and ride safely on its back.

Another problem with the scientific community is that it works in isolation.

So, Remedy no.2 is in order - The scientific community needs to work in tandem with the civil society in order to address the real needs of the people. As far as assessing risk is concerned, a joint effort from both the scientific community and civil society will help identify not just the scientific risks but social risks as well.

Remedy no. 3 - The legal system can also help by making an example out of those who make technology an accomplice while violating law. In this context, the law of precautionary principle needs to be revisited and revamped.

The self-contradictory nature of this principle makes it easy for people to bend it in the way that profits them. Better and well defined laws should be framed that make innovators and manufacturers more accountable for their innovations and products.

All said and done, if we get down to the brass tacks, it is our responsibility as a society to blaze a clear line between use and abuse; moral and amoral, that will help all these instruments of society, be it science, commerce or law to function for public interest at large. We have to make efforts towards creating an intelligent and morally responsible society.

Think of it this way – Mahatma Gandhi was an inventor. His innovative ways of non-violence, hunger strike and non-co-operation won us independence. But these Gandhian ways have been misused time and again by many twisted and sometimes shrewd people who abuse the power of these ways for the wrong causes. Is Gandhiji to be blamed for introducing us to the power of persuasion? The answer is no. But, even if the answer is yes, what good will come of blaming him?

Our only shot at sanity is to be more perceptive and responsible while handling such inventions so that we use their power for good. The role that Facebook played in the latest Egyptian uprising is a case in point.

Remember kids, Spider Man said-“With great gizmos comes great responsibility”.

(Image courtesy: Daniel Conway )

I was visiting Ahmedabad last week, doing a small project for an NGO. It was my first proper visit to the city. A friend had told me that I must visit Muskaan. I didn’t know what Muskaan was and what to expect there but, being my first visit, I wanted to see all the good places in the city so I decided to follow the recommendation.

If you are visiting Ahmedabad for the first time, especially if you are from Mumbai, the thing about the city that impresses you the most is the infrastructure. The city is clean, has wide roads with separate lanes for buses, well maintained buildings, and every residential area has a park. But as you venture through the city, you can’t help but notice certain areas which have been left untouched by the all round development which the state government time and again boasts of. It seems as if these areas have been forgotten intentionally. One such area is Juhapura; it doesn’t have good roads or parks, is full of shanties, and looks as if it is a completely different city from Ahmedabad. It is adjacent to another area known as Vejalpur, where again you can see development in its full flourish. Why these two areas are in such contrast is a matter to be debated in another article.

One evening I was in the area adjoining Juhapura and Vejalpur, and decided to visit MUSKAAN. Developed by an NGO named SPRAT (Society for Promoting Rationality), Muskaan, a science and adventure park was inaugurated in 2006. The park is maintained by SPRAT and is free for everyone. Located on a wasteland in one of the most underdeveloped areas of Ahmedabad, the park is like a shower on an evening in the month of June.

The moment I entered Muskaan it felt like I was inside a time machine, and I was being propelled back in time to my childhood. All the toys and joyrides in the park got me excited and I remembered when I was a kid and used to visit the Children’s park in my hometown with my parents. These joyrides were all exactly the same but they were made of junk. Old vehicle rubber tyres have become seats for a see saw, a huge unused concrete sewer pipe became the base of a slide and a tunnel, while bamboos and steel cables became swinging bridges.

The entrance of the park has a scale printed on a flex sheet hanging from the wall. The scale is divided into three colors, yellow, red and blue. Like the scale the whole park is divided into three zones, yellow, red and blue. When a kid comes into the park, he stands by the scale and depending on his height, a playing zone is allocated to him. So, if a small kid comes in she goes to the yellow zone, while a tall kid goes to the blue zone. All the rides in the park have been carefully and scientifically designed. There’s a wall which has been constructed for rock climbing, and also swings and merry go rounds which exhibit the laws of physics. It also has an auditorium with a seating capacity of 200 people. Exhibitions and movie shows are organized in the auditorium.

The best thing about the park however is the smiling faces of the kids. They are all around us, running, laughing and playing. We organized an impromptu sports event in which the kids participated with zeal. There was not a single ride empty. The kids come from the adjoining areas and most of them belong to families who are daily wage earners. They spend most of their times playing in the park after they return from school. The staff in the park takes care of them. The kids play, share and develop a bonding amongst them. These kids were mostly very small, and some of them were not yet born when the communal riots had destroyed the peace of the city. Some of them were born in the refugee camps after the 2002 riots. Now they are moving on, learning, playing, looking forward to make a better society, to be empowered and rational so that no one can beguile them again in the name of religion.

When my friend had suggested that I visit Muskaan, I wasn’t aware that I would be visiting my childhood and the future, both at the same time. Muskaan, in itself, has the promise that no kid will lose his childhood and also the promise of constructing a better society for everyone’s better future.

If you have any idea about Social Media or Marketing you would know that the Viral I am talking about has nothing to do with the flu. So, you may ask, was it Pepsi or Coke that started India’s first viral campaign?

It wasn’t any cola giant nor was it any corporate house that started the first viral campaign.  It was our Satyagrahis, the freedom fighters, who were the pioneers of the viral campaigns.

Without the presence of any kind of media they made the  Quit India movement go viral way back in 1942. Within days the whole nation was aware of the movement. There was a huge army of volunteers who would paint the messages on the walls in the dark of the night, even in the most distant villages of the country. The concept of posting messages on walls could have started from there, the same message being posted on different walls in different languages, to create a wave which would jolt the whole nation awake.

The freedom fighters in order to come into limelight would get themselves caught by the police so that a court case could start. These cases were reported in the newspapers and the press, which again worked towards spreading the awareness of the cause. Much like our blogging networks these days. One bad move by a corporate or a brand and it is all over the blog world, everyone’s writing about it, spreading the words around.

It isn’t just the wall or the blogs which could have come from the stone age of viral campaigns, but also the ‘buddy referral’ system. Someone who knew anyone interested in the cause would recruit him as a volunteer for the movement. These revolutionary groups always needed volunteers who could be trusted and they always came through referrals. Later on as the groups increased in size and expanded throughout the country they would be opened to all.

In the pre-independence days the only source of instant information was telegraph, and no one would know what was happening in the world until the next day when the newspapers came out. You also had to be literate so that you could read the papers. Yet, Gandhiji’s Quit India movement or the news about the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh and friends spread like wild fire.

The recent issue of Jan Lokpal Bill became a national issue within a matter of days because of  the sensation hungry Indian media. Within days everyone who was anyone was seen debating the matter.

So, is it the medium or the message that is more important?

The people were not watching the news because they wanted to see the antics of the Bollywood actors. They were watching the news channels to witness the common people revolt against the tyranny of an authoritarian government.

Was it really the media which was responsible for the spreading awareness about the issue, or was it the issue itself, or was it the charisma of the leaders which created these viral campaigns methodically, yet unknowingly?

The message, I believe, will always be more powerful than the medium which carries it. Be it the graffiti painted on the wall or updates on the micro blogging sites, it will always be the message that would determine how long the effect of the viral would last.

(Image courtesy: flaivoloka from sxc.hu)

STATUTORY WARNING- This article is for those in pursuit of happiness. Those seeking knowledge, kindly overlook, as you might be in for heavy disappointment.

I have often heard, “Only simple people are original” (Excuse me for taking the liberty of replacing the word ‘fools’ with a more genteel substitute.) If that expression is to be believed, the intelligentsia around the world is guilty of committing plagiarism. This is quite a black and white division, separating the innocent from the guilty; the simpleton from the intellectual. But what about those who fall somewhere in between – the common denomination? What about us – the gray shades?

We come across so many different ideas, beliefs and practices every day, whether it is through T.V, newspapers, internet or through interacting with different people, that it becomes impossible to differentiate our original thoughts from the borrowed ones. Does that mean our thoughts, our beliefs, our principles and even our actions are not completely our own, but in fact a result of the amalgamation of a couple of hard sells and some original thoughts.

But is having options a good thing or bad? Well that is surely a moot point. Whether it’s a matter of painting the interiors of our homes or painting the interiors of our minds, we are provided with a lot of options from which we can pick and choose the ones, we want to get colored by.

In an age where the entire world has shrunk into one big fat noisy market place, with myriad brands offering commodities ranging from detergents, health drinks, diet regimes, philosophical and spiritual ideologies, lifestyles to social causes, the question is- where do our loyalties lie?

What are we, but a race of brand sluts hopping from one brand to another, from one ideology to another, opting for the ones that are either appealing to our eyes, or appeasing to our wallets. Speaking of ideologies, I am reminded of an incident from childhood. I used to watch a show called “Heads and Tails”. In one episode it was told that drinking cattle’s milk coming from commercial dairy farms is cruelty towards their new born. For someone like me, for whom gulping down a glassful of milk every morning was the hardest part of the day, this episode was like manna from heaven. I declared that I would give up milk forever, of course for serving a greater good. But my mom was too smart to fall for these shenanigans. She said if I gave up milk, I would have to give up all the byproducts like butter, cheese, curd and chocolates. I dropped my partially pasteurized… I mean half-baked ideology in a heartbeat.

How different am I today from the child I was then? How far is a commoner ready to go for her principles? Why do our ideologies come with the conditionality of convenience and compromises?

Let’s take vegetarianism for instance. My question to all my fellow vegetarians who look for the round green signal of 100% vegetarian before cruising on with their shopping carts is, are you a 100% vegetarian? You cannot wear a silk sari, use cosmetics stained with the blood of exotic species and sport a T-shirt with a- “I am vegetarian” chest print at the same time. Call yourself vegetarian by convenience not by principle.

I blame the never ending options that we are provided with, for our shifting loyalties. We are told that if we have all options in front of us, we can make an informed decision. But who is to say that an informed decision is in fact the right one. In a world where even information is a commodity and broadcasting information a commercial venture, how can we rely on the information fed to us? Imagine how much time of our lives we’ll save if instead of pondering for hours over which cereal to buy, out of the 25 odd options available, we pick the closest one we can lay our hands on. And this is just one item from the list of grocery. What if we consider the entire list and the total time wasted? You do the math.

Let’s face it – these products with different brand names are more or less the same, no matter how much moolah the companies spend on advertising, to prove otherwise. Then why waste time on a Hobson’s choice.

When it comes to exercising our right of adult franchise, we decide to make an informed decision and vote for a representative with the least number of criminal records and a comparatively cleaner public image. This is possibly the sole cause of the sorry state of politics today. After all, the only difference between a criminal and a successful politician is that the former lacks the clout, the political muscle and the big bucks to buy off silence.

The benefits of not knowing, rather choosing not to know are many. India might have a high mortality rate with diseases and starvation aplenty, but we can boast of having one of the least numbers of hypochondriacs. The proof is the golgappas and bhelpuris from road side shops that we relish, ignoring the unhygienic conditions in which they are prepared. The computers at cyber cafes, the cutlery at restaurants, the seats and handles of buses, all hosting parties for germs, never bother us. Indians save so much on the trips to doctors and the trips to shrinks.

As far as supporting bigger causes and having ideals goes, the lesser we stay informed or in most cases misinformed, the lesser we get manipulated. The more we rely on our original thoughts and inner callings, the stronger we would feel about our ideals and harder would we stick to them.

Knowledge on the other hand brings with it, fear, apprehension and cynicism. Knowledge on anything and every thing comes with the same set of hazards. A simple man may get duped. But look on the upside – he may never realize the deceit and stay happy nevertheless. Those who seek information are the ones more prone to deceit and what’s worse, they are stupid enough to become the targets but smart enough to know they are cheated. The more we see, the more we hear, the more we get entangled in the web of lies.

We have all tried knowledge, let’s give ignorance a chance. Now those who are still not onboard and are hell-bent on cutting a Faustian deal would be doing so at the risk of making an enemy out of the Guy Upstairs. Remember what He did to Eve when she took a small bite of knowledge. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. Our personal credo should be – Ignorance is such bliss. There is nothing in this world that we cannot afford to miss.

(Image courtesy: lusi from sxc.hu)

Yesterday was the first time that I went to see a play. The play was “The Real Inspector Hound” by Quaff Theatre (Mumbai), which was a part of the Metroplus Theatre fest 2011. And, I must say, it was a very rewarding and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I had been wanting to watch a play for a long time, but had somehow never got around to doing so.

There were a lot of apprehensions when it came to watching plays in an auditorium. Will the dialogues be audible? Will the tickets be too expensive? Will I be able to follow what’s going on if I zone out for a moment or two during the play? Would it be too hard to understand the intent and the purpose of the play? Will I be able to get a good look at the actors if I get a seat in one of the last rows?

Yes, I did have these and many other equally bizarre questions looming in my head even while I was booking the tickets for this event.

It was difficult for me to convince others to come along because I myself had not done anything like this before. “Lets go watch a movie instead”, “PLAY!!!”, “Ummm, only if the tickets are very cheap”, “You go, watch and then tell me how it went” were the kind of responses I was getting from all and sundry. I finally found one friend who was ready to take the plunge. And let me tell you, it was worth the effort. I got to witness some remarkable performances from the masters on stage.

Let me first start off by saying that theatre has been made very affordable with passes being sold at Rs. 100/250/400 apart from student passes which were priced at Rs. 50. So, its not an exorbitant expenditure on an unknown experience. In the worst case, it’s as good or as bad as watching a bad movie in the multiplex (…and don’t tell me that you have never ever watched one).

The environment is very different from that of a movie hall. You can’t have phones ringing or walk in anytime during the play as it causes immense distraction to the actors on stage. You can’t hoot or whistle, and nor can you be a pain in the neck for the people sitting on either side. Its a much more civil and well groomed gathering, where everyone has come to have some quality entertainment being delivered on-par with international standards.

At first, you may feel out of place but once you get in, you follow the crowd (something we Indians are so very good at) and blend into this new kind of fabric easily. As far as following the dialogue or getting a good look at the actors is concerned, trust me, all those misconceptions will vanish the moment the play starts. The  level of involvement is very high as the play unravels and consumes you to allure your senses in every which way that it intends to.

Go for a light-hearted comedy if you are not the one for political satires and strong social statements. But, go and experience this almost-forgotten and yet-to-be-mainstream form of entertainment and it will give you a different take on the world around. ‘Play’ is the way.

(Image: wemedge  from sxc.hu)

India is a vibrant democratic country, with freedom to talk, write, demonstrate and agitate against the governments and systems. Our system has an independent judiciary that protects us even if the administration violates any of our rights, strictly apolitical armed forces that will never come out and crush our candle light marches; and a vibrant media that can afford to go hammer and tong against government in power, 24×7. India has adopted an open society, unlike some of our neighbours, though we do not credit our politicians for making that possible.

It is not to say that India does not have any negatives. We have our share of negatives as well. Corruption at all levels of the society has been the most rampant and of immediate concern, among the negatives.

The media and increasing aspirations of people are contributing to demands for higher standards from Governments. Some of the very vocal segments of the Civil Society have now rallied against corruption, under the banner of Team Anna. Team Anna is projecting Jan Lokpal as the one cure for all the illnesses of our country and its governance.

Lokpal and Corruption

But, is Lokpal a panacea for all the ills of the Nation? After all, a Lokpal is only an Ombudsman with wider powers. It cannot eliminate corruption. At the best it can only put the fear of retribution in the mind of corrupt. Even that is limited because in any corrupt deal, unlike other crimes, both the parties are willingly participating, and therefore chances of complaints or production of evidences are limited. A bribe giver is not likely to complain against a bribe taker.

Alternate Agenda

Corruption can only be eliminated by removing the opportunities and need for it. Let us look at the options that are readily available for us to make a positive change in our affairs, including elimination of corruption at the source itself.

1. Right to Reject Candidates

The urban voters often complain about the lack of quality among the candidates as the reason for their loss of faith in electoral politics. The best way to eliminate such issues is to make the right to reject all candidates as one of the voting options. This will make us more responsible towards elections and our representatives, more credible. Also, this will make political parties more vigilant while choosing their candidates for elections.

2. Decriminalisation of Politics

The Representation of People Act needs changes to reduce criminalisation of our legislative bodies. Once convicted in a criminal case, a person must be barred from contesting elections, irrespective of the status of any appeal.

3. All India Judicial Service

Independent and corruption free judiciary is the cornerstone of rule of law. While Indian Judiciary has by and large remained so, recently some unfortunate tendencies seem to have crept into this system as well. It is very important that the integrity of Judges is maintained beyond all doubts.

It would be advisable to have a dedicated cadre for judges, by selecting them on the basis of merits at a very young age (before being corrupted by worldly practices) and training them to become successful judges, in the similar manner as other All India Services. They can start their profession in the lower courts and get promoted up to Supreme Court, based on performance merits.

Such a service will eliminate the need to appoint practising lawyers as judges, reducing the likelihood of any influence by their clients or colleagues from erstwhile practise. It will also free them from getting exposed to illegal deals and violations of law, while in practice. I am not suggesting that all the lawyers appointed as judges are corrupt, but merely pointing out the need to eliminate the risk of at least some of them being influenced.

4. Judicial Accountability

Independence of Judiciary is one of the Basic Features of Indian Constitution. However, there is a need to balance this independence with accountability. In democracy, every public authority must be accountable to people. While judiciary is an exception to this general rule, that exception cannot result in a situation of ‘no accountability at all’.

The challenge of ensuring accountability of Judiciary, while maintaining its independence has been a concern. The Judicial Conduct and Accountability Bill, now under consideration, must be made an effective law at the earliest, to ensure this objective.

5. Right to Service

Another area that needs urgent reform is the people’s right to get timely service from government agencies. Lack accountability for the government officials, to provide timely services, is a cause for corruption. Since the officer is not required to complete work within a given time, he can keep it pending till his hands are greased.

Kerala has taken the lead in this regard and is in the process of bringing a law to guarantee right to services. Time limits will be set for each service and the officers made accountable for any deviations. This must be introduced in an all India level by passing necessary laws.

6. Strengthening RTI and Protection to Whistle Blowers

RTI Act is a revolutionary legislation that changed Indian administrative landscape forever. However, the Act has exposed the safety of activists to the threats from vested interests, whose nefarious activities get exposed through RTI. Adequate measures must be incorporated to ensure protection to the RTI users.

Same is the case with whistleblowers. We need adequate measures to ensure protection of those individuals who are willing to take the risk of exposing corruption because most corruption cases will never get exposed, unless someone blows the whistle.

7. Operational Freedom to CBI and CVC

It is not as if we do not have institution to fight corruption. CBI and CVC are among various such institutions. However, in the absence of adequate awareness and public vigilance, these institutions have become mere sidekicks of the Governments.

The balance between accountability and operational freedom must be institutionalised for all the investigative agencies, rather than creating new layers.

8. Redressal of Public Grievances

The lack of effective machinery for Redressal of the public grievances is quite evident in most parts of our country. Be it the demand for Telengana, or against land acquisition, or even for Jan Lokpal – what is apparent is the lack of expertise and cohesive strategy to deal with the public grievances.

The inefficient dealings of these grievances are aggravating the situation to an extent that the governments are losing their credibility and goodwill among the people, which is not good for a healthy democracy.

9. Administrative Reforms through induction of Technology

Constant efforts must be made to modernise the administration by resorting to technology as an effective partner. MCA and IT Department are examples for technology and automation makes departments less corrupt and user friendly.

Automation of processes, reductions of necessity for face to face meetings between officials and beneficiaries, better data creation and management on beneficiaries etc, are some of the practical steps that can be immediately ensured. These processes will ensure the reduction of discretionary powers of officials, thereby reducing avenues for corruption.

10. Value Education and Change of Attitudes

No change in the system will be effective, unless we, the people, are willing to change our attitudes. Unfortunately, most of us do not consider paying bribe as wrong. They justify those bribes in the name of ‘compulsions’ though many a time these bribes are paid for very little comforts or advantages over fellow citizens!

If we need a new India, this attitude must change. The attitude of Saint I (Please read this poem, as I can’t demonstrate this attitude any better) among new Indians will be a great hindrance in any reforms. We must admit that the bribe givers and the bribe takers are both from our own society. The admission and recognition of how we contribute to the corruption is the first step towards any change. Our education must include human values. While ensuring the economic development through inclusive growth, we must also ensure the moral health of our people through value education.

Conclusion

While admitting the need for an Ombudsman (Lokpal) to check corruption at the highest levels of our polity, we must recognise the fact that an Ombudsman is only one more level of oversight. Only continuous reforms at the very operational level to ensure elimination of avenues for corruption can ultimately reduce corruption.

(Image courtesy: svilen001 from sxc.hu)

The Free dictionary defines a riot as, “a violent disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled for a common purpose.”  But, what is it that causes a group of people to gather, and indulge in looting and violence is a question that is difficult to answer.

The immediate cause: There is always an immediate cause for riots to start. It can be a small incident, or a major event. Whatever the scale of the triggering event, what follows is usually much worse, and results in greater loss of life and property. The death of Mark Duggan, for instance, was the immediate cause of the riots to start in London, but the spread of the riots had almost nothing to do with his death.

Inherent problem:  Another important reason for riots to happen is the existence of some inherent problem in the system that has been ignored for quite some time. It is similar to a stack of gunpowder that keeps on accumulating over a period of time. People who can do something about it, ignore it and hope that a strong gust of wind will blow the whole thing away. Sometimes, however, before the problem can take care of itself, a spark lights the stack of gunpowder resulting in a huge explosion. The inherent problem is usually so deep that even the more sensible people are sometimes forced to take sides and join the rioting. This inherent problem could be based on religion, ethnicity, or some other similar criteria that drives deep wedges in the society.

The Mob mentality: It is a fact well established that the behaviour of an individual is different when he is alone, and different when he is in a group. During a riot the mob mentality completely takes over, and an individual usually suspends his own judgement, and blindly indulges in the violent activities initiated by others around him.

Further, in a mob one feels that one is not responsible for all the violence and destruction. Everyone feels that he has played only a small role, and the violence would have been perpetrated even if he was not involved. As they say, everyone’s responsibility is no one’s responsibility.

Selfish Interests: Many a times there are certain individuals or group of individuals who stand to benefit by the continuance of riots, even though others around them are suffering. These people try their best to instigate mobs to continue rioting. In volatile conditions, more often than not, they succeed. These people may be religious or political leaders, dictators, or just local thugs. If we look hard enough, it won’t be difficult to identify these people who continue to add oil to the rioting fires.

In case of the London riots, one can’t help but feel that the major force behind the spread of the riots were the people who wanted to continue the riots for as long as possible so that a large number of stores could be looted.
Getting a high: Most people today, it must be admitted, are leading ordinary lives, bordering on the boring. Therefore, they are constantly on the lookout for something different to break the monotony of everyday life. During a riot they get their chance.

In her apology for participating in looting during the Vancouver Stanley cup riots, Camille, a young woman, wrote:

At the time, being a part of the riot was simply to fulfill the adrenaline rush I was looking and hoping for – an adrenaline rush that I previously got from post-winning games: hugging randoms, dancing on the streets, honking car horns non-stop, and high-fiving just about everybody. In the same way that everybody enjoyed collectively showing pride in our team, it was enjoyable to express my disappointment in a collective manor.

I had no intentions of defiling the city. I love Vancouver as much as you do – I’ve lived here since I was 7 months old. But in my immature, intoxicated perspective all I saw was that the riot was happening, and would continue happening with or without me, so I might as well get my adrenaline fix.

Unpreparedness of the Police Force:  A riots is not something that happens often. So, most police departments, across the world, are not equipped to deal with them at a short notice. It takes a while before they can gear up, and mobilise resources to quell the unrest. Therefore, between the initiation and the ending of the rioting, there is a period when the rioting goes on unabated. The sooner the police force is able to gather enough numbers to intimidate the rioters, the sooner the riots are stopped.

Most riots, I feel, happen due to all or a combination of the above factors. What factors do you think cause riots to happen?

(Image Courtesy : Christos and drewzhrodague)

If you have not heard about Twitter, you might as well stop reading this right now. But, if you are one of the 200 million people who have an account on Twitter, you may want to read this because here we will try to answer the question: What makes someone popular on Twitter?

Let us begin with what some of the people on Twitter (or tweeples, as some would say) said when they were asked about what it is that makes someone popular on Twitter:

@softykid (3776 followers): You need to be interactive, not attitude driven.

@sonica00 (692 followers): Never tried to be popular, I speak what I believe.

@jsk05 (165 followers): If they’re already a celeb in entertainment or connected to celebs, wealthy, or have some sad life story.

@msnarain (1711 followers) has written a piece on how to attract more followers on his blog. Although the post is written in a humorous vein, I can’t help but get the feeling that if you do what he says on there, you just might be able to attract a few more followers.

If we look at the list of the top 100 followed people on Twitter, it won’t take us long to realise that the list is full of celebrities. So, if you are a celebrity, you don’t have to work too hard to get followed. All you need to do is open an account, and they will follow.

But, because you are reading this,  I am guessing you are not a celebrity. So, what you may need is a lucky break, like living close to a site where the US plans to attack next with their out-of-the-world-helicopters. But, not everyone is that fortunate (or unfortunate, if you please), and so you may need to try some other ways to get more followers.

You could search Twitter for people and lists of people who follow back, and then go on a following spree. If you do it right, you should easily have more than 5,000 followers in a week’s time.

If, however,  none of the above works for you, and you still want to be popular on Twitter, you , I am afraid, will have to take the hard road to Twitter fame, and, like, most things in life, this  does not come with a guarantee. So, take it or leave it – the choice is yours.

Be Interesting. This is not very different from what you have been told since your childhood days. If you want to make more friends, you need to be funny, witty and smart. The best part about the virtual world is that even if you are not any of those things, you can still fake them. But, you definitely need to be seen as someone who is interesting enough to be followed. Now, whether you choose to fake it, or you choose to make an effort to be interesting, is entirely up to you.

Get a Life. As we have already seen, the top 100 followed people on Twitter are celebrities. So, it won’t be wrong to infer that the probability of getting more followers is higher if you are successful at what you do. For that, you need to spend time away from Twitter and focus on what you do. Having a life has an additional advantage of providing you with interesting stuff that you can tweet about later.

Be Yourself. Contrary to what was said about faking earlier, It actually helps if you are being yourself on Twitter. Don’t try to conform to the popular view, and don’t try to argue for the sake of arguing. Tweet what you believe in, and contribute to conversations with your own viewpoint. People just might like you and follow you for that.

Follow the right people. Before you embark upon your mission to get followed, you should follow people. Twitter is a two way street. Unless you are Lady Gaga, you can’t expect to get a lot of followers without following some people back. Ok, I must admit here, that even if you are a female with a nice DP you may be able to get a few followers without following back. Jokes apart, it is important to follow the right people because they will inform you, entertain you and make your Twitter experience worthwhile, which in turn will help you in making it worth people’s time and effort to follow you.

Participate. Lastly, but importantly, you need to be an active participant on Twitter to be followed by people. Whether it is making lists, or trending #hashtags – if it is happening on Twitter, you need to be a part of it. You need to log on to Twitter almost every day, and engage and interact with as many people as you can. Don’t make your Timeline a chat room, but don’t make it a soliloqy either.

Happy Tweeting, and best of luck with getting followed!

( If you would like to follow me on twitter, you can do it here: @neobluepanther )

Raj was about to drive his car into the parking lot at his office, when a truck appeared out of nowhere and drove into his car. Since, the truck driver had tried to apply the brakes, the impact was minimal but the car now had a huge dent on one side. The truck driver was quick to apologise and offered to pay the cost of repair. Raj, who had seen the driver in the area before, knew that the driver would find it difficult to pay the charges and so he  decided to let the driver off with a warning to be careful in the future. A few days later, as Raj was passing by the parking lot, he heard the truck driver joke with his friends about the simpleton whose car he had hit, and yet he did not have to pay the car owner a  single dime. Raj was forced to think whether his decision to help the truck driver had been wrong.

Rakesh was driving back from work one day, when he saw a young man waving frantically for him to stop the car. Rakesh stopped, and the young man told him that he needed a lift to the hospital as his mother had been rushed there. Rakesh decided to help him. On the way to the hospital, the young man asked for some money because he said he had nothing on him at that moment. Rakesh smelled a rat, but he decided to help the young man anyway. The young man thanked him profusely, noted down his phone number, and promised to pay back the money in a week’s time. More than six months have passed now, and Rakesh is still waiting for his money, and wondering if he was right to help the man.

One day Rohit got a call from a good friend of his, who told him that he was in urgent need of money. The amount was not small, but Rohit decided to loan the money as  he trusted his friend. Two years have passed now, and Rohit is still waiting for his friend to return the money. His friend always has an excuse for not being able to return the money. Rohit can’t help but wonder whether he was taken for a ride by one of his good friends.

The three incidents above are not isolated cases. All of us have experienced something similar, or know someone who has. Most people  would say that in today’s time it is never a good idea to help others, especially strangers. Some might, like the truck driver, say that Raj, Rakesh and Rohit acted foolishly, and should have known better.

If we look at the number of scams that have come to light in the recent months, the case for the world becoming increasingly selfish becomes even stronger. It seems that everyone is only interested in looking after their own interests, even if that means hurting others. Why should anyone, in such times, bother about other people’s problems?

Are we living in times where helping others has become foolish?

I would choose to believe not. Whatever the doomsday prophets may say, the world, even today, is not such a bad and scary place as it is made out to be. Undoubtedly, there are bad apples – as there have been since the time of Cain and Abel – but the number of god apples exceeds the bad apples by a huge number.

If we take a careful look around us, we will find a large number of people labouring ceaselessly – without hoping for a reward – to make this world a better place. It is these people that we should try to emulate, but unfortunately, sometimes we focus too much on the bad apples.

In the above three examples, it is easy to focus on how Raj, Rakesh and Rohit were taken for a ride. We quickly derive the message  that helping others is not a good thing to do. In doing so, we ignore the other side of the message. The side of Raj, Rohit and Rakesh.

For them, these were not the only times they tried to help others. It was a habit, cemented over years where they actually helped people who were in need of help. Every time it was a satisfying experience.  Whenever they had any doubts as to whether they were doing something foolish, the faces of the people who were actually in trouble flashed before their faces, and the doubts vanished.They were not expecting anything in return except that the problems of the people around them were solved. How could they be happy, if the world around them wasn’t? How can you be happy if everyone around you isn’t?

And every time you have a choice : You can either be like Raj, Rohit and Rakesh or you can be like the truck driver, the young man, and the thankless friend. Choose wisely.

(Image courtesy: lumix2004 from sxc.hu)

(The incidents narrated above are true incidents, but the names of the people involved have been changed)

Every December, Raj, like many other people, starts to wonder what his New Year resolutions are going to be, and more importantly, how long is he going to be able to keep them.  In 2010, he was able to keep them for a total of 22 days. So much for all the talk about a new habit taking 21 days to form.

This year, however, Raj is determined to hold on to his New Year resolutions, and he is determined to do whatever it takes to do that. Luckily for him, it is really not that hard to hold on to New Year Resolutions – all it takes is a little planning and some determination.

1. Choose with Care. When you make a new year resolution, be sure that it is something that you want, and something that fits into your lifestyle. Don’t make a resolution just because it is something that is in fashion. It should be something that you really want to do. Most resolutions get broken because people choose too difficult a task for themselves.

Also, do not create a long list of resolutions. What is the point of having a long list of resolutions if you are not going to keep even one of them.  Keep the list of resolutions manageable.

2. Be ready when the time comes. Do not wait till the 31st to start working on your resolutions.  Start planing early, and begin working on them as soon as you can, so that by the time 1st comes you are ready for holding on to your resolutions.

Vijay found this trick quite useful in sticking to his resolution of quitting smoking. Every year he used to resolve to quit smoking. The first couple of days were always hard, and he would smoke a cigarette within  the first week of the New Year, and his resolution to quit smoking would go straight out of the window. This year he decided to quit smoking in the last week of the old year itself. Even though, he did smoke a couple of cigarettes during that last week, but by the time the New Year arrived he was ready to be smoke free.

3. Share it with the World. If you share your resolutions with as many people as you can, you are more likely to stick to your resolutions. The reason for this being twofold: One, you are going to try harder in order to avoid losing face in front of so many people, and two, you will have a larger number of people who will be reminding you of your resolutions and who will try to keep you on track towards achieving your goals.

4. Focus on the results. Every time you tend to become waver, and become weak, do not try to fight the urge to break the resolution, because as they say, “what you resist, persists”. Instead, focus on the reason for choosing that resolution in the first place. Then, focus on the result that you will get if you are able to stick to your resolutions.

5. Find a Resolution Buddy. If you have a friend or a relative who is facing similar problems with holding on to his New Year resolutions, make him your resolution buddy. Share your resolutions with each other, and then take responsibility for helping each other in sticking to your resolutions. You will not only be able to stick to your resolutions, but you might also end up strengthening your relations with that person.

So, have you started working on the list of your New Year Resolutions yet?

(Image Courtesy: enimal from sxc.hu)