Experiments in technology: India Election 2009

Online, mobile initiatives and innovations

Part 1: Technology as used by Parties/Candidates

Indian Elections came on the heels of the phenomenal success of the Obama win in the U.S.A.The tech-savvy and forward looking India wondered what political teams in India would learn from the really well put together Obama campaign. Online campaigns turned out to be backbone of the Obama campaign. Plus, being the largest democracy in the world, the world would be watching very closely.

Political leaders from India take pride in staying abreast of technology, especially in the communications sector. The open minded attitude toward technology as posted on Shri L.K. Advani’s blog, "In every single general election in India since the first one held in 1952, I have seen how the tools of communication have evolved. As far communication is concerned, I am technology-agnostic. My philosophy in this matter is simple: anything that works, deserves to be welcomed. In my own political life spanning six decades, I have enthusiastically embraced every new communication technology - from the early simple Casio digital diary to i-pod and i-phone."


Not to be left behind this time around, coming out looking like newbies in the communications tech-tools department, the political leaders listened to their advisors and said ‘Yes, let us do it’.

Let us take a step back and look at the ROI for the use of technology from the Political Party’s point of view:

a) Percentage of people with computer access in India is so small that does it even make sense to go beyond a basic profile on the Web. With about 6% of the Indian population having access to Internet on computers- numbers reaching around 15-20% in the metros, did it even make sense to pump money in to campaigns that would not reach a significant number?
b) Would it be too dangerous to not have a web presence and come out looking like clueless, un-tech-savvy (non-progressive) leaders especially for the candidates from the metros and the very tech savvy constituencies like Bangalore (Karnataka)?

c) There is a significant language barrier for most technology-based campaigns. Most tech-tools use English as a means for delivering messages while the number of people who can read, understand and feel comfortable with English, is rather low. The language barrier cut both ways- against the voters and, in the same way, against the political leaders who are not well versed in English.

d) With one fourth of the voters being under 25yrs of age and 70% being under the age of 40, using technology is one of the significant means for reaching these young voters and making a statement.

e) Another significant factor going in the favour of the online- direct ‘marketing’ was the fact that the leaders saw this as a way to bypass the Press/Media and get to the voters directly. Indian main stream media has been known to give pretty limited coverage of the candidates and the campaigns.

As Kiran Khalap, co-founder of brand consultancy Chlorophyll, said, "There are emotional and functional reasons for using technology: functionally, it is more cost-effective and more participative than say, a rally or an advertisement…. emotionally, they (politicians) want to be like the cool urban youth they want to connect with.” India leaders blog

It is important to note that during the campaign, when they decided to include online and technology based campaigns as part of their ongoing campaigns, most political leaders/parties were not really ready with the basic know-how of what to do with the tech tools available. They did not have even a basic profile on any social-network and had not really taken the time to understand how to use these powerful tools. Starting late in the game the parties had neither time nor resources (volunteers, workers) to put up good informative websites- some even seemed to have a good technical team. So it was start from zero.

After a decisive ‘Yes’- trying to meet the challenge head-on, the campaign teams looked at what worked for the Obama campaign and went through the check list. They did what was expected- copied parts of the campaign and tried to keep the Indian context in mind. Of course it turned out to be easier said than done.

We saw sites sprout overnight – some that were good and some that were not so good. Now everyone had a web presence- including on Facebook, Orkut, even on Twitter and YouTube channels.

A quick look at the tools used

Websites, mobile phones, social media and social networks- we had the following contenders, in the order of preference as observed as an outsider:

• Text or SMS messages: This was a clear winner. This tool is being used extensively to reach the masses. It is perhaps the one most capable of reaching a large number as India has over 380million cell phone users, though in reality the most passive. It was used well but again, if used for getting to masses was the main thing, then English as script was lost for those who could not read. Plus, after the few couple messages, these became a nuisance.

• Websites: Among the websites that cropped up, there was clearly very varied range in functionality, presentation and navigation. Most notable were: Rajeev Chandrashekar, Krishna Gowda, Bharatiya Janta Party, LK Advani, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia

• Facebook: Great global hype value- though very limited reach for Indian voters. The numbers ranged between a few hundred to a maximum of around 4,000.

• YouTube: Hype, entertainment, very limited audience in terms of Indian voters. Main reason being the lack of broadband connections and very slow data speeds (GPRS) on the phone. Numbers- did not cross over 100 views for direct campaigns.

• Orkut: Little hype – not a darling for global visibility but much better reach. Notable: BJP’s network of communities.

• Twitter: Great (currently greatest) global hype value. Very limited audiences for reaching Indian voters. Seemed to be a perfect blend of the mobile and the web on the face of it but mobile in India just did not work. Sample numbers: KrishnaGowda: 110 followers, updates 62. Rajeev Chandrashekar: 781 followers, updates 69

• Blogs: Medium hype value. Poor discoverability. Notable: RK Misra’s blog, Rajeev Chandrashekar’s blog, LK Advani’s blog

• Hi5: No hype value but some politicians wanted to cover them all.

• Mobile social networks: Still in its infancy. Observed a keen interest from the political parties and voters especially for data applications that used multimedia. The language barrier seemed to come down though data connections- cost and availability were the challenges. Some leaders went as far as pushing mobile applications for connecting supporters to leaders and to each other. (Notable: Ananth Kumar’s AKConnect powered by RockeTalk)

While it is great to see all these ongoing efforts, what was observed was that most leaders seemed to miss the point of using technology- giving the voters confidence that they could reach their leaders without running in to roadblocks. Gone are days when the leaders got away with talking ‘at’ the crowds. It is now becoming increasingly important to give the voters confidence that someone is listening to them and taking note of what the common person’s hopes, dreams and fears are.

Good technology means open communication- which in turn means allowing people to connect back, leave comments, giving them easy ways to reach their candidates- a point that most leaders missed totally.

Facebook, Twitter, Websites all done, no one seemed to have a clue as to what needed to be done next. Just having a web presence or a tech-tool isn’t enough to run a campaign. Making it known to the masses where they can reach the leaders easily is the key.

The mere fact that you are using the web/tech tools is useless if no one knows where to find you. My favourite analogy for this is winking at a hot beautiful girl in the dark- a total waste as you are the only one who knows what you did. Neither the girl nor the people around ever saw anything.

Running any kind of Web/technology campaign needs a dedicated effort, a team that keeps the content fresh and utilizes techniques to draw people in. And leaders who understand that they need to contribute their time and attention and interact frequently with the users!

That said, with very few broadband connections and unreliable and expensive data (GPRS) on the mobile phones mainstream tech-campaigns have a long way to go to really start making their mark. For those who are not familiar with the online trends, more people in India access the web from their mobile phones than on the computers. In fact, most students connect to the Internet through their mobile phones.

The defining moment for the web and mobile 2.0 will be the next election. The challenge will be to learn from the 2009 ‘experiments’ and keep the momentum going.

Note: Parts of this blog have been taken from an ongoing series. The series also has ongoing analysis of tools available, how they were used with updates coming soon on what needs to be done next to reap the benefits of the current efforts and to make these tools effective.

Coming soon- Part 2: Initiatives put together by volunteers, citizens.

Followed by Experiments in Technology Election 2009: Lessons Learnt

Election India: Online (Cyber) campaigning series 2

First- let me applaud the efforts and the open mindedness of most Indian politicians. They are always ready to embrace technology and try it out. It might take a lot of an effort to have them jump in with both feet but it is incredible that they willingly explore the options available.

Let us move to Bangalore- the technical hub of India. It is clearly one the most tech-savvy, affluent constituencies in India. As expected, from here came some of the most aggressive and innovative online campaigns for the 2009 elections.
Everyone was on Facebook- some very active, some not so active, some clearly with no clue about what to do next. From an onlooker, observer point of view- the profiles were there, the ‘friends’ turned followers were there- but the numbers- pathetic.

Youtube channel had 16 or 17 views.

Websites – sure saw some really good work there. Some of websites are very well done and updated regularly. Some even have lots of people interacting with each other. Special mention Congress website- did not work well, was too part oriented but a good effort. What I personally liked was the FriendsofBJP website that was put together by actual supporters and citizens and not just political leaders- much more effective.

Orkut- yes- the usual- go make a profile, make a community etc…. could have gone a bit beyond the basic.

Special mention- Orkut- at least some of the camps that had existing communities- had some traction. That said- a good percentage of the people who were on there, were not in India (USA, Australia being really active) and so not really the target audience.

Clearly traditional online approach was not working.

With two prominent, well read, well rounded candidates coming to heads, Bangalore went beyond that.

In the quest for looking for an effective medium to reach the masses, they found out that the cell phones (mobile phones) seem to be the logical answer. While many Indians live in poverty, they the use their cell phones, to learn about the world -bypassing the newspaper and TV. (Yes, there is that little issue of trust there as well). For example, they know who Obama is and are aware of the US and world recession.

Obama had used the Silicon Valley darling, Twitter, so it seemed to be logical to some candidates and they started paying special attention to it. Guess they thought- Twitter=Web + Mobile. One thing everyone one forgot to check- how many people on Twitter, were really on the mobile phone? And if Twitter on the phone actually worked. If it did- same problem- language- primarily English- or Kannada written in English.

The politician realized quickly that short ‘tweets’ or text messages wasn’t the ideal medium to reach, and possibly sway the voters as it did not carry that personal appeal, the charisma, the emotions that actually worked so well in India. Text really did not have the desired effect - where emotions really count…. Plus that would not be viral- would not help them reach more and more people. Would anyone show a text message sent by a politician to 20 other people?

Some of the leaders stopped and considered- computers may not be available. Broadband may be out of reach but India has a significant number of people with access to mobile phones that were capable of multimedia. Of these users, a good percentage, especially those with Internet access, rely on the cell phones to gain knowledge of world events, even in rural areas where mobile Internet access is limited.

For example, being in touch with the Indian youth on a daily basis for the last three years, I’m not surprised when a 19year old, from a small village in Bihar, asks me how I feel about Obama being President or another one in West Bengal comes up with issues like the US foreign policy. I am, at times, taken aback with some of the questions and the debates I get drawn in to and have to quickly turn on my laptop to find out about things I missed or haven’t had the time to get to. It does not surprise me that all their knowledge has actually come through – not TV, not newspaper or radio but rather a data connection on their phones.

It is this quality of the Indian population- the thirst to find out about what is happening beyond their immediate circle- that the politicians or for that matter any marketing campaign need to tap on. Yes, I consider Political campaigns a very sophisticated form of marketing. It is just that. The bottom-line is how many people you can get and market your plans or principles for running the nation with.

If there is anyone who understands what can make or break them, it is the politicians and the music industry. Just as the music industry understands that a Bollywood mega hit gives them the punch in sales- what actually keeps them going is the religious and yes, Bhojpuri tracks. Same goes for the Indian politicians. They know that the heart and the majority vote is rural India.

Right here, I need to stop and tell you that I have a new found respect for the political leaders. They are really smart people. They quickly figure what works and what doesn’t and what they need to keep feeding even post election. This is the first time I actually got the feeling that they wanted their supporters to stay with them during this election and then way beyond.

Now the desirable online campaign space really begins to take shape- to reach the masses what is needed is something that works on a mobile phone and can go beyond text- to audio and video. Using audio and video takes care of the language problem. You send an audio or video message and at the touch of a button, it plays. And hurrah you got something that is a winner! It has all the elements needed- no language barriers, multimedia- so much more appealing. Would definitely be something a group of people would ‘watch’ listen to together.

And that needs data or GPRS.

I know, I know - mobile data subscription in rural India is not that great but- here is the nugget- even if one person in the village has a data connection (not unheard of) the whole village reaps the benefits. Yes, they sit in groups and watch videos, audio and this is so much more effective than one person sitting alone at a computer. That guy with the data enabled phone- of course- is the classic ‘influencer’ a term used so often in social marketing.

The next important factor in creating a pool of dedicated followers and keeping it comes from the ability of the fans to be able to talk to the leaders. Get a feeling that they can reach them.

And more importantly for them to sign-up for the service.

Hmmm.. would anyone download an application that was being pushed by a political party? Sure- a few die-hard followers would. And they in turn could use it for the house meetings where the mobile phone video of the candidate would take center stage. Effectively- the message that was sent now can reach several other people. In reality, this in itself is not the right way to go even though it is a very good start.

Well- a first step was understanding the need to get the youth involved and keeping the channels of communication open as being an important part of the campaign. It took courage to actually leave a channel open for discussions, direct feedback. And to have those channels stay open even post election! The fact is that the leaders understand that coming election is important but really is just one election. They need to start working on online campaigning now to build those lasting connections and a loyal, relationship. Albeit, a little late in starting BJP’s AKConnect- a means to reach people on mobile phones with GPRS- is a step in the right direction. Hopefully Congress will also have some means of keeping the channels open.

Politics in India is changing. And open lines of communication are going to play a big role in all campaigns and so is transparency.

P.S.
I have no political ties. I have had the opportunity to observe the ups and downs and what went through the typical political party’s mind while toying with online campaigning for the India Election for this year as part of my work.

Ananth Connect: An interesting take on the part of BJP candidate, Ananth Kumar’s take on Mobile social networkin, AKConnect is a downloadable application for the supporters and friends of BJP and Ananth himself. It is interesting to see that Ananth at once saw potential for something that would take him beyond this election –possibly in to the next one and the next. He saw the power of the networking, possibly even spotting new leadership from the group interactions that could take the Party farther. Only- drawback being that it was ‘launched’ too close to the election to be properly leveraged for this time. Then again, the purpose of AKConnect was not to go full thrust, but rather to keep the momentum going until- next election and beyond. Let us watch and see how well they actually use this powerful tool.

The ‘beyond’ this election is the key to this year’s online campaigning. Watch the space mature well in time for the next one. (Watch for updates on RockeTalk blog)

My prediction- there will be a clear move towards using rich multimedia applications (like RockeTalk) and the WAP. With a large percentage of phones and data connections fully enabled, India will bypass the ‘computer’ online campaigning and leapfrog straight to the mobile phones- full multimedia.

And now- if only the mobile operators/carriers could keep a check on the cost of data. (Yes, they would still make money- maybe even more…)

Election India: Online (Cyber) campaigning series

Finally, after a rather long break, I’ve put work aside and decided to get back to blogging. My inspiration? Well, inspiration came from interacting, on various levels, with the major political parties and trying to understand what really works- both with the Parties and with the people to reach the masses.

Indian Elections came on the heels of the phenomenal success of the Obama win in the U.S.A. The tech ‘savvy’ and forward looking India wondered what political teams in India would learn from the really well put together Obama campaign. Plus, being the largest democracy in the world, the world would be watching very closely.

Online campaigns turned out to be backbone of the Obama campaign. Not to be left behind and come out looking like noobs in the tech-tools department, the political leaders listened to their advisors and said ‘Yes, I’ll do it’.

Let us take a step back and look at this for ROI (Return on investments- love you N3WB!3S :) ) from the Political Party’s point of view. Percentage of people with computer access in India is so small that does it even make sense to go beyond a basic profile on the Web. Does it make sense to pump money in to a campaign that will not even reach a significant number?

At the same time, would it not be too dangerous to not have a web presence and come out looking like clueless, un-tech-savvy (non-progressive) leaders especially for the candidates from the very tech savvy constituencies like Bangalore (Karnataka).

Well, they were not ready with even a basic profile on any social-network or website. So it was start from zero. The campaign teams looked at what worked for the Obama campaign and went through the check list.

We saw sites sprout overnite – some that were good and some that were not so good. Now everyone had a web presence- including on Facebook, Orkut, even on Twitter and youtube channels

One catch though, no one seemed to have a clue as to what needed to be done next. Just having a web presence wasn’t enough to run a campaign. Running any kind of Web campaign needs a dedicated effort and a team that keeps the content fresh and utilizes techniques to draw people in. And leaders who understand that they need to contribute and interact frequently on the web!

Even Youtube videos got pathetic views. Was it that the Indian youth just wasn’t interested? Or was it just reaching the youth in places, settings they were most comfortable with?

So why the half-hearted, clueless attempts? Has a lot to do with the ROI and the efforts and the fact that these efforts start a bit too late to really put together a strategy. Or was it a combination of not too many people having access to computers and a lack of understanding on how to leverage the web or any online campaigns?

Hmmm… so traditional web would not work for Indian political leaders as it did it did for Obama. Now what? Well… how about the darling of the Indians, their mobile phones? That got them thinking.

Well, the traditional, megaphone (aka loudspeaker) on a rickshaw, auto, truck etc (believe me I’ve seen those things on some really weird things) was stale… There was need for something new. Something fresh… an attention grabber.

Why not use a simple SMS (Short message System Aka text message) to blast everyone? Oops but then there is the DND (Do not Disturb) list and the fact that a text message really does not have the desired impact. Plus, the cost adds up quickly.

Some way to use a low cost vehical- something multimedia that would engage the people, seemed to be the way to go. (TV ads cost too much and do not have the desired effect) This meant they had to experiment with new, unfamiliar mediums the youth- 18-45 yrs old were using like ibibo, Frenzo, RockeTalk etc

Next time: The real on-line campaigning efforts in India: Reaching out to the youth

Things that make me smile

The best book ever! If this does not make you smile, I don't know what else can! It was the best discovery I made while looking for a present for a four year old.


Truly the best of Dr. Seuss!


So real. So typical. Never fails. Brings back childhood memories.


Anne- the precocious little know-it-all. Can’t help but smile! My first glimpse - a snippet overheard as read by a really good reader to her brother. Got me to read the series. The movie series is equally good too.


Hellooo… am I the only one my age to be listening to these classics? What a riot! If you haven’t done so already- please spend the $.99 and buy the Camp Granada track .. promise you will laugh till you cry.


The sweetest, best of Disney ever.


Robin Williams and a beautifully done, heart-warming story. Best combo.


The little nash rambler … one of the best of the oldies…


What a hoot! Uma Thurman at her best!


Sway. Last dance… the beat.. the voice.. the music… guess I’m an old soul at heart…


I can watch this movie any time. I mean really… whats not to love about this?


How can I resist the Bollywood classics? My RockeTalk friends would never forgive me…


Aamir Khan… think I fell in love over again… man it is a treat watching him when he was younger. This movie is a blast!

OK. OK.. I’ll do a full thing on Bollywood classics … and a RockeTalk special on things and people who always make me smile…

While I'm still trying to figure out how to insert audio in to my blog, you can check out some of my favorties, in my and my friends' voices posted in my gallery on RockeTalk.. if you don't have RockeTalk on your phone, please visit Rocketalk from your mobile phone http://m.rocketalk.com

RockeTalk ID: Amita

And yes, this is not the full list.

The best compliment ever!

Ma always said that I should smile. She always said that my smile was the best thing about me.... but that was ma.. she would always say I was special... Moms always do.

The next I remember is when I first had a bunch of people visit from Canada, we were doing the classic California tour- Yosemite, Big Sur, Highway 1, Carmel by the Sea, etc, one of them (on the way back from Napa Valley) - when she was sober, told me that she had never come across anyone who smiled so easily and so often.

That was years ago....

The best compliment I got though was from a 10yr old. I was getting in to the car and he was up in a tree, dangling down.

He looked at me and asked "Are you going to the church or something?"

Me, not being a church going or for that matter temple or mosque going person ever, laughed and asked, "Do I look like a church going person to ya?"

He took a minute and said, "Well, actually yes. You look like one of those people in church who have... you know.. seen Him…. when you smile."

What more can anyone ever hope for? And what surprised me was hoe this 10yr old viewed the world and the people around him.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any church, mosque, temple. If I ever end up going to any such place, I always have utmost respect and am always flooded with this awesome feeling of being close to the creator, the higher power above- whoever he or she may be. I have never gone to such a place coz I wanted to, I've always been kind of drawn in to it by other people .. lol.. hey thought it was fitting to tell you as a disclaimer. The fact is, I believe in everything- I believe there is a higher power and I don't mind what name anyone gives Him or Her. I feel most humbled when I find myself in such a setting.. and I always come out feeling peaceful and touched to my core, flooded with a very different kind of emotion- tears, joy, happy and uplifted every single time- no matter what the place of worship. And yes, the setting- the aura that the place naturally has, has a lot to do with it.

Hmmm... yes there are places and people I absolutely get bad vibes from.. and I try my best to avoid going back to them… ever..

The True Art of a Start- is by Instinct: The entrepreneurial spirit, Stretching the funds, A woman’s perspective, Meeting of soul mates

My first steps into the Tech world in a very non-tech way. One afternoon, I got a call from these friends of mine who had started their new company-.

RockeTalk. They wanted me to give them an honest feedback. The Good, the bad, the ugly- all of it. After a bit of convincing - notice it did not take too long- I was game to start playing with this very basic phone application that they showed me which in the Founder’s words was basically ‘SMS on steroids’.

There was something about this concept- maybe it was the Founders’ enthusiasm, yes it was two of them, that made me say yes. In hind sight, I had a suspicion that they had read Guy Kawasaki’s very firm advice and exercise in his ‘The Art of The Start’ to rely on the smartness of women. Well, they hadn’t.

Their reasoning: I came from a background of working, volunteering, with Non-profits/NGOs. I was involved in event and artist management. I had a strong Arts background – Psychology and Sociology. And that I was a people’s person. Loved talking…lol.. OK so most women do.

I was rolling my eyes by now. I read between the lines –all that talk about my background was a crock! It was my ‘volunteering spirit’ that drew them to me. Great entrepreneurs that they were, they were trying to get as much help they could for-FREE or at the cost of a couple tall Mistos at their favorite Starbucks! I saw that appreciated the effort.

I was, at that point, intrigued enough by the application and decided I would devote a much disciplined hour or so everyday to play with it (after all I had my day job too) and by the end of that week, come back with feedback.

I started off, created a username and within minutes had people pinging me! I was taken aback. I was told that the application was a neat way to send voice, text and picture messages painlessly- something that the promise of MMS had miserably failed at, to my friends and my network and here I was getting pinged by random people from- Russia, all over Europe, South Africa! And how did they find me? Well they said they just searched for a female user and there I was!

I was beginning to understand the application better. I was seeing it in a totally different light- very different from what the founding ‘tech-team’ thought they had put together! In the founder’s words, ‘Of course, I had to be able to see if my other friends were online and yes, I need to be able to search for my friends.’ Unknowingly they had introduced two very powerful components to their multi-media messaging platform - presence and search.

Soon I was getting voice messages from all over the world. From places- Turkey, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Canada. I was enjoying myself and was spending every spare minute I had, staying online constantly, talking to this mélange of people round the clock, at times waiting for some of them to get back on.

From my interaction with some of the people online, I knew I had in my hands something with great potential, something that could change the way people interacted. There was a flood of things racing through my mind. You got to remember I came from a non-profit background and had very strong views about the World, global understanding and working with people who did not necessarily know English. This was perfect! OK you’ll say I had a very naïve view of the World but I still believe this is the best tool. (More on this later) but I had run a business of my own and knew that everything needs to make money- even non-profits.

Needless to say, I could not hold back for the week to get done. I called and told them coffee was on me and that they could count me in every way! They knew the minute they saw me that they had indeed found a soul mate.

Factoid:
Man Smart. Woman Smarter (How could I resist)

Men have 6.5 times more gray matter in their brains than women do. Women have 10times more white matter. Gray matter creates processing centers in the brain, and white matter creates the connections between them. In other words, men have lots of areas for processing concrete data -- like mathematical equations -- and women have lots of connections that allow them to see and process patterns [Source: Live Science] :)

Kashmir: Paradise lost? more....

"Ro rahi hai ye zameen,
Ro raha hai aasamaan..."

"The Earth is shedding tears,
The sky is shedding tears"

I understand the sentiment... I hope we all understand the true implications of our actions.

Do we want to go with one side or the other? Is going one way really better than the other? Have we looked at all our options? Is there another invisible party involved? Will any one side much rather keep fueling the unrest in that region? So many questions...



Well- some of my answers- still getting clarity on some came in from a surprising source- NPR. NPR or National Public Radio has been my source of good, unbiased opinion from a mix of interviews and very level headed comments from listeners. I'm talking about this afternoon broadcast that came about the NorthWest province in Pakistan and exactly what was going on.

The Taliban, the law enforcements and the locals. A triangle, right? But no- that's not what it is. There is so much more to it than meets the eye. The locals are tired of innocents getting shot. Don't know if you know this but very much like Kashmir, the NorthWest Province is one of the most picturesque places in the world. Just like Kashmir, their main economy was tourism. Now, all the people who could afford to move out, have moved out of that area. The people who stay on are staying there because they don't have a choice and after all, they are Paththaans! Paththaans are too proud and and loyal to abandon the place their birthplace.

They are not thrilled about the fact that the only economy that works there is the war economy. And their description of 'War economy' is not the sale of guns but rather a funny equation that the politics in that region has going there, an it is the same equation that has come in to play wherever the USA has tried to play the Big Brother/Bully and tried to make things work a certain way.

Don't get it? It is simple- USA begs Pakistan to help combat terrorism. Pakistan says- it is hard- they would need to take a stand against other Muslim countries. USA pressures them. Pakistan says OK.. but it will cost a lot. USA eagerly agrees to keep paying for supposedly keeping things under control. Does it make sense for anyone to really do anything to control the outbursts? Why should they do anything other than keep a straight face and say they are doing their best. At the end of the day, both law-enforcers and the Taliban take a share of the US pay-off and US feels they are doing their share- they are, after all footing the bill.

And can the US simply bury its head in sand and hope everything will be fine - the storm blow over by the time they look up? Can the US face the generations to come and say they really understood the situation? It is not the US at fault either- with no real understanding of how things work in those parts of the world, they are simply at a loss. Not familiar with the traditions and the culture of the region- they are hoping the ones the have chosen to sleep with, will be faithful.

Am I accusing Pakistan? Heavens no! It is the birthplace of my ancestors I would never wish anything bad to happen to Pakistan or the people there. Ever. But I do not like lazy politics. I am against politicians who put their own interests ahead of other all the time.

Am I happy with the way Indian politicians are making this turn in to a communal fight? No. I am ashamed of the fact that Indian politicians have been actively fueling the fire- not letting the wounds heal. So easily forgetting the fact that it has always been the Kashmiris who made sure all the yatras (pilgrimages) went on smoothly for all these years.

Same story for Kashmir as far as the violence goes. The right to vote for their choice of whether they want to stay with India, or Pakistan or frankly be on their own, should not be mixed with this. That is a fundamental right that the people have and they should be given a choice to do that.

That said, all of Kashmir should be allowed to stay violence free and truly peaceful for say a period of 12 months and then let all of Kashmir vote. Independent or not, it should be the people's choice.

And the people need to understand that their vote should not be an emotional vote.They have to understand that their vote will affect the generations to come.



All I can say is-

"O saare jag ke rakhwaale,
Nirbal ko, Bal dene waale;
Balwaano ko, De de, gyan.

Allah tero naam,
Ishwar tero naam.
Sab ko sammati de Bhagwaan."

Not a perfect translation-

"O caretaker of the whole world,
The One who give strength to the weak;
Please give some wisdom to the strong.

Some call you Allah, While others call you Ishwar.
Please give everyone the ability to think and do good."

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