WEEKEND LIGHTER: Dr Rajan, the teacher
WEEKEND LIGHTER: Dr Rajan, the teacher
(April 16/17, 2016, No. 16/2016)
Weekend
Lighter is posted every Saturday @mgwarrier.blogspot.in
I
Opening remarks: Fire works
Here, one wishes, our
efforts to reduce ‘man-made calamities’ go beyond the traditional
“Shmasaanavairagya”, as and when a tragedy visits. The shocking revelations
about deaths caused across the country in fire accidents should be an
eye-opener for policy makers and those in charge of enforcement of fire-safety
measures. Preventive measures and respect for safety guidelines are conspicuous
by their absence. From the accident in Kollam on April 10, 2016 to possible
hazards due to piling up nuclear arms awaiting an occasion to destroy the
neighbour or a distant enemy, are man-made and those in charge of governance across
nations are responsible for them. Till such awareness dawns, calamities will be
followed by expression of sympathy and doling out some charity by governments
and the rich.
II
Recent Responses
April 17, 2016
Rajan’s communication skills
This
refers to the report “India ‘one eyed’ king in land of blind, says Rajan”
(Business Standard, April 17). India has immensely benefited from the
communication skill of Dr Raghuram Rajan ever since he returned to India in
2013. Whether he is making a speech in an international forum or interacting
with students in an educational institution somewhere in Kerala, Dr Rajan talks
with the ease of a professor addressing his students in a classroom. This gives
him a prominent position among the trio comprising himself, Prime Minister Modi
and Arvind Kejriwal who together woke up the giant in India during the current
decade.
While
Kejriwal combined the civil services discipline and the ability to look at
things in right perspective to create awareness about the mess in which the
greed of the rich and the powerful had landed this country and Modi reinforced
the capacity of the country to stand up and talk in international community on
India’s terms, Dr Rajan takes care of ensuring that the Indian financial sector
takes regular health checks to ensure sustainable economic growth. His catch
phrases ‘A pig doesn’t become beautiful by applying lipstick’, ‘Make for
India’, ‘Don’t fixit, if it isn’t broken’, reference to ‘traffic signal’
approach to monetary policy management by central banks and so on to the
present reference to the ‘one eyed’ king have much deeper messages which the
audience do appreciate and ponder over for long. These are used by Rajan the
teacher (which role was appreciated by Prime Minister Modi when he attended a
function at RBI during April 2015).
M G Warrier,
Mumbai
April
14, 2016
Plain
atrocious!*
This refers to the report
“RBI has no defaulters’ list! Central bank says compiling it will divert
resources” (The Hindu Business Line, April 14). The caption and the
insinuations in the report are wild and atrocious. RBI is not expected to keep
a defaulters’ list of the banks/financial institutions it regulates. Do not ask
me to go back to the Supreme Court order asking the central bank to submit a list
of a particular class of wilful bank defaulters in a particular manner by a
particular date. That is a matter before the Apex Court and let us allow the
court to do its duty. Let us not talk and act on behalf of judiciary.
Not just RBI, it is
impossible for CAG to keep track of defaulters to central and state government
departments and statutory bodies audited, for SEBI to compile on an ongoing
basis list of companies which are not collecting their dues promptly or for
that matter for any regulator/supervisor to do book-keeping for other
organisations. RTI Act doesn’t expect such compilation of data.
Banking, like equity
markets is sensitive to violation of trust and as Usha Thorat indirectly
mentioned, let us not destroy an institutional system which is still working
well in India.
M
G Warrier, Mumbai
*Submitted version.
Published in HBL on April 15, 2016
April
12, 2016
21st
Century biographies*
Apropos “Rajat Gupta pens
inside story” (Business Standard, April 12), one feels grateful to Rajat Gupta
for the promise that he will attempt to answer the toughest question yet for a
person of his stature, namely “How do you maintain peace and dignity in the
most difficult circumstances?” As he rightly presumes, first person answers to
such questions encountered in trying situations by individuals will help the
youth who get confused, watching the goings on in the present day world. As the
aftermath of Panama leaks, one Prime Minister had to step down. At the other
end in Kollam in Kerala, defiance to law of the land by some vested interests
has resulted in loss of over hundred lives and severe injury suffered by few
hundreds. A young Collector, who issued orders what she thought right, is
struggling to help out the victims of a tragedy caused by blatant violation of
her orders!
This takes us to the
basic question as to whether respect for ‘rule of law’ is on the decline in 21st
Century. In our country with the present level of literacy, public opinion is
managed by political leadership and media. Perhaps, youth and all those who
were fortunate to get educated and employed need to participate in governances
more effectively by expressing their views. Elders who are able to interact
with citizens by any means including social media need to play a proactive role
in educating the less privileged to think in terms of performing their duties
and responsibilities for the overall benefit of the country.
Media should go beyond
improving their outreach through ‘breaking news’ and ‘prime time melas’ and
devote some time for spreading awareness about honesty, ethical behaviour and
safe and clean living. If memoirs like this enlightens people to avoid the
traps into which people like Rajat Gupta had fallen, publishing such memoirs by
itself will benefit society.
M
G Warrier, Mumbai
*Submitted version. The
letter was published on April 13, 2016
III
Leisure
Sweet Memories*
Calgary -2
The lovely morning Sun
Shy of emitting heat
In the dazzling white snow
Breaking into the cool dark homes
Courteously spreads the bright light.
Skylarks flying high
Watching the deer’s merry run
Collect the soft branches of dry trees
Only to make a beautiful nest
For their eggs to grow to safe wings.
Rabbits white and lumpy
Rolling and running
Playing in the snow carpet of my backyard
Enjoying all the smiles of nature
On the waning winter’s Calgary
****
* Poem received from Dr Yerram Raju on
April 7, 2016 as part of an initiative ‘Pyramid Poems’. One received from my
son under the same initiative appeared las week @WL.
M G Warrier
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