New Delhi drug problem

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti said that “I feel like spitting on the face of leaders like Arun Jaitley who do not care about their own public being affected by drug intakes,” he said. “It is not my fault if there are pimps sitting in the Congress and the BJP,” said Bharti in an apparent effort to defend the AAM party’s record in power in New Delhi. The law and order situation is of course not under his control but of the lieutenant governor in this strange arrangement in the city. So Mr. Bharti is excusing the deteriorating situation on everyone around him, and has no immediate plans for improvements, or actions being carried out to bring civility and service to New Delhi. A modern city has to be more effective in carrying out the law.

It is a case of mistaken municipal boundaries and jurisdictions, which are the comedy of what New Delhi; has become. It is a wonder that everything works as well as it does, in spite of all the municipal, State and central organizations, playing their separate parts. Surrendering your public to drugs is clearly a misappropriation of justice, no matter which way you look at it. No excuse for allowing this cancer to fester in a modern city and Mr. Bharti should pound more on the how instead of the why not’s. Vague accusations against leading statesmen do not help this serious cause. Neighboring states are encouraging the outlaw behavior further by being an easy conduit, compounding the problems of drugs slowly spreading in the streets of New Delhi. Vigilance and security need commitment from the Law Minister to go forward in this war, just as the graph shows the drug war in the US, needs constant political commitment..

Political and moral choice

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Since 2009 the Federal deficit has gone down from $ 1.4 trillion to only $ 439 billion now, or just 2.5% of GDP. It represents a three quarters reduction from the Bush year’s uneconomic legacy. Are we really ready for a return to the same policies of the Republicans, where the talk is fiscal conservatism obtained by shutting down our government? We are currently in a slow steady growth and consumer sentiments are on the mend and our economy steadily strengthens day by day. We just need a shutdown to mar this sentiment, and all things will start to fall apart again. We need to talk about substantial issues that face our nation and not ideological buzzwords, which neither heal nor repair the weakest clinks, in our modern world.

Is it wrong to talk about income and wealth inequality where the privileged 1% control more than 90% of the economy? Is it wrong to talk about gun control when we are the number one country, in gun violence and deaths from guns? Is it wrong to talk about health care being affordable and available for all, in the richest nation on earth? Is it wrong to talk about discrimination when we have the highest incarceration rates for minorities for minor crimes? Is it wrong to talk about poor education causing inner city blight and lack of opportunity for our citizens? Is it wrong to talk about a woman’s right to choose? Is it wrong to talk about personal life choices without misunderstanding and mistrust being fanned by bigotry and hatred? Is it wrong to talk about providing good education in an era, where loans being fostered by exploitative for profit institutions, on the under-served have ballooned?

We have a nation that is falling apart at the seams in our infrastructure and we need to take action to repair these seams. Redistribution of income and spending to improve the human condition are at the core, of any civilized nation. The pursuit of happiness is an elusive goal, when it is marred by rose colored glasses that see only us and them. In a society where each one is for himself and the devil take the hindmost, is a society that cannot prosper. To bring sensible reform and to improve the plight of the poor and the under-served we need sensible policies. We need a government that works on the basic needs of providing security, education, health and equality.

It is time for true conservatives and liberals to sit across the table and discuss and debate the path ahead. Instead sound bites and talking heads will drive the debates away from these basics in the coming elections. The politics of the nation are now driven by forces of super pacs and hidden agendas and the plight of the common man is the last item on the list. The forces of the super-rich will drown out the needs of the many, as the two worlds are being torn apart. We need action now to stop this rape and pillaging of resources and make renewable and sustainable development our model. This planet is no longer husbanded by responsible citizens, but is exploited by the few, for material gain. We destroy more species every year that took nature billions of years to perfect. We only need to ask ourselves one simple question of what is use is this wealth, when all else around us will die?

Let Freedom ring

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Country ratings from Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2015 survey, concerning the state of world freedom in 2014.[72] Free (89) Partly Free (55) Not Free (51)

President Bill Clinton: “I ask you to make it a sacred trust, where all people come and claim for this country a future of unity, freedom, democracy, prosperity, and a government that is capable, honest, and works toward the benefit of all people.” Unfortunately he was not speaking about the US, Germany, Japan or the BRICKS but about the splintered Yugo – Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia at its 20th anniversary of genocide and war. Yet he was speaking for all of us, and stating that this is the minimum we deserve, in a modern society. The new age has brought digitization of information instantaneously to the masses. There is no longer an excuse to not have transparency in the government’s dealings, on behalf of its citizenry.
I wonder where the decades went, as we are still faced with new threats like ISIL, and genocide elsewhere, as human nature does not change. We pander to the lowest standards, and allow mass killings, rapes and plunder, where refugees flee to any safe haven; to start a new life. There are pockets of insanity, which a cultured society has long learned to overlook, in the name of civilization. We are too cultured and refined, to even acknowledge that these dastardly deeds are committed by humans, on all living creatures at random. “Sorry, I shot the named lion with my bow.” The rapes are not reported and the starving mothers and babies tucked away, in camps, if they make it, out of the devastation, of their peaceful lives.
We can only demand that our governments be capable, as we are the government. While JFK is the only billionaire President in history, we do not need the rich but just the capable, as some of the most effective presidents like Lincoln were not rich. It is now time for each one of us to recognize that we have some rights on the State, just as the State has rights on us. The State seeks funds to create a better society, but the ones who have accumulated the assets by whatever means, are not inclined to share them. It is basically every man for himself, as if you did not inherit wealth, you are the one holding the short end of the stick. So the State takes from everyman but not the assets but a share of income and spending, perpetuating the great divide.
Every living creature but man, wonders, who can own a field, or a waterway, and those who do; concoct their own laws, to give themselves, deeds. The air is free, and so is the earth, so why do we constitute courts and administrations, to slice and dice our existence? It is a wonderful state of affairs when a man marries into wealth, but more practical to allow the woman to control it. Rarely will a woman launch a war because she wants more, as men are more prone to thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. When did you hear about women raping the other tribe’s men and killing their children in war, so that only their clan can grow?
So I agree that we need to work, towards the benefits of all people, not the Hindus, Christians, and Muslims, and not for the rich and famous, but for people like you and me. Each one of us deserves a leg up, and we are empowered to do so, and shouldn’t let anyone else tell us otherwise. I have my rights, and so do you, and we only have to exercise our inherent rights. We can demand reform, and create an enlightened age, by the sheer use of information. I do not agree what Snowden did was right, but it sure did open up our eyes to things, we did not know. We have to use whatever little power we have, to change positively what is around us. An honest government is essential to society and if it does not work, then let’s throw the bums out. Why suffer needless pain when the power to act is in our hands, and we can walk away from this; or engage and make it better, for everyone around us. We are the people, and may joy be the new order of our future, and the freedom to believe in ourselves; the new hope, for all mankind.

Being Here

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Labor Day Parade, Union Square, NYC 1882 – Wikipedia

Tomorrow is Labor Day and I just finished the traditional summer Barbecue, and as I have decided that life is just perfect the way it is, nature is also cooperating. It is all a matter of time and place, which is of course here and now, with the sun going down and the white clouds on the Horizon; slowly picking up orange, and pink hues. The Spruce stands tall by the shore of the lake, down poop alley where the geese feed and drop, and at its end; the weeping willows touch the fresh water, in reverence. Being here, the turkey burgers came out just right, and the corn is juicy and delicious, followed by strawberries and cantaloupe. The dinner done, I head to the community pool and am pleasantly surprised to find it all to myself, in the fading light, of another sunset; over the adjoining lake.

Decades ago when I was still a High School student at St Xavier’s Delhi, a seed had been born in my mind. Swimming in the school pool I had imagined a life as a grown up, and maybe America entered the picture as a wish, as Woodstock had opened a window, into a strange world. College reinforced the image, as the cultural hegemony of the US, continued to spread; like a wild fire, during a global warming summer. Nobel prizes earned, social change post Johnson’s civil rights, and the success of its worldwide brands, seemed to make the US a promised land. We listened to Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimmy Hendrix, Doors, Carole King and countless others produced in abundance in America, and wondered at the tapestry, that they were weaving into our generation through their ballads and music.

Having arrived on the shores it was more like rediscovering John Steinbeck, Emerson, Poe and the darker sides of inner city living, that was the grim reality. Meals on wheels programs, welfare families dependent on the state, teenage mothers and fathers with little or no education, and charities fighting to better the needy. The struggle from a minimum paying job in the inner city, servicing these people, to my present circumstances working on Healthcare systems, was aided only by my immediate family. They have stood by me in my foolishness and my wisdom and known when to criticize (often) and when to praise (rarely) as I worked out my demons. My labors have borne fruit and we are empty nesters now in an ideal community, little boxes on a hill side all looking the same.

The four seasons pass by and I and my wife weather it well, as the comforts of home betray us from straying far, except when we visit the kids or the parents. We each have our moods and our emotions, and now with the passing decades, have become creatures of habit. The days pass in a routine of predefined activity, and each one plays his\her role, on this life’s stage. Occasionally there is tenderness or emotional bonding, as one plays with one’s grandchild, and sees the circle of life goes on. At other times it is just the two of us in different moods and emotional states, when nothing except time passes slowly. I wonder at the years gone by, and our meaningless life that drifts and flows, borne on the currents of the universe. At other times our patience bears fruit, as we engage in the companionship, that comes, with familiarity and commitment.

So as I swim backstroke in the pool admiring the clouds in the skies and the landscaped trees, I think of my journey from there to here. Is this all that life is meant to be and could I have opted for better choices? Later I lie in the Hot Tub feeling the relaxing pounding of the jets of hot water, and admiring the landscape, and wonder if I have found that illusive Nirvana? I know all this is great and maybe the school pool when I had nothing but pubescent dreams, has led me to this place. Being here is a revelation, and I am at peace finally, as life was always meant to culminate here, in my dreams, and reality is always just a mindfulness away.

But we are not done here and I have to keep working on my Karma as life happens, as we seek newer meanings. I plan to try and find more of those moments of comforting closeness, with my dear ones. They are my Dharma and to be able to see their smiles, and looks of understanding, that we have enough love to share, would be a blessing indeed. It is up to me to be here for them, and only then can they find me, and envelop me in their love. The realization strikes that it is I who have been missing, from my own life; on this Labor Day. “I love you” I whisper to life, especially my companion and all the others, as the Jacuzzi is turned off for last time, this summer. May we be given the wit and courage to repeat it at the opportune time, in our daily lives, to those around us? In the end, no labor however small, is ever lost and the small things matter, as they make us whole.

Make opportunities in life

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

There have been times in my life when I feel that nothing has worked out as per my plan, and at others it seems that the gods have aligned themselves, in my favor. The capricious nature of our existence, changes from day to day, as the universe is vast and the forces of nature working with us, are often far beyond our control. We can only do our karma and trudge on, hoping that we are marching in the right direction to our goal. Our goals are sometime opaque, our companions unruly, and our circumstances strained, to meet them.

Daily distractions keep us back from realizing our true nature, and we lose focus on what we need to do. Then one day you find that 10 years have gone and you are no closer to achieving the goals, which you had set for yourself. At that moment of realization it is important not to give up on the goal, but rather to realign your resources, to try and achieve it. It is easy to give up and blame life and our circumstances and say to oneself, that it was just not meant to be. It is harder to say that life has not given me what I deserve, and I must strive harder to turn it around. We are never alone and the universal powers that surround us, are there for us to harness to our will.

When all hope is lost and we are in the doldrums of inaction, it is harder to gather one’s inner strength and move forward again. It is at those critical times that we must listen to our inner voice and ensure we add the right fuel, to our withering flame. The goal we have set is always within our reach and we just have to believe in ourselves, and reinvigorate ourselves to proceed to it. Faith in oneself is the last frontier, and those of us who light this flame; will find that the goal is already behind us, and new horizons have opened up to us. In the end we will realize that there is no lack of opportunities, there is only the lack of our personal will, to make them ours.

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. -Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and explorer (20 Jul 1919-2008)

Double digit growth and despair

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Mr. Jaitely sits on the cusp of one of the greatest stories, which could be told about Indian financial myths. The myth is that India is a great nation, a golden bird, and the reality is that it can become one, only with the greatest effort. The latest Socio-Economic census reveals a rural nation mired in dire poverty, and that one out of three families living in villages, is landless and depends on manual labor for livelihood. Furthermore skills and education are severely lacking as 23.52 per cent rural families have no literate adult above 25 years, suggesting a poor state of education among rural masses. Housing needs herculean work as 23.7 million (13.25 per cent) families in villages, live in houses of one room, with ‘kaccha’ walls and roof.

The employment and opportunity index is super low as only 4.6 per cent of all rural households in the country, pay income tax. This is mainly due to landless labor seeking subsistence level living, seeking for sources of income, 91.6 million households (51.14 per cent) depend on manual casual labor, followed by cultivation (30.10 per cent), often unirrigated, and off the grid, and depending on the vagaries of the monsoon. This is what I would call, an opportunity of a millennium for growth and development. Mr. Jaitely now holds the reins of discipline and liberalization, for the success of what has always been a soft state economy; where more opportunities have been lost and squandered, than conquered and scaled.

To have the capability and financial wherewith all to successfully lead, the next revolution in Independence and democratization, of the people of India; is to raise the plight of these 100 million households, to a lower middle class urban standard. These people are landless and suffer from disguised employment, in a poor agrarian economy, which will provide the massive wave of labor; required, for the service and industrial society, which India needs to become. The gypsy has laid out the cards on the forecasting table, and the wise will read the tea leaves, and give their opinions and prophesies of doom and gloom, at this grim reality.

I on the other hand say that this can be converted through education, training, empowerment and political will, into the next big wave of development of humanity. By pulling these poorest of the poor by their bootstraps, and micro funding and settling them into the role of individual craftsmen, he can raise them from poverty. By increasing spending on the new smart cities, and infrastructure required, these workers are readily available to labor on the modernization of India projects. The scale of the need is tremendous, and at the same time, the demands on finance will be the only boost, that can bring respite to these unfortunate souls.

The myth will go that once upon a time India was so poor, that this census came out after seven or eight decades; and the government was embarrassed by the data, but now the data is leading us from strength to strength. If the target is financial development of India, then I think sir, that you have found your real target, and focus on these 100 million households for their financial inclusions. Indian GNP can only go up, if GDP goes up, and by investing heavily now on inclusion, education, empowerment, you will raise the plight of over a billion people. The opportunity has never been brighter and the path more clear, that only liberalization of trade and the economy, can take India forward.

You already have their digital accounts or can create them, and can start the greatest Keynesian distribution of income to these households directly. Guide, enable, fund, trust, empower each household, and a million stars will emerge, on the Indian economic map. Subsidize them, provide scholarships, skill training funds and schemes, anything to get them moving, higher up the economic scale. The world needs good healthy teachers, scientists, healthcare, services and social workers and these millions can be that future generation. The youth of India is its greatest gift, and should not be squandered on the anvil of economic backwardness. digitize, modernize, include and then set free should be the motto for the future to be rosy.

As income and taxes grow, more can be done with the same initial investments, as the money grows in the famous multiplier effect, as it spreads through a productive society. Just unleash the animal spirits of the markets, and sit back and let nature takes its course, as human ingenuity and perseverance will prevail. Give the money of the people, back to the people, and let them decide where to invest and fund their livelihood, if you cannot provide the employment. The past may have failed us, but the future is ours to shape; and opportunities like this come rarely, and must be seized with grim reality. Take the radical steps to fight poverty at its root, which is the ignorance, isolation and total dependence of these household on external help. Take the first steps to help them directly, and you will be pleasantly surprised, that they will help themselves faster; than the experts can say’ Socio Economic and Caste Census of India’. Create the double digit growth model that is on your paper, into a reality that blooms from the depths of their despair.

The energy dilemma

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Finally the growth of renewable energy outpaced that of fossil fuels in the electricity sector last year, with a record of 135 gigawatts of capacity added from wind, solar, hydro-power and other natural sources, a new study by REN21 in Paris, shows. China the leader in coal use today, is becoming the leader in renewable energy now. Globally every day in 2014, seven billion people were gorging on 15 million tons of coal, 92 million barrels of oil, 328 billion cubic feet of natural gas, 200,000 kilograms of uranium and millions of hectares of wind farms, solar panels, forests, cornfields and hydroelectric reservoirs as per a BP study.

Each percentage point of energy’s primary source market share (coal, oil, nuclear, wind, solar, bio fuels, geothermal, etc) is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The stakes are enormous and the market leaders will fight for each point of share, as the demand will continue to boom. Developing countries will increase production to meet the demands of their energy starved citizens, choosing the cheapest alternatives. The good news is that overall energy intensity has stepped down again, which means that a dollar of GDP needs 15 per cent less energy to transact today, than only five years ago.

With a billion people India is just embarking on its coal build out, while nuclear, and other green sources will also grow. Germany is the clear leader in Europe and the US is just limbering up for the fight, with its dystopian public policy and rhetoric, as opposed to ground reality. The G7 may want to go to an alternate energy model by the 21^st century but for that to happen, current transportation and heating and cooling of cities are unsustainable and will have to change. Just like the move from wood to coal in the 18^th century and from coal to oil in the 20^th, we have a lot of work to do in the next few decades.

In the absence of a giant catastrophe that reduces billions of our population, we will have to plan to meet the needs of our young, in a growing population. The next generations need our commitment to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency, while at the same time reducing greenhouse emissions. Climate change will have unintended consequences wiping out many species of flora, fauna and other living beings. As intelligent beings we have to look beyond our own selfish needs, and ensure the Earth is kept as pristine as possible, for life to evolve properly. We will become the dinosaurs of the 22^nd century, if we cannot overcome our technical, financial and social problems and resolve our energy needs in an Eco-friendly manner. Disruptive technology is the need of the hour, whether it is fusion, or thorium based nuclear, better bio-fuels, solar, wind etc. and our best brains should be engaged in this race. The survival of humanity is at stake.

Having always had great respect for the Jesuits, it is good to see that Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope, using science. When Rick Perry (Republican candidate) said that pronouncements on Climate change, are best left to the scientists; he is perhaps forgetting that the head of his Catholic church, is a trained chemist, and knows what he is talking about. Energy for our future generations is one of the biggest dilemma’s we face and the hard decisions we face today, will shape our future earth and our very survival. May the greening of our energy continue, with greater disruptions in consumption, production and storage.

New Gang of four

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

Country	Share of Contribution to Global GDP Growth
—	World	100.0%
1	United States	19.5%
—	European Union	19.1%
2	China	11.4%
3	India	5.1%
4	Japan	4.0%

BNY Mellon Cox’s newest simulation assumes Japan manages to average growth of 2 percent for the rest of this decade, the U.S. 3 percent, China 7 percent and India 8 percent. He says that if this Gang of 4 starts to fire on all four cylinders, then we could see another $ 10 Billion added to the group’s GDP by 2020. This is not an unrealistic scenario as the current leaders Abe, Obama, Xi and Modi are all pushing for better trade treaties and greater growth. In fact these targets may be exceeded if we can only keep war at bay, and not allow any economic shocks to develop.

The banks and the largest corporations have survived the Great Recession, and have learnt a valuable lesson, and their balance sheets are stronger now. The consumer is more willing to spend, and create the demand, that growing industrial companies and service corporations will provide. There is an opening up of trade and commerce, and the next cycle of cheap manufacturing for the masses, is about to start in India. The newly created billions of consumers in Asia will become a driving force, and the young generations will develop the next smart cities, and mass transportation systems.

In my optimistic view these numbers can be surpassed with cheaper fuel costs and greater use of Green energy to save the environment. There is so much demand for green housing, higher education, better skill training, improving healthcare, more geriatric care and improved logistics, that nation building can go on for decades. We just need to balance incomes so the poor can become self-sufficient, and productive citizens. Current disparity if it continues will lead to Larry Summers ‘secular stagnation’ and we will not benefit from a growing middle class. Greater opportunity and greater trade and commerce is the only way out of this morass of low growth. Financial inclusion for the poorest of the poor, is the cry of the hour.

The time is now ripe as we have abundant resources and technology to take humanity, to the next level of existence. With a well-oiled economic engine, we can expect current growth; to create more savings and investments, in a virtuous spiral of growth. We are all in this together and if the stars align, then the new leaders will take the steps to create the right political and social environment, for this economic miracle to take place. I welcome all steps in the direction of human development and peace and prosperity for all. May the next decades be the time, for the emergence of this unlikely gang of four; to rise to their pinnacle. We look forward to finally eradicating poverty, and bringing human equality, prosperity, dignity and well being to all our citizens.

Wealth creation for masses

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

World Wealth Report: 2.8nm Indian HNIs, Yet 90% Population in Lower Income Bracket

RBI, Deputy Governor, S S Mundra says, “according to census 2011, out of 24.67 crore households in the country, only about 14.48 crore or 58.70 % households had access to banking services. Further, of the 16.78 crore rural households, only about 9.14 crore or 54.46 % households were availing of banking services.”

“The World Bank Findex Survey (2012) points out that only about 35% of Indian adults had access to a formal bank account and a meager 8% borrowed formally in the last 12 months,” says Mundra.

Historically even Lord Curzon vexed by the bureaucratic Indian Banks observed, “In respect of banking it seems we are behind the times. We are like some old fashioned sailing ship, divided by solid wooden bulkheads into separate and cumbersome compartments.”

In 1960, the State Banks of India was given control of eight state-associated banks under the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959. These are now called its associate banks. In 1969 the Indian Government nationalized 14 major private banks. In 1980, 6 more private banks were nationalised. These nationalised banks are the majority of lenders in the Indian economy. They dominate the banking sector because of their large size and widespread networks.

My request to India’s finance Minister is that when Indira Gandhi nationalized the banks and the Insurance Companies, it was for the purpose of ‘Garibi Hatao’ or the reduction of poverty, for the masses and the proletariat. If this is the property of the poor, then the time has come to return their property back to them. We now have the technology, microfinance systems and means; to finally bankroll the biggest financing and banking endeavor at an individual digital level. Do the greatest good by unleashing the power of the citizens, for the long term improvement, of the largest proletariat, of poor citizens in our history. Divest all the banks and lend all the money back to the poor and the needy, and let them decide what entrepreneurship they want to follow, to improve their lives. Human ingenuity knows no bound and unleashing its potential, is the greatest duty of its government.

The government has long tried its hand at Banking, Insurance and Finance, and it is time now for the people to learn and use what is theirs. Electronic banking can spread to the most remote digitally identified persons, who can borrow small loans, to take up a livelihood or trade. Whether it is the soon to be millions of urban poor, or the needs of the largely disguised unemployed in the rural sector, this money has been put in trust, for their use. This trust can now be upheld and the minister can prove himself trustworthy by disinvesting all these banks and insurance companies, and investing the proceeds in the modern schemes; of direct deposits, and microloans for over five hundred million citizens.

By husbanding this wealth in government hands, and not to let lose its benefits on the people who need it the most today, would be foolhardy and make little economic sense, or policy. The policy should be the greatest good at the fastest pace, and in the most efficient manner possible, for and by the people. It is time for the people to rise, and for the government to stand aside, and let it happen. The government can be a facilitator, but not the creator of wealth. The wealth belongs to the people, and they have first right on how to use it. We have the old socialists’ leftist parties in the opposition clinging on to an idea whose time has come and gone. The model of the Government being the “Ma Baap” of its citizen, crumbled with the Berlin wall, and China’s affirmation that it is glorious to be rich.

While my example talks only of Banking and Finance the whole communication revolution of digitized media is going to be the greatest enabler for India’s citizens. As the Minister for Information & Broadcasting it helps, as the digital revolution of providing information, and enabling broadcasting; is the base, for any digitally enabled economy. The example can be safely extended to Railways, Highways, Industry, Commerce and other areas where the government has no business being in any longer, and they should be allowed to grow on their own. The greatest fire sale in India, of its so called Public Enterprises; will go a long way in enabling the current government, to meets its new investment and developmental goals.

The goals for the country are economic and financial equality like the Nordic nations rumored to be amongst the happiest in the world. All the people’s money should now be invested in health, education, housing and infrastructure with the government as an investor and enabler. The people will grow the wealth, as they alone know how to do it. Given the knowledge and technology of the modern world, seamless digital transactions; will allow for the raising from poverty, of India’s masses. Just like China has achieved in the past decades, India can also continue to have a double digit growth for decades. Only India’s policy and methodology should not be central controlled, but pass to a million points of light. It is the people’s land and they will husband it and grow it, and make it fruitful, and you are only a custodian; of their wishes.

Sell everything that is publicly held, and convert that into the greatest private investment in the world. To lend a $ 1,000 to five hundred million people you only need fifty billion dollars. A Keynesian behemoth of spending, of this this size; by depositing these sums directly into individual accounts, will transform India for ever. The thing is that it does not have to be done all at once and can be spread out over decades. These private investments will grow well over the rate of inflation, given the growth potential, of the young population. This initial seed money, can grow exponentially over the century; to truly make India, into what it can be as an economic power.

For centuries the villages of India have been treated as the forgotten masses. For all the talk precious little was achieved in raising financial inclusion through education or technology. Now a simple mobile phone can become the vehicle of mass inclusion. Numerous new finance organizations in existence in Africa and elsewhere can now provide a loan within an hour to deserving candidates. A unique identifier for each citizen coupled with this new credit will allow each one to prosper, at his or her own pace. The multiplier effect of this mass infusion of capital; into a largely landless labor, will have a very beneficial impact, on the gross domestic product. Consumption will rise, and demand will go up; in an economically beneficial and ever expanding spiral.

At the same time the privatization of public enterprises, will allow for further innovation and improvements, in the disinvested large corporations; who will be free to grow, and become more efficient and better corporations. Foreign investments will pour in, as the diaspora and its friends learn of the new economic miracle, about to be unleashed in human potential. The direct growth in consumer consumption will allow for more expansion of the economy. For double digit growth we need transformation of the current finacial, insurance, mining, industrial and logistics, into a modern infrastructure built by the best engineering talent, and not bureaucrats living out their tenure. We can grow the talent as we have so much youth, and need to invest in them and not for them. You are the guardian of a great wealth, and as per the doctrine of parmo dharma, it is best to invest in the citizens, whose karma will make the new India.

Let me explain what will happen. Rural individuals engaged in agriculture will be able to buy their seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and sell their produce directly, without any middlemen taking their share of the profits, and making the systems inefficient. Those not actively engaged directly in agriculture, will be able to enter into trading, or providing services, required elsewhere. These will be the hidden labor that will become available to make the modern India. The industrial workers and the builders of the infrastructure and cities will come from these individually enabled citizens. Development needs great sacrifices and discipline and the government should provide better governance, defense and law and order. Get out of the people’s business, while it is still time, and let people live in a just and free society, or face a future of their unfulfilled dreams.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is only a small step in this direction and there is a lot of work to be done, to make a secure digital transaction system using mobile. This has not been tried before on the scale that India requires, but that is the beauty of new technology, which is easily scalable. A lot of it can be free funded by advertising, from the consumer goods and technology giants, which will help fund this new revolution. As money flows to the poorest of the poor, we will all benefit, for financial inclusion is the only way forward.

The gift of Buddha

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Rajiv Kapoor

President Xi Jiping of China was just presented with the gift of the model casket that contained the sacred remnants of Gautam Buddha , by the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, from a 3^rd century stupa, in his home state of Gujrat. In the nature of global hegemony, this is a southern attack; on the minds and souls, of the north. The brilliance of this golden move, is something only ancient civilizations that count in millenniums, can truly understand. If peace were to reign between the nations of China, India and the erstwhile country of Tibet then a reintroduction of Buddhism is not a bad approach. In a communist nation, how can their be opposition of a religion; where there is no concept of God, Hell, Heaven or ritual worship.

The middle path is anchored by its four noble truths of suffering, and the eight fold path to escape from this suffering. In India, Buddhism was largely absorbed into the main Hindu faith, and largely disappeared after a thousand years; but in neighboring countries, the faith lived on all over south east asia for a thousand more. My teacher came from Burma (Myanmar) and brought vipasyana meditation back to India and many practice it today. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a living symbol of all the pure thinking and living in Buddhism. When one sees the temples in Sri Lanka one is struck by the simple faith of the island dwellers, and we feel the joy that these people live in. There are already Buddhist traditions and temples all over China and it is time now to try and revive them for the greater good of its people.

As rampant growth was effected by the leadership, as China opened out to the world in the last few decades, something is still lacking. The pheasants who are still on the land live in a different zone but modern China has increasingly Industrialized. These modern cities with well over 10 million residents in many cases, have their citizens seeking more from life; now that their basic needs, have been fulfilled. They seek more from the meaning of life and its purpose, and seek a way to live in harmony with those around them. The average citizen needs to feel a higher calling, and to try and reach a better place in life, than just a humdrum existence of studying, working, retiring and dying. Faith is a great motivator and meditation can bring a calm and happiness, and allow us to improve ourselves, if we just put our minds to it.

There is more to our existence and while we are creators of our own karma, Buddha showed a way of how we could escape from this world of Maya, and desire. His disciplined approach of right thought and action and other steps, showed a deep understanding of nature and how to live in harmony, with all of earth’s creatures. He showed a better way of life, and if followed he said, we could escape from the dharmachakra, and reach a state of Nirvana or holiness, where the suffering that afflicts mortals ends. Knowledge and awareness is the only way to destroy ignorance, which is the root of all suffering, as per the Great Buddha.

Mr. Modi has not squandered away his priceless gift on fools, as there is something deeply symbolic in this giving. It is a hand offered in friendship and faith from one leader of an ancient land to another neighbor, recognizing their common heritage. Human thought and interaction has been progressing for millennium, and now the time has come to redeem some of its ancient promises.’ Hindi Chini bhai bhai’ was a slogan I heard from Chacha Nehru, before the border war in 60s. It may be time to dust off that old slogan, and try a common path for our development. For the sake of half of the world’s population such chances should not be squandered in petty quarreling, over ancient wounds.

Buddham sharanam gacchami,

Sangham sharan gachhami,

Dharmam sharanam gacchami

‘Buddhism is more of a science of the mind than a religion’ as per the Dalai Lama. We need to use our minds to better our common human conditions, and as such any attachment to old thinking must be nirvaaned. We must now move forward recognizing our common heritage, and more importantly our common future, as fellow citizens of our world. Even more important than any economic agreements that we can make in this historic visit, will be the recognition of a commonality of our heritage, and a march to a shared future.

@rajivtheauthor

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