Women Power

India is set to have its first women speaker – this is a defining moment for Indian women. It is the recognition of the inevitable – their class, tenacity and caliber. It is ironical that this country which had a women prime minister in the 70’s could not get the women’s bill passed in parliament right through 90’s and 2000.
With a record 59 women MPs that have been elected to the 15th Lok Sabha - the highest since independence the women’s bill now looks to be a mere formality!. More importantly this election saw, 556 women candidates being fielded and contesting elections across the length and breadth of the country – democracy is maturing in India in more than one ways.
In distant US - in what can be termed as a big step for women in politics President Obama has picked Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Supreme Court justice.
Women have proved to be successful business professionals, exceptional philanthropists, competent managers and good homemakers - Ultimately, it’s not about being a women, its about being a better candidate, a more qualified opponent and a person capable of handling that job better than the others! Women need to be congratulated because they have come so far not because they were women but because they were better than the rest!

A slice of cricket in life!

The IPL fever is contagious even if it is played far away in South Africa – the crowds, the hits, the misses, the if’s and but’s, the why’s and why not’s are all the questions that will go through a series of post mortems. How did the team that finished at the bottom last year come up tops this time????

But somehow this season I was in a more introspective mood and read/saw more in T20 than mere cricket.

The first thing it taught me or rather reinforced what life is currently teaching me is that the only way to keep going strong and for long is to pace your innings – space out your outbursts, harness your energies, utilize your strengths and strike at the right time/ball.

I have always believed that one must ‘Play to win the war and not the battle’. T20 epitomizes this – boundaries don’t matter unless it makes the score tick towards victory, wickets are not cheered with as much gusto unless it is a match breaking one – Unless it makes a difference to winning or losing it just might be one of those forgotten moments in the series. Always play to win the battle – decisions become easy as the objective is so clear.

One mistake can impact a lifetime of effort: Three boundaries in one over is enough to tilt the game from a wining position to a losing position. Impossible not to make mistakes but maybe like they do in T20 after every 10 over’s huddle up and restrategize – take stock and decide on the way forward. Might be a good idea to do this in life too - A mistake could get corrected in time, or if not atleast the erosion could be stopped.

Performance alone matters: The glammer of the cheerleaders and the glitter of the stars, the heavy weights and the powerful – all remain helpless as they watch their teams perform and fail or rise. In life too – there is no excuse to hard work or shoddy work. We each have to deliver to rise – and if we don’t- don’t blame it on the pitch or the rains but blame it on YOU!

Dare to Dream

Rahul Gandhi is the new poster boy of Indian politics – suave, dimpled smiled, articulate and open - he seems to have inherited his grandmothers tactical planning and organizational skills, his great grandfather’s ability to build institutions and his mothers no nonsense approach to politics – add to this Manmohan’s experience and Sonia’s diplomacy and tenacity and we have a heady combination of individuals who actually has the potential to take the country forward.

The great Indian democracy finally seems to be coming of age – more importantly the maturity is reflected in the mandate for development and growth and not caste, creed and religion. A maturing country and a maturing politician – India and Rahul – Can they do it?????

My wish list for this young brigade would be:

• Infrastructure development – roads, bridges, power stations and toilets must be built and built fast if we are to join the league of the biggies.
• Educate India - Good basic education to all at affordable price – let there be no freebies. If not in cash let them pay in kind – work for the school, serve in the army for a year for a lifetime of good education etc…. Young India needs to learn that there are no free lunches – someone somewhere always pays for it!
• Healthcare – Cheaper and better health care – infrastructure and amenitiesiv. Build fundamentally equal systems and opportunities
• Investments in Science and research

Economic

• Foreign Direct Investment in the Insurance sector up to 50%o
• FDI investment in organized retail sector to be allowed
• Fiscal deficit – through disinvestment in all PSU’s to bring down the fiscal deficit and money for infrastructure development.

Defence

• Chief of defence staff force ( above the army, navy and air force )
• Modernization of forces of equipment
• Devamp DRDO
• Plan to combat internal terrorist groups and natural calamities.
• Working on stable relations with Burma Ceylon, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh
• CBI, EC etc should be depolitized.o
• National intelligence grid and an integrated national security database.

People don’t make history – people with ideas do – people who challenge established ways of thinking and come up with innovative ways of resolving issues – these are the people who become engines of growth. Rahul’s young Turks are the new face of Indian politics – educated, traveled and well read – Like Indira Gandhi’s Vanar Sena’ they should in time become the engine of growth - facilitating an atmosphere that allows individuals and institutions to harness opportunities without hindrances to fuel economic and social advancement.