Barackface

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Rohingya: India's Responsibility

श्री लंका में तामिल, बंगलादेश पाकिस्तान में हिन्दु, नेपाल में मधेसी --- इन सब पर state mechanism के जरिए screw tight किया जाता है। ये कह के कि ये भारतीय हैं। और भारत चुप बैठा रहता है।

बर्मा के रोहिंग्या भी उसी केटेगरी के लोग हैं। बहुत बड़ा अन्याय हो रहा है। और भारत चुप बैठा है। चीन के शक्ति संरचना के कुछ लोग श्री लंका, नेपाल, बर्मा सब जगह गोटी चाल रहे हैं। भारत चुप नहीं बैठ सकता। अपनों की हिफाजत करो। जागो।

रोहिंग्या को आना चाहिए भारत में लेकिन जा रहे हैं हिन्द महासागर में। चेहरा देखो, भारतीय होने का नंबर प्लेट लगा हुवा है। भारतीय हो ना हो --- भारत के पास शक्ति है, वो न्याय के काम ना आए तो वो शक्ति होने ना होने से क्या फरक पड़ा?

चाहे जितना व्यापार कर लो --- चीन के साथ मानव अधिकार के मुद्दे पर क्लैश तो होगा ही। It is unavoidable. And victory is the only option. वो शक्ति किस काम की जो न्याय के काम ना आए? Clash होगा, clash करेंगे --- खोज खोज के करेंगे। ढूँढ ढूँढ के करेंगे। Proactively करेंगे।

बर्मा पहले भारत ही तो था -- ब्रिटिश लोगो ने बदमाशी की, अलग कर दिया। फिर से भारत बना देने की धम्की दो।

जिस तरह वियतनाम में रूस और अमरिका का क्लैश हुवा उसी तरह अभी बर्मा में चीन और भारत का क्लैश हो रहा है। भारत तो मैदान में ही नहीं है। There are so many political, non military options on the table. बर्मा चीन का satellite स्टेट रहा है। चीन चाहे तो इस जेनोसाइड को युँ रोक सकता है।

All Of Bihar Is One Big City

English: Map showing location of Nalanda district in Bihar in India हिन्दी: भारत के बिहार राज्य के नक़्शे पर नालंदा ज़िले की स्थिति (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bihar is the biggest city in the world. The entire state is one super duper megacity. That is how you have to think about it. When futurists talk about the city of the far future, they talk about a city that is self sufficient in food. Well, Bihar is food sufficient. खुदका सब्जी खाते हैं बिहारी। नीतिश का जिस जात में जन्म हुवा वो जात ही है सब्जी उगाने वाला जात। वैसे वो सब्जी नहीं उगाते है, वो राजनीतिक उठापटक करते हैं, वो अलग बात है।

Agriculture तो है ही और रहेगा भी, industrialization भी होगा, क्यों नहीं होगा? But what Bihar is most suited for is the service sector. और उसके लिए you need a super educated population: 100% high school educated, 50% college educated. नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय को हार्वर्ड ऑक्सफ़ोर्ड कैंब्रिज के लेवल पर ले जाना होगा। जब दुनिया में कहीं कोइ हार्वर्ड ऑक्सफ़ोर्ड कैंब्रिज नहीं थी तभी नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय का दुनिया में डंका बजता था। फिर से बजाना होगा। अमर्त्य सेन कैंब्रिज में क्या कर रहे हैं, उनके लिए कुर्सी बनाओ नालंदा में। मैं चाहुँगा मैं billionaire बनु और नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय को बिलियन डॉलर का endowment दूँ। मेरे को बस थोड़ा वक्त दो।

The city of the far future does not look like Manhattan, all concrete and very little green. It looks like Bihar, in tune with nature, growing its own food. अमरिका बोस्टन से वाशिंगटन तक एक ही शहर बनाने के सपने देखती है, बिहार तो उससे बड़ा अभी से है।

Agriculture + Education + Service Sector + Completely Clean/Green/Smart Industrialization (Based On Hydroelectricity From Nepal) + Universal Gigabit Broadband = Bihar As One Super Duper Megacity

गुजरात तो मरुभुमि है --- तो वहाँ industrialization नहीं होगा तो क्या होगा? लेकिन बिहार हराभरा है। सारे भारत के इतिहास में आधे महत्वपुर्ण घटनाएँ बिहार में घटी। गांधी का आंदोलन का पहला कदम बिहारमें। सब तो मेरे को मालुम भी नहीं। राजेंद्र प्रसाद बिहार के। बुद्ध को मोक्ष प्राप्ति बिहार में। पाटलिपुत्र। चाणक्य। अमिताभ भी बिहार निकट के हैं। आस परोस। पहले पहले इलाहाबाद बिहार में ही हुवा करता था। फिर अंग्रेजो ने बदमाशी कर दी।

जिस तरह गुजरात के व्यापारी दुनिया भर में फैले हैं उसी तरह बिहार के मास्टरों को दुनिया भर जाना होगा। 12 years of schooling ke master बन जाओ।

बिहार के कस्बे कस्बे तक गीगाबिट ब्रॉडबैंड पहुँचा दो तो there is no need to improve on mud huts. ये नहीं कि बिहार की विकास होगी तो माटी के घर के जगह पे कंक्रीट का महल बनाया जाएगा --- ऐसा नहीं है। When you think of the entire state as one big city, the mud huts can stay. They do not stand in the way of modernity. They are modernity. ये बात आपने याद किया है? फुसके झोपड़ी में air conditioner की जरुरत ही नहीं पड़ती ---- हमारे पुरखाओं ने बहुत सोंच समझ के फुसकी झोपड़ी बनाई। लेकिन malnutrition को बिल्कुल ख़त्म करना होगा --- that stands in the way of modernity. बिहार जब समृद्ध था तो लोग फलाहार किया करते थे। Balanced, healthy diet. अभी देखो गरीबी के मारे ये हाल है एक ही आम के पेड़ पर तीन तीन मुख मंत्री लटक जाते हैं।

Two Megacities On Two Coasts
The Ultimate Megacity: 100 Million People
Bihar@2025
बिहार के लिए फोर्मुला

Bihar@2025

India: A 15% Growth Rate Is Possible
India's Goal: $50 Trillion
मोदी के चाय दोकान पे चर्चा
ये राजा सिंह कौन?
बिहार के लिए फोर्मुला
World, India, Bihar
दलितों के पास दो रास्ता

पहली बार मेरे को लग रहा है नीतिश जित जाएंगे --- इस Bihar@2025 में दम है। डिजिटल टेक्नोलॉजी के माध्यम से इस डॉक्युमेंट को ऐसा किया जा सकता है कि बोल्ने वाले सभी को लगे कि मेरी बात सुनाइ दी और पब्लिक्ली रिकॉर्ड भी की गइ। ये एक जीवन्त डोक्युमेंट बन सकता है। No need for a deadline, कि अब समय ख़त्म है, अब आप अपना विचार शेयर नहीं कर सकते।

Bihar@2025 + Prashant Kishor = Victory for Nitish

इस से जितन और पप्पु neutralize हो जाते हैं।

लेकिन प्रशान्त किशोर का महत्त्व चुनाव के बाद खत्म नहीं हो जाता। His digital ways should also be put to use in governance. He is a political consultant, not a political leader, not a party chief. Amit Shah is party chief.

Bihar growth tops Nitish Kumar's poll agenda

The process to prepare the vision document, billed as the first of its kind, will involve about 4 crore people living in 40,000 villages over the next eight to 10 weeks. Nitish said that the vision document would be prepared on the basis of the people's feedback and interaction with them. "We will go out and seek the opinion of the people on various issues related to development and incorporate it in the vision document," he said. "This is going to be the world's biggest campaign of its kind for public participation. ..... Nitish, on this occasion, sought to highlight all the major achievements of his government in his two tenures right from the 50 per cent reservation for women in the panchayat elections to framing of laws to confiscate the property of the corrupt public servants.

Ahead of polls, Nitish launches Bihar@2025

the world's largest campaign for participatory agenda, Bihar@2025 will collate ideas to produce vision document on development for the next 10 years. ..... it aims to reach out to four crore people residing in 40,000 villages in the state, including 10,000 government and civil society members, over the next eight to 10 weeks. ...... the campaign will elicit views of the people, encourage them to tell about their issues, and what they want in health, electricity, education, employment and other sectors of development. ...... Views will also be sought from people hailing from non-resident Biharis, as well as from specialists in different fields in this regard ....... Our purpose is to establish jan samvad (public interaction) for an interactive vision document. ....... will help prepare the state for a “quantum jump” in socio-economic development. ..... The Bihar Chief Minister listed the successes of his tenure in ensuring better law and order, along with “rule of law”, raising literacy rate from 47 per cent to 62 per cent in the last 10 years, ensuring an enrolment rate of 98.1 per cent in primary schools. ...... Included in the list were increasing road length in the state by 50 per cent, constructing 1,151 bridges, three times growth in per capita income, seven times higher paddy production rate than the national average and charting a faster growth rate of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in comparison to all other states.

Nitish does a Modi, sets up ‘war room’ ahead of polls

Mr. Kishor on Tuesday asked the JD(U) to open the ‘war room’ and improve the media cell. He also had a long meeting with three party spokespersons at the official residence of Mr. Kumar and gave them important lessons on how to issue statements and counter the arguments of BJP leaders. ...... There will be three commanders at the well-equipped ‘war room’. Rajya Sabha member K. C. Tyagi will be the chief commander, assisted by other RS members Pawan Verma and Harivansh. ...... Mr. Kishor asked JD(U) spokespersons to give a “balanced response” when allegations are hurled against the party and to counter the BJP Ministers on “individual basis.” Party spokespersons were also advised to be in touch with each other on a daily basis. .... “Only those who have a complete grasp on an issue should make a statement,” Mr. Kishor advised the spokespersons. ..... Under the programme altogether 400 trucks equipped with TV sets, music systems, microphones and speakers and led by a representative of Mr. Kishor’s team will move from village to village and showcase the government’s achievements.

‘Bihar@2025 campaign is political stunt’

Bihar@2025
‘Charcha’ before Nitish’s ‘chai’ is ready for offer

39,076 events would be held in 150 days to reach a population of four crore during the Bihar poll. Besides, on the footsteps of Narendra Modi’s Chai pe Charcha, for Bihar CM, Kishor plans to have Breakfast with CM. ..... concept of ‘Photo with CM’ and ‘Gaurav Goshti’ will be held while for villages ‘Jan Bhaagidari’ would be launched. ..... Bihar’s success stories like creation of Special Auxillary Police (SAP)––to address shortage in police manpower by recruiting 5,000 ex-army men––and Rs 2,000 for school girls to buy bicycle after they pass their class VIII exams would be highlighted. ...... the success stories would be projected as ‘Bihar Models’ which have been replicated by other states. For example, as they are replicated, both the Bihar models were replicated by different states. SAP was adopted in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, while Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana were adopted by Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. He plans to work on the slogan ‘Badhte Bihar ke 10 Baras’ (Ten years of developing Bihar). ....... “Kishor had expressed a desire to work with Nitish Kumar because he sees a future leader in him. Kishor has already said it on record that he wants to work for Nitish Kumar.” ...... while the BJP successfully used Kishor and his team of 60 professionals for 2012 Gujarat Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections the copy of presentation before the JD(U) top brass reached DNA before the deal was done.

Prashant Kishor: Man pivot of PM Narendra Modi campaign in talks to help steer JD(U) in Bihar election

Saturday, June 13, 2015

India: A 15% Growth Rate Is Possible

India decadal growth rate map (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Countries like America and Britain and France and Germany and Japan ended up becoming an awe to China because they grew at something like 5% for decades, for centuries. Not 10%.

China grew at 10% for 30 years. Maybe 25.

If Modi does things right, as I think he will, as I think he is, India should hit 10% in a year or two. And it can stay there for 20-30 years. Maybe longer. But my point is, India could achieve a 15% growth rate. It is possible.

India's Goal: $50 Trillion

Main economic growth rate ki baat kar raha hoon, population growth rate ki nahin. Koi confusion na ho jaye.

Tough, Challenging Roles For Amitabh

Amitabh Should Do A Movie With Anushka
Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan
ह्रदय सम्राट अमिताभ
भारतका विश्व शक्ति बनना और बॉलीवुड

I feel like Amitabh has not been challenged enough yet. I have some suggestions as to roles for him.

There is a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I believe, The General In His Labyrinth. It is a wonderful story of power. I think Amitabh should play this role. And it should be produced in English, with Hindi subtitles for the audience at home. Usi bahane log English bhi sikh le, Modi ko madat ho jayegi. Amitabh deserves a global hit, Amitabh deserves to play a lead role in a movie that hits the mainstream theaters across a country like America. This role would be perfect for him. It would be an Oscar contender. Best Actor award abhi, Lifetime Achievement Award 20 baras baad. Ye jo blog par likhte hain London mein sadak par ghuma, wo din khatam ho jayenge. London mein bhi mobbing shuru. Enjoy your anonymity while it lasts. Soundtrack compelling hona chahiye. Tobey Maguire ko ek role do usmein. Perhaps also Salma Hayek.
A movie called Bhishm. The ever fresh story of Mahabharata told as through Bhishm's perspective. The movie obviously ends when Bhishm dies. This can be in Hindi with English subtitles. For a global release. Maybe it should not be the old Bhishm story. It should be Bhishm in a 21st century setting. A complete modern interpretation. Today's plot, today's technology, today's venues.
Dawood Ibrahim in old age. Yes, t-h-a-t Dawood. You will need another actor to play the young as well as current Dawood. Amitabh se chehra kista milta julta hai? Maybe Shahrukh can play the younger Dawood. A modern Shakti. Ek hi film mein Shahrukh aur Amitabh.
A biopic on Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal. Sometimes you need a small political stage that a small country provides to appreciate the political skills of a political player. Here Salman or Aamir could play the young Jung Bahadur.
Black II
Kaante II
A modern interpretation of the love story around Taj Mahal
A Bollywood interpretation of the New York City underworld. Shot in NYC. English subtitles, global release. Hindi ko UN language banana hai.
A Mumbai Police Commissioner who plays both sides, a really complex character who does genuinely good things, and obviously bad things, and is unhappy at home.
A NRI tycoon in Africa who befalls really tough times brought about by a regime change. Idi Amin.
A huge multinational's CEO who is struggling to hand over the reigns of his business empire. The film does not have a clear conclusion. NRI.
A man's losing battle with Alzheimer's.
An old man who opts for assisted suicide. The entire movie is vexation.
A Pathan's family story as lived through the partition. Broad theme: India-Pakistan tensions as lived today. Telling both sides of the story. Possibly helping heal rough edges. Both sides have their stories, both sides are right in their own ways. You end up sympathetic to both sides by the time the movie ends. It feels like we are one people after all, torn apart by the British.
An ugly Indian General in Kashmir.
An ugly Indian General in the Northeast.
The story of an adoption. With Amitabh as the adopting father.
Prabhakaran's spiritual Guru and political mentor and chief ideologue. No such person existed, but I guess that is why we will call it fiction. The backdrop gives you all the violence.
A Latin American drug lord who survives longer than any other precisely because he has mastered the art of living in the jungle. Ends up his motivation is not money. Drug lords much younger than him fall like flies left and right. There are huge myths around him. His organization uses the latest in technology, but his lifestyle makes electronic eavesdropping impossible. The story is told through the eyes of a reporter who struggles to get to interview him. The reporter is Anushka Sharma. When she finally meets him, he is seen living like maybe he is a shaman. But, make no mistake, he is the deadliest drug lord in the world. The movie is in English, with Hindi subtitles. Another Oscar contender. India is the largest English speaking country in the world. Main foreign ki baat thode kar raha hoon? The interview itself is like she is not talking to a real person, but a shadow. There are multiple sittings, several of which are attended not by Amitabh but his body doubles. The reporter can't tell. A few times the interview is conducted in the dark where the reporter does not get to see Amitabh only hear him. One of those times, he is not even there, he is talking through a walkie talkie. Ye Amazon ke ghane jungle mein rahte hain. He has detailed knowledge of herbs and ancient medicine. Anushka ke ek ghao ko thik kar deta hai. In a magically short time. He hints herbs keep him young at an old age. Usko emotional counselling bhi deta hai. She was so not expecting that. By the time she is done, she feels like she just interviewed someone who is perhaps as powerful as the President Of The United States. He is the POTUS' alter ego. He is the only person in the world who can claim he in engaged in a personality clash with the POTUS. He sits on top of an equally sophisticated power structure, perhaps more nimble. And because he has no democratic/electoral/public constraints, he is in some ways more powerful. He has global operations. One of his minions is head of state on some island in the Pacific. That much is known. All his political links are not known. His body doubles attend tribal celebrations in far flung areas of the Amazon. They get killed at the rate of one every few years. That adds to the myth. The weirdest part is, the guy does not even have a bank account. It is hard to understand as to why people around him obey him at all. Nobody knows anything about his family, if he has one, who they are. Nobody knows who his top people are. He does not spend two nights in one location. When he travels, he sleeps during the day, and travels through the night. As do his body doubles. He was born part Indian, part Brazilian, and spent the first few years of his life in Trinidad. He was on nobody's radar until he became really big. The POTUS is constantly trying to kill him. The orders inside his organization are, should the POTUS succeed, an attempt is to be made on the POTUS' life. Very possibly a successful attempt. After he has retired and is an easier target. And the body doubles are to keep filling up until that mission is accomplished.
A love story. A man with multiple wives and many children living in a commune of their own. And a business empire he built. The business is software and herbal medicine. The group dynamics inside the company is very unconventional and very cutting edge. It is a woman's world inside the company's power structure. There is collective leadership.
An ageing hereditary Mukhiya, long retired, who makes you empathize with him and his old ways, and have second thoughts about "modern" political processes, institutions and players. He still holds court in his village while holding no official title of power. A local MLA accused of a crime is tried in this "court." It is a one sitting session. Ends up he is not guilty of the accusation. But he was framed because he is a Dalit. The accusation is rape. You see the full glare of the political art of demonization. Until the very end you feel like maybe he is guilty.
The story of a tribal student attending a cutting edge modern high school with his patron (Amitabh) in the backdrop who plucked him out of his village on one his trips. The student is academically gifted but the focus of the story is on his social travails of being a tribal and the emotional suffering that goes with it, the social exclusion. There is very little Amitabh can do except empathize. He creates situations where he is also made to go through situations that are similar. Only once or twice he intervenes to straighten things out. But mostly he just empathizes.
The father of a woman who challenges patriarchy in work and life. Setting: urban India. Towards the end she realizes he understood all along, and was always with her, not just in love and empathy but also in understanding powered by the love. He understood all her complex situations. That amazes her because he has no corporate experience whatsoever. Modern settings, et al. The daughter is Deepika Padukone.

लो मैंने ५-६ साल के लिए काम तो दे ही दिया।

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Amitabh Should Do A Movie With Anushka

बीरू -- एक लव स्टोरी हो जाये --- age is just a number.

Plot suggestion -------- Amitabh is a 50 year old self made billionaire who has not been in a relationship for over a decade. He is a workaholic, also he is very particular when it comes to women, if he is not into you, he is not into you. It is not like friends did not try to set him up, leading to comic situations: to him it is a game where he enjoys deflecting. And then he meets her. She is 30, and extremely unconventional. An artist who does not care two hoots about money. When she first meets her, she has no idea who he is. She has to look him up online. Later. But what she falls for is he is just as unconventional, in his workspace as well as his personal space. The movie explores that overlap, that outlook, that worldview that both share.

There are ups and downs, and a near going back by Anushka to a former boyfriend, but then the two - Amitabh and Anushka end up in a live in situation, where the movie ends. And Amitabh's work takes wings, he starts scaling new heights. This was something he had not expected. What he likes is that she treats both his career and her career with equal respect. Just because she is an artist making much, much less is immaterial to her. As she sees it, they are both doing creative work. And precisely because she has this monk attitude, she takes to the high life like duck to water. She is fully in it, but still unattached, and she would walk away from him if the relationship did not feel right, which she once almost did.

उसको बाद एक मारधाड़ हो जाये --- आप गुंडों की खूब पिटाई करबाओ। खुद नहीं पीटो। Powerful people don't beat up themselves. They have people who do it for them. Next film after the love story. Back and forth होना चाहिए थोड़ा। कभी love story, कभी action.

Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan
ह्रदय सम्राट अमिताभ
भारतका विश्व शक्ति बनना और बॉलीवुड