Slumdog Oscars - Is India proud or not?

Last night our man AR Rahman bagged two Oscars at the Kodak theater and the desi world rejoiced. We had all the reasons to, so why not? After all it is not every year that Indian cine-world produces Oscar calibre stuff, not gets recognized at that level anyway. ARR was at his usual gracious and humble best with his acceptance. And he made me especially proud when he acknowledged in Tamil on stage - எல்லா புகழும் இறைவனுக்கே ("All glory goes to God"), perhaps the first time ever that Tamil was spoken on Oscar stage. The elusive Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood dreams of several years did come true on this occasion with the sight of a desi guy holding a solo (two of them by the way) oscars in his hand, kind of reminscent of the sight of Abinav Bindra donning the Olympic gold not too long ago. I could not help but notice the remarkable similarity between the two guys' demeanour - ARR and Abinav - both painfully shy under the limelight at a moment of global acheivement unfathomable even a few years ago.

With the dust settling down on the Oscars, let us talk some good-old desi politics and public opinion. A month or so ago (after Slumdog Millionaire had bagged Golden Globe but before the Oscars were announced) there was some controversy in parts of India with people staging street demonstrations (in Orissa I think) for what they found to be a derogatory inclusion of the "dog" suffix in association with the "slum" tag, as part of the movie's title. Today I read in Times of India (a day after the Oscars were announced) - "Gujarat Chief Justice bats for Slumdog" http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Slumdog-fan-judge-throws-out-petition-against-Boyle/articleshow/4178764.cms - a case of an Indian judge tossing out a lawsuit that raised the same issue. Several things perplex me about such things.. First of all, would Indian audience have really cared what the name of the movie was if this movie had not won the Golden Globe for ARR? Now that they find the name of the movie objectionable, are they really going to have ARR return his awards in protest? Why would Indian media/people yearn for Oscar recognition when really they have no respect or understanding for western society and perceive the vice-versa to be true as well? Why is it that making a habit out of perennially misunderstanding western society (and their colloquial language) a cottage industry in eastern cultures such as India? Why do we hypocritically bask in Oscar glory when we most of us desis really believe the movie that brought it to us was made by a bunch of Britishers and does not really portray an "insider" (and therefore more accurate!) perspective of Mumbai/India? Why is this "east-west divide" thing an unsurmountable barrier even at the dawn of the 21st century?

New Year, Taxes and more...

Alright, my first post for the new year... Can't believe the so-called new year is already 41 days old when I sit down to write this. We have a new president (non-white I may add), an economy that is in the pits, and a personal "net worth" situation that is plummeting by the day. To make matters worse, my dear Sacramento Kings are scratching the bottom of the league with no end in sight for their travails. Ronald Reagan once famously said "recession is when your your neighbor loses his job, depression is when your friend loses his job, oppression is when you lose your job, and recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his job." We can normalize that quote for current times and hopefully cheer up ourselves for a protracted recovery process now that Dubya is out of a job.

Since Feb is already here, I sat down to figure out my taxes hoping for a silver lining somewhere, even before Barack's federal stimulus trickles down to me and starts filling my coffers. Believe it or not, 2008 is the first tax-year EVER that I will be filing taxes electronically. I finally got over my hump and decided to join the bandwagon of those technology-spoilt e-filers who perhaps helplessly place more trust in software than human comprehension of the federal tax code. I sat down with the online version of TurboTax and the software seemed slick on the things it did accomplish. It asked all the right questions and made a serious first-time user like me feel at home. The fact that the thing never lets you print/view tax worksheets in a traditional federal form format (until you cough up the money of course) did frustrate me several times, however, the thoroughness with which the questions were asked somehow convinced me the software was infact doing the right things. It did quite a few cool things that I liked - electronically downloaded W-2s and 1099's from a bunch of different online accounts, explained rental deductions, did a quick "audit risk" analysis, and came up with several, albeit trivial, ways to maximize deductions (although I did not benefit from any) . All in all, it was a worthwhile indulgence, one that saved me time if not money. My biggest dream these days is that I find that magic "bug" in Turbotax that will enable me to file a class-action on behalf of all those suckers who lost money using this wretched piece of software and thus get myself rich overnight!

வணக்கம் தமிழ் bloggers!!!

என் நண்பர் ஒருவர் சமீபத்தில் என்னிடம் ஒரு கேள்வி கேட்டார் - உங்களுக்கு தமிழ் bloggers யாரையாவது தெரியுமான்னு... இந்த கேள்வி என்னை சிந்திக்க வைத்தது. நானே ஆங்கிலத்தில் ஒரு blog site எழுதி கொண்டிருந்த நேரத்தில் இப்படி ஒரு தமிழ் சிந்தனையை நண்பரின் கேள்வி தூண்ட, அப்புறம் பார்தால் நம்ப ஆங்கில blogsite-டே தமிழ் transliteration வசதியை கொடுப்பது எனக்கு ஒரு ஆச்சரியமான விஷயமாக பட்டது... சரி நம்ப தமிழ் எழுத்தறிவையும் கொஞ்சம் வளர்த்துக்கலாம்னு இந்தமுதல் blog எழுத உட்கார்ந்தேன். தமிழ்கூறும் நல்லுகை சார்ந்த மக்கள் என் எழுத்தில் தவறு இருந்தால் மன்னிப்பார்கள் என்ற ஒரு அசட்டு நம்பிக்கையோடு.... அது சரி, blog-க்கு தமிழ் சொல் என்னன்னு யாருக்காவது தெரிஞ்சா கொஞ்சம் சொல்லுங்களேன்?

இன்னொரு விஷயம்... நான் பார்த்த வரைக்கும் பொதுவா NRI மக்கள் செந்ததமிழ்-ழிலேயே blog-கோ, கட்டுரையோ எழுத வேண்டும் என்று நினைக்கிறார்-களோ-ன்னு தோணுது. இப்பவே நான் சொல்லிட்டேன், நான் வசன நடையில தான் எழுத போறேன்... ஆனா இன்னிக்கு முதல் நாள் இத spelling தவறில்லாம அடிக்கரதுக்குள்ள நான் பட்ட அவஸ்தை... so குட் நைட் சொல்லி விடை பெர்ர்றேன்... நன்றி மீண்டும் சிந்திப்போம்...

Time for India to Decide

After spending a good part of the last 24 hours or so exposing myself to all the media coverage of the latest "11/26" terror attacks in Mumbai, one thing is clear to me right off the bat - This time the international coverage of a terror event in India has been widespread, and genuinely concerned. The NY Times, LA Times and SF Chronicle have been consistently flashing top headline stories of the happenings over the last two days. I can understand a terrorist attack in Pakistan or Israel getting this extent of coverage in western media, but a hostage terror crisis in an Indian city getting this much western media attention tells me two things - that India has gained sufficient international clout as an emerging world power these days, and Mumbai is now seen as a truly international city with happenings there shaking the sentiments of Indian diaspora and foreigners alike worldwide.

I would like to think India (and Mumbai) has perhaps faced deadlier terror attacks than this in the past. I have no doubt in my mind citizens of a great City like Mumbai will quickly put this episode behind them, and recuperate to full normalcy within a matter of days. Again, what seems remarkable to me about the terror episode this time is not the extent of damage it caused, but the extent of global attention it is attracting in a post 9/11 world. Needless to say, there is widespread speculation that modern "islamic" terrorism may be at work here as well. Names such as Deccan Mujahudeen, Pakistan-based islamic groups, etc. have been mentioned. While the Indian and global intelligence agencies dig deep to unearth the real people behind the attack and their real motives, certain larger thoughts come to mind.

The history behind such terror attacks have now brought India to the threshold of a moment of truth and reckoning - having to make some critical decisions as to what path the country should take even as it stands at the doorstep of (re)emergence as a global power. On the one hand, there is modern India - the world's largest and thriving democracy, the IT superpower, the motherland of brilliant technical minds that prosper worldwide, the energy-hungry domestic economy keen to engage with global trading partners, a proud nation that recently launched its moon mission, and so on - and on the other hand is the India of old and the poor with all of its age-old social ills, a considerable muslim population always second-guessing India's nationhood and commitment to plurality, a communist-minded political and social mindset that is deeply suspicious of US influence in Indian politics, and the not-exactly-friendly immediate neighbors (China and Pakistan) who are envious of India's rising stature as a global power. A terror attack like this poses a sathya-sodhanai question to India's polity. Which direction is India going to go? Are we going to succumb to such sectarian, terrorist-driven hatred for western-style democracy and general rule of law, and embrace a path of retraction by distancing ourselves from globalization led by the western world, or are we going to put down with an iron fist such divisive ideology-driven radical elements from our secular society and continue with our march to international stature no matter who likes it? Are we going to keep appeasing fringe social elements that keep blackmailing us in the name of "respect for minorities" or are we going to stand up and put an end to this menace for good? The answer needs to be more than an all-too-familiar punch-line this time. It is time for India to put its foot down and take a stance so that there is no more fooling around as to what our future direction is.

India treading global waters!!?

Now that Obama is deemed the "President-elect" (no offence to Dubya, who is technically still our "President"), and the election fever all but behind us, let us talk some global politics.

I read this headline "Indian frigate sinks pirate ship" in LA Times this morning and as the day progressed the same newsline seemed to appear everywhere - BBC, NY Times, Indian websites, Yahoo and other web portals. (In case you missed it, you can check it out at - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_re_af/piracy). As I was reading the news item, I could not help but assume a smile of pride thinking about the further global clout a stunt like this will bring to India's already rising image as a true regional, if not a world, power. After all it takes a certain level of guts for a country to act unilaterally on international waters to take down another ship, albeit a pirate one. The fact that the Indian Navy was able to do it - without Manmohan Singh first having to pick up a phone and check with the UN or US or his Russian buddies - shows that India has come of age in taking on some international matters head-on. While I do want to pat the Indian Navy on the back for this remarkable show of valor, some after-thoughts popped up...

How come the Indian Navy that would protect and escort merchant vessels, both Indian and foreign, through the Gulf of Eden near Yemen - which, by the way, is over 1,000 nautical miles from Indian shores - not be able to drum up the same sense of duty and courage when it comes to protecting innocent Tamil (Indian) fishermen off the coast of Sri Lanka (hardly 50 miles from Tamilnadu coast) from indiscriminate firing by the Sri Lankan military? How come the Indian Government would not issue a word of condemnation of human rights abuses by China in Tibet, even when China is openly intruding into or claiming Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh? Why does India buy arms and intelligence from Israel while still saying it sympathizes with the Palestinian cause? Why is India's foreign policy fraught with so many hypocrisies? Anybody has answers?

I endorse...

It's election time, and the countdown has started... about 18 days to go. I was reading the newspapers and see that every Tom, Dick and Harry is coming out with their "endorsements" of candidates. What the heck, I am going to endorse my candidate as well. I guess I could spend considerable space endorsing my position on every contest/proposition on the ballot, but I will save you the grief of having to read through all that boring stuff. Let me limit myself to the big cake - the Presidential Election.

Having followed a good deal of Campaign 2008 from it start over 20 months ago, one could not help but notice the obvious dynamic - this is a democratic election year. Barack Obama came in from nowhere as a breath of fresh air, energized the democratic base and inspired a new breed of young first-time voters, and even upset the then more-established frontrunner - Hillary Clinton - in ultimately securing his party's nomination. Obama's run did not just stop there. With the precarious economy in the backdrop appearing to validate practically every single one of his political positions, Obama is now trumping John McCain debate after debate, and convincingly leading in a poll of polls. After all the gaffe traps and false accusations and cheap shots that his detractors threw at him in the hope something would stick and destroy him, Barack has weathered the political mudstorm at every instance and has stayed the course on his march to the White House in the most dignified fashion possible. As Bill Clinton said recently, history does seem to be on Obama's side and by all accounts he is the man who is going to win in November.

Obama's voice seems to the one voice of sanity that we hear on TV these days after years of Bush-orchestrated stupidities. Obama has pledged his message of "change" not merely in words but with concrete proposals he has put on the table to address our floundering economy and real estate situation. His tax and healthcare plans are refreshing. He says he will bring the Iraq war to an end and devote attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan instead, and correctly acknowledges that withdrawing from a self-inflicted useless war should not be considered a "defeat" but rather a "correction" of senseless policies pursued by an inept prior administration. Obama has refuted claims of his lack of political experience by surrounding himself with the right people - like Joe Biden - who could be trusted to offer Obama sound advice on matters that he may be lacking in experience. Obama has been calling for making earnest efforts to repair America's foreign image that has been greatly damaged by Bush policies - by re-engaging with our allies, joining forces with Europe against global terrorism, and showing more respect for world opinion. Obama also seems like someone who could be trusted on global warming issues and diversification of our energy use and supplies. In all, Obama seems to be best choice to lead America at this critical juncture of uncertainty for us.

In contrast, McCain, for all proclamations to the contrary, has done nothing to get us to believe he will change the status quo perpetuated by George Bush. They are both from the same party after all, aren't they? Clearly on Iraq McCain is confusing common-sense with self-pride, and childishly thinks that withdrawing is paramount to conceding "defeat." Such jingoistic approach to military matters is only bound to bring further disaster to us at a time when our economy is reeling domestically and our foreign image is already tarnished. With the Republican blood in him, McCain is bound to bring a similar nationalistic right-wing attitude towards taxes and the economy as well. At age 72, McCain's age is an issue - not because he is old, but because he seems incapable of exercising good judgment. A classic case of McCain's recent poor judgment is his choice of VP running mate. Palin seems to be an absolute "deer in a headlight" when it comes to practically every matter that is of national importance at this time, and her negative pronouncements against Obama ("palling with terrorists," etc.) clearly indicates she has a very long way to go before she is ready for decent politics. (PS: No, I didn't say she is not beautiful.)

Let us just assume for a minute Obama does become President. And a hundred years from now, the country and the rest of mankind is probably not going to remember Obama for what he did to retrieve our economy or the Iraq war or this or that... There is one thing and one thing only that he will be remembered for - that he was the first black man ever to become President of this country. For all its greatness as a nation, America does seem to have this stinging stigma that no man of color has ever become President, doesn't it? May be if Barack becomes President, the next time we teach our kids that "anyone can grow up to become President someday" we may really start feeling that there is some truth to it.

So no prize this time for guessing whom I am endorsing for President.

Is this Obama versus Palin?

If you have been following Campaign 2008 closely - and just when you thought our man Obama was firmly entrenched in the driver's seat after his speech at the Denver Convention, you could not help but notice the change in poll dynamics after this gal Sarah Palin was announced as the veep running mate by our old buddy McCain. After ogling at a good deal of Palin visuals that the media forced my way over the last two weeks - I will give Palin this much - she would easily qualify as the "most beautiful veep" we ever had if the Republican ticket wins this time, but that is about all I think of her.

What intrigues me is the level of attention this lady attracts - almost to the point that this is becoming more of an Obama-Palin contest. They both are in their fourties and both seem to have movie-star type ability to pull crowds. They both obviously have limited political resumes, but seem to make up for it by what they do bring to the table - Obama impresses with his oratorial substance, and Palin impresses with her... let's say good looks. And of course they both represent history in the making - If Obama wins we will have the first black man ever in the oval office, else we will get to see our first female veep's pretty face on TV everyday.

But let me say this as well... When push comes to shove - In a Presidential election, Americans are known to vote for the candidate who runs for President, not the one who runs for veep. So I would like to think the voters will see through the Palin stunt for what it really is - McCain's negative posturing to attract those Hillary-sympathizing disgruntled democrats. Unless Obama ends up blowing this completely (with gaffes like the "lipstick on pig" comment he made today), it is still his race to lose. Having said that, I can not wait for the presidential debates to start - that is one place where Obama can run roughshod over McCain with his brilliant speech-making skills. Until then, I suspect the polls would continue to show a statistical dead-heat race. Let's wait and see - politics is a fun game after all, isn't it?