Social Media and the Illusion of a New Dynamic in Elections

The general elections that will be held soon has an interesting syncretism. It is the most scrutinised, followed and debated general elections till date for obvious non-political reasons. The age of social media has meant that a large section of the population who already had an opinion now have the means to express, debate and discuss these opinions. This should have meant better focus on priority areas, better questioning of candidates and political parties thus calling their bluff and separating facts from rhetoric.

This brings me to the second element of this mixture- greater discussion and scrutiny has not lead to better questioning but only blind gobbling up of rhetoric and vitriol dished out by politicians from every side. An honest analysis of their actions till date is completely absent, they are not asked any questions and so they control the narrative while social media merely becomes a platform for propaganda and campaigning. Although technology has provided us the means to change the entire process, we are only using it to follow the old process of one-way communication. Television and Newspaper outlets are only interested in endless debate amongst themselves on pointless poll predictions, catchphrases and anchor-led outrage. But it clearly satisfies our desperate need to participate, engage and express our opinion even if it makes little difference in what policies are pursued by the next government.

The elections are less than two months away and no party has a clear road map for the country in any area. Apart from broad and vague terms like empowerment, strong leadership, unity, inclusive growth etc I have not heard of a clear plan. I hear about visions and goals but that too in vague terms. I have not heard anyone speak of improving learning outcomes in schools, no one speaks of improving India's abysmal performance in Research and Development. How do they intend to balance environment protection & economic growth? What are the plans for increasing agricultural productivity, wages and addressing deterioration of land and water quality? What is the stand on climate change? What to do about infrastructure bottlenecks that is the obvious reason for India's failing growth miracle? Foreign affairs has never been an election issue in India and so those who speak about a vision for India have nothing to say on India's relations with China, USA, Latin America and multilateral bodies. Skill development is fine but how to achieve it when existing schools, colleges and universities are badly managed, seen as only cash cows by private owners and students pass out with degrees that have less value than the paper on which their certificates are printed?

A popular area of "vision" is governance with each party claiming governance as its own great strength. But I do not hear anything on devolution of powers to urban local bodies, improving their funding and functioning, I hear nothing about solving the conflict of authority in each urban area that has a municipality, a district administration, a development authority, state government control and on top of it all dependent on central government for funds, permission and development activities! A case in point is my own district of Ernakulam where constructing the Metro required permission from the centre- a permission that came almost immediately after the Congress led government came to power in the state although the project was being mooted for over 4 years during which the estimated cost almost doubled- funds from the state, centre and external loans. Right now, traffic congestion is worse than ever but alternate routes have not been developed or are under developed since no one knows who should do it- DMRC the metro constructors, state government, development authority or the municipality!

Of course, these are not stuff that a single legislator can deal with and will require the government to do it. So shouldn't atleast parties come out with answers for these issues? Shouldn't those hoping to and with highest probability of forming the next government take the initiative in addressing these concerns? The funniest thing is that it is not clear whether this is an issue for municipal, state or central elections. This election is supposed to be one where urban and young voters will make a difference. How is their participation supposed to make a difference when the vote is not a well-considered decision but one based on a lot of misinformation, rhetoric, vitriol and obfuscation?

Elections used to be and will continue to be decided on the basis of old allegiances to caste, religion and rhetoric because we have not found any other grounds to "fight" an election. Money and muscle power will still be decisive factors while social media's role, no matter how far it is hyped up by technocrats or aspiring leaders, will be limited to mere one-way channels. Politician's are not willing to layout a set of goals, plans to achieve them, measurement criteria and guarantee that if they fail due to lack of effort, they will resign. The clear map, objectives and guidelines laid down by the Millennium Development Goals prove that it is possible to back up a vision with clearly defined objectives, intermediate targets and measurement criteria. But our politician are asking us to trust them blindly on hollow words like empowerment, inclusion, vision, secularism and transparency. So let us take part in this exercise, let us be proud of our democracy, our vote and our government without having a clear idea what this vote means, what the government intends to and what the government can and should do- something which those intending to form the government too are not quite sure of.

Environment-Industry Debate: A Much Needed Balance

Every country needs to create jobs, produce essential raw materials like iron and steel, mine minerals and petrochemicals. It is not just about economic growth numbers but about fulfilling our infrastructure, employment, transport, electricity and construction needs. How should this be carried out? Common sense dictates that this process benefit the highest number of people, it be sustainable, it should not destroy our environment, health and long term availability of resources. However, the blame for low economic growth over the last few years is being placed on environment activists and regulations to protect the environment. This forgets the fact huge areas under forests have been cleared for industrial projects (a) over the last 10 years and these industries have also caused harm to local communities by destroying their livelihoods, polluting the environment and causing huge revenue (b) and resource loss to the state as a lot of the minerals are exported without proper records and revenue collection.

In spite of large scale damage- economic, environment and social- caused by mines and possibility of damage from new ones, hydel projects and thermal power plants, economists and industrialists (some in government too) are harping on about reducing or doing away with even the bare minimum protection provided to our environment and people. All they care about is the economic growth figure- either to boost their profits, prospects in elections or to gain support of industrialists.

Even a large scale mine that causes severe environment and health damage or a hydroelectric dam that displaces people will boost GDP since the increased expenditure on health by the people, attempts to relocate, clean up the environment damage and pollution will count towards economic activity. However, the cost of damages caused to the environment, people's lives are borne by the people which is not reflected in the economic growth rates.  A legislation to replace the colonial era land acquisition law that was highly exploitative and patently unjust was passed recently. But this too was criticised as anti-industry although it was much needed to prevent displacement, exploitation and unjust treatment of land owners, especially tribals who have been suffering for years under the previous draconian legislation.

But we only hear about investments and economic growth lagging (c) due to environment hawks and courts putting in place a blanket ban on mining sand or iron ore. Nobody identifies the real cause of the problem- mismanagement and discretion caused by corruption in government over the process environment clearances. But if the finger is pointed to this, then vested interests- industrialists, government and economists tied to corporates- won't be able to enjoy a free ride. They had used a broken system to their fullest advantage- they want to keep the system broken so that they can benefit from its weaknesses.

It is this system and its implementation that needs to be fixed. It is this broken system that forced judicial intervention and so called judicial over-activism into the domain of the executive. But judiciary is being derided since it stepped in to fill a void deliberately left or sometimes even created by the executive. It is the same system that encouraged left-wing extremism and popular protests against large scale industries and factories.

We obviously cannot have a system where every case goes to court, every investment project is held up for years or decades for want of environment clearance (the mere uncertainty and dilly-dallying creates disincentives for investment and reduces economic growth), reduces employment opportunities and sets back our infrastructure. What we need to do is to follow the existing laws- Environment Protection Act, Pollution Control Board rules, Forest Conservation Act etc- clearly, implement them properly and transparently and complete the decision making process in a time-bound manner and also establish a mechanism to ensure that there is continued adherence to environment protection norms. This would mean proper regulatory institutions that are not politically manipulated but act in public interest, independent of the government. Here too a middle ground is required, one that balances needs of industry and economy with sustainability, environment protection and rights of the people dependent on the land.

AAP and Schroedinger's Cat- Good and Bad

When I learned electronics, I dealt with ones and zeroes. Something in that concept deeply disturbed me and this was the absolute lack of middle ground. Of course, in technology this greatly simplifies our working and has lead to the information and computer revolution. We represent everything in ones and zeroes and with larger number of ones and zeroes for greater clarity which takes less space and effort than a continuous analog signal.

We do the same in life. We define everything as white or black and then pick one over the other. We do not think of a middle ground, the grey area which usually signifies doubt and uncertainty is left unexplored. This is because we prefer simpler choices and it is easier to gain followers if the choices and alternates are simple, clear and easily distinguishable. Whether it be in politics, economics or environment we choose between left or rightist policies, socialism or capitalism, industries or forests.

This sort of polarisation is unfair and even evil because-
1) It makes us adamant and adhere to one side strictly without any scope for compromise
2) It blinds us to alternates that are somewhere in between
3) The result is a decision that could be disastrous since it is not the best choice

But to me, the worst result is when those who advocate the middle ground- the saner and yet more complex but infinitely better and logical solutions- are thrashed by both sides. The only way to be heard is to take extreme positions, it becomes a shouting match and the original message is lost. Pragmatism and solutions that can work are rarely considered and so we are reduced to "either with us or against us" type of situation.

It is this polarisation that has depressingly afflicted our debate, thinking and decision on almost every issue- environment versus industries, one religion against another, socialism versus capitalism and activists against politicians. It has to be either fully good or fully bad and this was most felt in the opinions expressed over the functioning of the Aam Admi Party.

It was a refreshing change to see an outsider earn the trust of the people, form a government, consult the people on significant issues and work for the people with a clear local level agenda. But it definitely has its own drawbacks- public protests by the government, signs of populism and theatricality etc. However, the discussion is never about what the AAP should do or what it can do to improve itself but only about how it is doomed to fail and how unfair and undemocratic its functioning is. No one mentions the fact that they have been in government for less than a month and all those who blame this party are willing to turn a blind eye to graver sins of all other political outfits. The new kid on the block is being thrashed by everyone and the media has been unforgiving in its attempts to discredit this young outfit.

But AAP should do well to realise a few things. Their strengths lie in their idealism, transparency, citizen engagement and local level manifestos. But a general election could stretch their resources thin, their message and attempts could get drowned out, manipulated or completely destroyed by the politics of an election campaign which involves slander, unfair criticism and relentless scrutiny along with the advantages that big parties have.

People's desire for change and urban support, several social movements and prominent individuals from industry and academia joining them provides an opportunity for AAP to provide a good government to the people. But they must be aware of the threat posed by populism, opportunists and getting carried away with the trappings, perks and power of position and do their best to counter these. Media visibility is both a strength as well as a threat and so they must be very careful in their public statements, public programs and image.

Such an analysis has not appeared and it has broad and generalised sweeping statements putting them in either the good or bad basket. We do not know what course the AAP experiment will take let alone its final result. But its novelty, challenge to established political realities and methods make it difficult for us to understand it properly since it has not fully taken shape. This irritates us, especially in a hyper-charged environment fed by the media, since we need an answer now.

Is the AAP then good or bad? Where electronics fails, let us use quantum theory and the famous Schroedinger's cat which provides us a middle ground. We do not know whether the cat is alive or dead. There is equal probability and so the cat is both alive and dead at the same time. This is the middle ground as far as AAP is concerned- we simply do not know where it will go, what it will do and what its priorities and policies are. We should give them time, give the new political idea time to develop and allow them to develop a national agenda before fully judging them.

In Need of Detoxification

The first step to solving a problem is to recognise what the problem is. It has been nearly forty days since Civil Service Mains exam concluded and I need to understand what the impact has been in order to begin a repair process. I do not want to do an analysis of the exams. This is not just because I do not know how to analyse it but I think it is also a pointless exercise. I have done what I could have, and nearly everything I had to. But the results will be the same and my analysis will have no impact on that. Next year is going to be a completely different ballgame and so there is no point in learning from my mistakes.

The most visible impact has been the sight of me- I have gained weight and expanded while repairing the damage is proving frustratingly and imperceptibly slow. I hope things pick up speed or at least results are visible in a few weeks, just like my exam result. Another impact has been in the way I am writing now and I do mean write! Until a few months ago, it was easier and first nature for me to type out what I thought and wanted to publish. But several mock tests, practice and deliberate measures to gain writing speed later, I find it slightly awkward to type it out like before. I had to exert myself to write and so I had decided not to type but write whatever I felt like. Thus, most of what would have been blog posts where put down on paper and that is why there haven't been any posts for the last few months.

Before writing became a habit, I just used to type without thinking and make corrections later. But this cannot be done on paper for an examination and so I had to prepare a rough draft either in my mind or on paper for very long essays. This was new for me but I was able to make the shift without much difficulty. Trouble began when I tried to get back to the old style of impulsive, instinctive and emotional writing where I could just turn on the computer and type what I felt like. This is not possible anymore since I had to actually write on paper an outline of what I wanted to post here.

Another problem is that posts appear like answers to a specific question and even worst of all, the title is actually the question! This post initially had the title Exam Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tribute to Environment Impact Assessment and various ongoing issues on the matter. I hope this title is better but the previous post, highly unlikely that you have read it, has been the victim of a highly exam oriented answer and then a pathetic attempt at retro-fitting to make it more human friendly. Although these two recent posts are not anywhere my previous attempts, I had to somehow begin the process of getting out of the exam mindset in writing and expressing myself.

There are several other issues relating to my personality that the exam and post exam emptiness have thrown up. I am trying to tackle them but it is becoming too much of a task. I have the time but this is one occasion when having time on my side is not really a blessing since it gives me too much time to think what if and all those negativities come out as real possibilities. I hope these can all be dealt with effectively and there is light at the end of the process.

New Generation Only, Kids and Elderly Keep Out

I recently bought a VCD of the new Malayalam movie called North 24 Kaatham and thought of watching it with my parents. Although on the lighter side of the so called "new generation" movies, after watching it for 10 minutes on my computer, I realised that just like other movies of the same genre, it is not something that can be enjoyed with the entire family. Perhaps that would be the best and simplest definition of "new generation" Malayalam movies- movies that would be too embarrassing to watch with the entire family.

Although there are broadly three types "new generation" movies, the common thread could be the depiction of sex, language and lifestyle- use of abusive language, drinking, vulgarity and at least in the silver screen more freedom, low inhibition and liberation for women while taking place in mostly an urban setting. The three types of this genre-

1) A movie that tells a story different from the traditional topics of Malayalam cinema and malayali life while partly describing a new normal of life in Kerala- these include movies like Diamond Necklace, Ritu, Cocktail  etc. The difference lies not in the story but in what the story depicts as life, events, language and
lifestyles.

2) In this category lie movies that present a different type of movie making. It is experimentalisation in what a movie is and what it should convey. Here, an obvious beginning, plot and conclusion or usual melodrama and fuss of popular routines are sometimes absent. Examples include Kerala Cafe, Anchu Sundarikal (anthology movies), North 24 Kaatham, Annayum Rasoolum, Traffic, Thirakkadha and Amen.

3) This is perhaps the most extreme or radical version of new generation movies where the themes and style of movie making is new. These include Trivandrum Lodge, Chappa Kurishe, 22 Female Kottayam etc.

They were welcomed because they came at a time when we were fully fed up of the antics of relics who were playing ridiculous roles that were an insult to their previous accomplishments, to Malayalam movies themselves and to us the audience who were used to much better acting, stories and depictions. Things got to such a low that we even cheered for, accepted and made a celebrity out of the totally outrageous and ridiculous creations of Santosh Pandit.

Before "new generation" movies arrived and was accepted as a new genre, there were movies like Thirakkadha, Pakalnakshathrangal, Ritu, Traffic etc that provived much needed relief, quality and was a sign of things to come. It is perhaps with the return of Fahadh Fasil that "new generation" in Malayalam cinema got a clear- cut identity as a genre of movies. Movies like Chappa Kurishe, 22 Female Kottayam and Diamond Necklace being the actor's major successes.

"New generation" movies have not completely replaced regular movies and both of them have had equal measures of good and bad movies,  horrible failures and remarkable successes. Even in this era, movies that tell a simple yet lovable family story, comedies, dramas etc are succeeding.  These include Celluloid, Beautiful, Ayalum Njanum Thammil, Indian Rupee, Passenger, Grandmaster, Ordinary, Romans, Robinhood, Arabi Ottakam P. Madhavan Nair some of which are obvious recycles of old banal stories and yet can be enjoyed without shame, apprehension about the next embarrassing scene which will make us dread the moment we have to face the elders or kids.

I do not hold a puritanical view of movies and so a change in attitude, openness and liberalism must be welcomed as long it does not become ridiculous and tries to make a mockery of the viewer's intellect like what was in attempted in "Bachelor Party" and "Casanova".

In the end, it does not matter whether it is a new or old generation movie- if it is good, people will watch, appreciate and remember it. But one thing is for certain, "new generation" movies have a connotation about age, they are not for children, middle-aged and the elderly, they cannot understand it since it is not from their time. So watching these movies is an awkward experience for everyone in a family setting. It is more suited for hanging out with friends, a sign of changing times in Kerala.