Dear loneliness, Long time, no see? Just kidding. We’ve known each other for quite a while now. By now you’d be well versed with details like my favorite song and the woman I secretly a…

Source: Dear loneliness, long time no see? Just kidding

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.”
― Joseph Conrad

Its International Women’s day and the world celebrates ( or at least says it celebrates ) the giver of life.

The past week saw a lot of hue and cry over the BBC Documentary.

People coming out and voicing their opinions for and against the video being released.  Some say it’s a conspiracy by the Britishers to put all Indians in bad light , some say we needed to hear it how bad the actual rapist thinks.

Here I will try to voice my concerns about what I thought was right and what I strongly think is wrong with the Documentary.

The documentary tries to echo the truth we already know how the rapists thinks, how the lawyers who defends such act think, how a lot of other people in society think about women and their dressing style. There is nothing new only an illustration of what we have known for years.

Some people say its heartening to see that even after being sentenced to death the rapist shows no remorse, he has no change in ideas. Exactly the legal system cannot make a person feel guilty that is something which comes from within. If the person had any kind of ideals in the first place he wouldn’t have thought about such a heinous act let alone committing it. What else do you expect him to say ? That guy will still try to defend his actions that is how his world works. Making a hue and cry out of what a rapist thinks will lead us no where!!!
Thanks to  the BBC documentary we only get a strong endorsement of what was already known to us.

Next about the lawyers there thoughts about women being so derogatory. Yes this took me aback I always knew that a major mindset in India is about women’s austerity as they call it ( the word even doesn’t make sense ) but what they say is quite hollow. This coming from such highly educated men is really shameful. I always thought a lawyer always weighs his words carefully but what can you expect from this guy who puts the blame on the victim.

What’s wrong with the documentary ?

A lot of things, first of all I found it too dramatized. I don’t know a shit about film making but everything was painted in way which portrayed all the men alike. Without being cynical I feel like the story was told in a way which was disrespectful to even Nirbhaya, she was a normal girl don’t glorify her life. Rapes happens to a normal girl  their is no way a storytelling should over dramatize it. She was one among us period.

Leslee Udwin has come out portraying that all Indian men as rapists. Who talks about the men who come to protest such heinous acts?  Take an example of Sergeant Bapi Sen who died while protecting a girl from eve teasers. ( Read here ) a story still alive in my memory since I was in Class VIII and this was a heroic thing in Kolkata those days.

The use of the name of the girl which the Parents are objecting. How can you neglect the pain of the victims when trying to put a word forward. Was taking her name and giving so much intrinsic details about her life so important for the documentary filmmaker to put her word forward. Not at all. That to me is plain sensationalism and arrogance.

Does this portray Indians in a bad sense : Yes it does. A junior of mine received a mail from a professor in Germany that he has heard a lot of men are rapists in India and so he doesn’t accept Indian male interns.
That’s the ripple effect it causes. And by trying to ban it, it has only gained popularity.

In the end all I would like to say :

Should you watch it?  : Yes

Should you feel bad about how sick a significant chunk of society thinks ?: Yes

Should you regret being an Indian male ? No

There is lot to do and lot can be done, it starts form you. Learn to respect women first by yourself in your daily deeds. The butterfly effect will take care of the rest.

Disclaimer : This is not based on facts and numbers. No strong Financial Analysis. Its just my perspective on what was right or wrong about this particular railway budget. I have been always trying to write something on the current issues be it political or economics related but never could reach that publish button. So my first try at this.

“Rail Budget : Full Steam Ahead” – Mint 

“Fare Enough , Mr Prabhu ” – The Economic Times

“Prabhu Fires up Investment Engine” – The Business Standard

These headlines in turn sum up that this budget has been well received by the journalists and the industry as a whole. The most stark feature of the budget – It is the most consumer focused budget without being populist at all.

Have you ever heard of Indian Railway Budget without announcement of new trains, I can’t recall  ever – even the interim budgets roles out a few of these. Then comes the bickering by politicians that the minister favored his own state and all that crap. Most of the trains don’t even get launched by the next budget. So a welcome departure from this tradition.

Suresh Prabhu when was chosen as the Railway Minister everyone expected him to bring his efficacy in planning and execution to the Indian Railways as well. And the minister didn’t disappoint. The white paper released on Indian Railways current state clearly identifies the loopholes and lays the fine blueprint for the change Indian Railways needs. The Budget was just a reflection of it.

For me the Budget in whole was more profound in the way it was grounded in laying out well structured long and short term goals for the Railways yet there was an alignment with PM Modi’s grand plan of “Make In India” campaign. The rail budget envisions an investment plan of Rs 8.5 trillion  over the next 5 years which will in turn have a ripple effect with fortunes of steel companies, more foreign investment in railways and  overall the manufacturing industry

The bold vision of increasing the freight capacity by almost 50% ( which accounts for 64.4% of the revenues of the railways ) is the right and the required step. He plans to improve the operating ratio to 88.5%.

There was more power to the federal structure in lines with the recommendations of the Financial Commission. The investment plan called in for more collaboration with the new stakeholders – the state governments to state run and private firms. The proposal of a regulator in PPP mechanism will bring in more transparency to the budget.

And the major focus  Consumers. No populism in my sense just pure common sense. If you want passengers to pay higher you will need to provide them better services. A sling of measures in that futuristic vision with the allocation for passenger amenities up by 67%. “Operation 5 minutes” for issuing unreserved tickets, hot buttons, coin-vending machines all on reducing ticket less travel. Bio Toilets, online catering, multilingual e ticketing portal all just adding to benefits for the consumer. More General coaches focusing on the inclusiveness of the amenities being rolled out. NID being handed the task of redesigning the ladder ( we all know how much pain it is currently). Braille enabled coaches and wider entrances for differently-abled passengers all point out to the small things being taken care of  to make the travel more pleasure and safe for all.

Some arguments that I came across was that the goals are too audacious to be achieved, but I feel that the plan has been laid out in a significantly structured way. The source of funds to implement such a huge makeover of the Indian railways is significantly sound if not watertight. And when you want to bring a change then you will have to make an effort to think out of the box. Hats off to Mr Prabhu for doing exactly that. How much he achieves is for all us to see but he has certainly made a honest effort towards making Indian Railways more effective and efficient if not world class.

P.S:

While writing this the Econmoic Survey is out and that is some good news. I have used a few facts and my views are based on what I could gather from the newspapers and the railway budget in whole and is just my take of the budget.