Swiss Black Money - Much Ado About Nothing

How shrill was the hue and cry about black money stowed away in Switzerland! Estimates ran to the tune of several tens of thousands of crores in the far away tax haven and it was prophesied that confiscation of the money will put an end to all of our economic woes.

Not any more..

Switzerland has publicized the amount of money illegally stashed away in the Alpine republic. And the amount does not seem to be staggering, by any scale we may care to apply - a mere 14,000 crore rupees!

Suppose for now, that the government succeeded in bringing all the depositors to account and forced them to pay taxes for the till now hidden wealth (government can only make them pay taxes, and cannot confiscate all of it). The highest tax rate in the country is 30%. The maximum that can be obtained is thus Rs. 4,200 crores.

This is paltry sum, as far as the needs of a big nation like India is concerned.

Remember, during the last Deepavali, we used up fire crackers worth Rs. 4,500 crores.

So, the scramble for black money ends in a whimper.

Much ado about nothing! 

Cleaning the Ganga

Ganga was a highly polluted river even in the 17th century

Cleaning of the river Ganga has obtained a place of prime importance in the new government's agenda due to factors more sentimental than concerns about value for invested money. However, the socio-economic relevance of this mighty river on the Indian mind cannot be denied. In the long run, cleaning of the river would certainly be beneficial to the country and its people in the northern states.

However, the cleaning party must read history before attempting anything solid on the spot. It has been our avowed practice to blame riparian industries for whatever pollution seen manifested in the water body. Industrial contamination of water indeed is a factor of concern, but the industry should not be singled out for the sorry plight of the Ganga. There is historical evidence that even before these industries began, the Ganga was a heavily polluted river. That's the reason why the river cleaners should read history first.

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French jewel merchant who travelled extensively in India between the years 1636 and 1662, overlapping the reigns of Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb. Apart from business, he compiled several volumes of his travelogue which were published from 1675 to 1684. It makes interesting reading what he records near the city of Varanasi in those days. Tavernier says that "Claude Maille, who practised both surgery and medicine advised us not to drink any of the Ganges water, which would produce disturbance of the stomach, but to drink rather the water from wells". If this was the condition of the river in the 17th century, the problem lies deeper than mere industrial contamination and the policy makers should not lose sight of this fact.

At least, an awareness of what went wrong in the past would detain us from making the same mistake again!

(Book referred was published by Low Price Publications, 2007 under the title 'Travels in India' by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, translated by Dr. Valentine Ball, ISBN 81-7536-206-5, see pages 95-96)

Pragmatism of Indian Society

Hinduism is riddled with caste and the dynamics it enforces on its members. Untouchability is banned by law, but we know it still exists openly in some isolated places and secretly in the minds of most of us, to be frank. When the issue of marriage crops up, a partner is invariably to be found from one's own caste. And, some even select their friends from the same caste. Thus we say, Hinduism is split into compartments made water-tight by the injunctions of caste dynamics. 

As I remarked before, if one were asked in the future to list out reasons why Hinduism failed and disappeared, caste will be the numero-uno item in that list. It debilitates the body social, splits people unnecessarily on an imaginary criterion and sows dissent. It seems like the withered trunk of Hinduism needs only a shove for the entire tree to come down to a crash.

But still, the religion flourishes and even displays the skill of adaptation to new realities on the economic, social and political fronts. Isn't this a paradox?

The answer to this paradox came out in this general election in which Narendra Modi single-handedly lifted his party from oblivion and rode an unbelievable wave of popular support which silenced all critics and spellbound all opponents. And this, even after he publicly announced his backward caste origins at election rallies. But this was only an anti-climax, because he declared a fact which was known to everybody! We Indians have a sixth-sense of identifying a person's caste after a very few doses of interaction. 

But the redeeming issue at focus is the acceptance of the leader, by all sections of the Hindu society. It didn't become an obstacles for the upper castes to vote for a lower caste leader. Every section of the society forgot their caste affiliations and shared a thought that was percolating through the social mind - whether justified or not. It is often said that "in democracy, people cast their votes, but in India, people vote their caste". This adage was proved false in this election, when all castes came in support of a lower-caste leader and to put him in the most powerful chair of the country.

May be this resilience in the face of a crying need is what instils Hinduism with its vitality and stamina to go strong in a changing world? There may be castes - thousands of them, in fact - but the ability to think and act out of the confines of it has not dried up in the Hindu mind. 

And this sense of acceptance and accommodation makes me surprised pleasantly at the pragmatism of Indian society!

Congratulations and a Word to Narendra Modi

Amazing and stunning! At a loss for words to describe this tremendous victory in the near history of the country. We all thought that the era of single-party rule was over. We reconciled ourselves to the sorry spectacle of corrupt, parochial politicians flexing their muscles in Delhi for petty issues concerning their states. We noted with regret the sight of the nation's prime minister waiting for diktats coming from state headquarters. And some of us even wondered whether the luxury of 'multiparty' democracy can be afforded by third-world countries like ours. When the situation demanded on-the-moment decisions, we had to sit back and wait for consensus to emerge.

Thankfully, it all has ended. One party has secured absolute majority in the House. Obviously, it is part of an alliance, whose partners must be respected and heard before taking policy decisions. But the entire scenario is different. Small, regional parties may concur with strong, national parties, but in no way shall they hold the country to ransom. With absolute majority for the national party, the local ones will automatically come under strict discipline. This must look like a moment of redeeming Indian democracy, when our children look back to this result in a future age, with the benefit of hindsight.

Congratulations, Narendra Modi, on this greatest day of your life. You made great promises, you evoked immense hope, you commanded respect, and you provided a political role model for the youth of the country.

This is no time to rest on your laurels.

India has won and we believe that good days are ahead, as you promised today. Yes, you can. Or rather, together we can! Understandably, the minorities are a little ruffled on your party getting a majority on its own for they had counted on the chance that you would be under the moderating influence of your allies. You shall not differentiate people on the basis of religion. There must not be any appeasement of anyone, but there should be equal justice for all. And equal opportunities.

It is time to take some hard economic decisions. You shall not flinch when the hour comes.

 Our defense is paramount. But there is no alternative for good relations with our neighbours. And there's Kashmir too. We know that you'd done some homework on this issue and tried to initiate a dialogue with separatists. This must be continued. We must talk from a point of strength. Towards Pakistan, your challenge will be to find the right ratio of rhetoric, dialogue and military manouvres.

America once denied you a visa on some laughable accusations. Hope they'll see reason now, and there are indications that a fruitful relationship is possible. You shall not keep grudges towards them for what had happened. This is important as China is still a problem for us.

Corruption is a grave issue for this poor country. You shall uphold your spotless track record. You should watch over your colleagues who might be unscrupulous.

And, one more item before I stop. This is a great moment for the Sangh Parivar. Its mighty propaganda machinery had its most splendid success in history. But, the RSS should now take a back seat. Comments you must give, but not directions, particularly on the economic front. There are people who know it better than you do, really!

This is a historic moment when a son of the backward classes who once sold tea for livelihood ascend the Prime Ministerial chair. This occasion is so cherishable.

Best of luck and may you begin an administrative career which later generations would definitely call Modi-1.

Coconut Oil - Tests for Detecting Adulteration

Coconut oil is the most common cooking medium in Kerala. Since its price is now on an escalating spiral, lot of adulterants are added to it - like base oil, paraffin oil, palm oil and the like. How to detect presence of additives in the coconut oil we consume? Here is a simple test and other elaborate chemical tests recommended for detection.

Simple test

Place a small bottle of oil in refrigerator. Coconut oil solidifies leaving the adulterant as a Separate layer. 

Chemical tests on edible oils in general

1. Detection of Mobil oil

Take a little amount (20 drops) of the sample in a test tube. Add 10 drops of alcoholic potash. Heat the tube on the flame of a spirit lamp to decolourize the mixture. Add 10 drops of dichloroquinol chloride. Heat the tube again. The appearance of blue colour indicates the presence of a compound of triorthocrysyle phosphate (TOCP) which contributes to incidence of paralysis. Traces of this compound in edible oil to an admixture of edible oil with mobil oil.

2. Rancidity

Take a little amount (3 ml) of the sample in a test tube. Add in it 3 ml of hydrochloric acid. Plug the mouth of the test tube. Shake the tube to mix up the contents thoroughly. Add 3 ml of 0.1% phloroglucinol solution in ether. Shake the tube vigorously for 2 minutes and keep it aside. Examine the tube after half an hour. A red or pink colouration in acid layer indicates that the oil sample in rancid.

3. Cyanide

Take a little amount (3 ml) of the sample in a test tube. Add 10 drops of alcoholic potash and heat the tube on the flame of a spirit lamp. Make an addition of a little amount of each of ferrous sulphate and ferric chloride in the test tube and shake it to mix up the contents thoroughly. Add 3 ml of hydrochloric acid. A blue colouration indicates the presence of hydrocyanic acid which gets produced due to presence of cyanide in edible oil.

4. Prohibited Colour

Take a little amount (20 drops) of the sample in each of 4 test tubes. Prepare 3 different solutions, mixing up 1 part of distilled water, 3 parts of distilled water and 4 parts of distilled water. Add 2 ml of each solution in each of 3 test tubes and add 2 ml of hydrochloric acid in the fourth test tube. Shake each tube to mix up the contents thoroughly. A rosy colouration in the mixture of any tube indicates the presence of prohibited colour in edible oil.

Indira Kanwar and the Road to Ayodhya

Farrukh-siyar receiving Ajit Singh

It is an astonishing fact for historians and sociologists alike, that Hinduism managed to hold on to India, its home, for so long. The historical path was definitely no bed of roses. Religious aggression from abroad that lasted for nearly a millennium, occupation by aliens, gruesome superstitions like sati, and oppressive practices like untouchability and castes – the list is a long one, which could have been proposed, had the religion been rooted out of India. In fact, what is more natural than the abandonment of such an ideology, that clung on to concepts incompatible with modernity? But still, owing a large part to its unorganized character and the flexibility it conferred, coupled with its readiness to assimilation of ideas, especially under duress, helped Hinduism still going strong in its home country, which only Islam could claim among the other major religions.

Muslim sultans who ruled the land in the Medieval period tried all weapons in their arsenal to convert the country into a dar ul Islam (abode of Islam), but failed. Forcible conversions, destruction of temples, imposition of the hated poll-tax jizya, grabbing of women from aristocratic families to harems, preferential tax rates for Muslim traders (2.5%, whereas it was 3.5% for Jews and 5% for Hindus), discrimination in the employment of political power - the clever little stratagems were endless. And yet, Hinduism survived. I think we can pinpoint a moment in time when the Hindu resurgence categorically took root and made a point of no return. However, this is definitely a simplification of the complex processes operating over a large period of time and need not be taken much more seriously than the conventional practice of assigning the beginning of Middle Ages to the Sacking of Rome in 476 and the end of it on the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. This post is my idea of such a moment shortly after the death of Mughal emperor Farrukh-siyar in 1719. There is no denying that this event is related in its inspiration from the successful campaigns of Hindu chieftains who stood up against the Mughals to make their point. The Rana of Mewar and Shivaji comes to mind. But, there was a sense of finality when they were defeated. Shivaji was only subdued, but his descendants got the nerve to go forward only after the incident I am going to narrate.

The Rajputs were handsome, fair and aristocratic. Their princesses were routinely demanded by Mughal emperors as concubines in a kind of tribute after military victory over them. These women were converted to Islam before marriage itself and then not allowed to visit their homes ever again. When such a lady died, the body ended up in a Muslim cemetery. Even Aurangzeb, the most bigoted among them, continued the custom. But the stream of Mughal inventiveness had started drying up during the reign of Aurangzeb himself. After his death in 1707, weak princes carried on the mantle and Farrukh-siyar ascended the throne in 1713, after a fratricidal war of succession.

Meanwhile, the Rajput states were in veiled revolt against the imperial authority for the past 50 years or so. Bahadur Shah, the deceased emperor had been unable to reduce them effectively. Ajit Singh, chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs and ruling from Jodhpur found the time ideal for some adventures of his choice. He forbade cow killing, stopped the call for prayer (azan) from the Alamgiri mosque, ejected Mughal officers from Jodhpur, destroyed their houses and occupied Ajmer, a holy site for Muslims. Even with severely curtailed power, these things couldn’t be tolerated by the central authority. Farrukh-siyar immediately delegated Sayyid Husain Ali Khan, brother of Sayyid Abdullah Khan, the Wazir, to lead the march against Jodhpur. The king had the secret objective of turning at least one of the Sayyid brothers out of Delhi, as he rightfully suspected intrigue, judging by the power the brothers enjoyed. The army reached Jodhpur in January 1714, but adopting a much used Rajput tactic, Ajit Singh fled.

The commanders called a council of war and put forward two options before the Rajput chief who accepted defeat without even fighting. Either he must be killed and his severed head sent to the emperor or his son surrendered as a hostage and his daughter offered as bride to the emperor. It didn’t take much time or moral compunction for Ajit Singh to choose between the two. His son, Abhai Singh, was to accompany Husain Ali Khan to court and his daughter, Bai Indira Kanwar (Inder Kunwar) was to be offered in marriage to the emperor in the mode styled ‘Dola’ (informal marriage).

The girl was delivered at Delhi in September 1715 and on repetition of the creed, admitted to the Muslim faith. The marriage rites were scheduled on the night a few days later by the chief Qazi of the court. One lakh gold coins were entered in the deed as dowry. The bride temporarily stayed at the residence of her captor and the emperor entered the residence as scheduled and completed the usual ceremonies. At this point, the ulema and the more orthodox-minded of the courtiers witnessed events not to their tastes – for the first time in Mughal history. The rites on this occasion were a mix of Muslim and Hindu traditions. One which caused much remark was the drink offered to the guests – a mix of rose-water, sugar and opium, which horrified the hardliners. But it was pressed on them on the plea that it was the custom of Rajputs. As can be expected on similar occasions even today, many Muslims drank it, but a few objected.

Farrukh-siyar’s reign and life was however short. The tussle between the king and his Wazir (chief minister) grew to serious proportions. Each side plotted secretly against the other, but professed warm relations in public. Farrukh-siyar wanted to depose the Wazir, but lacked the courage and tact to get it implemented. The Wazir, meanwhile, replaced all court officials with persons loyal to him alone. It took only three years for the feud to erupt in public and in 1719, the Wazir imprisoned the king and ruled as a regent. Farrukh-siyar was murdered in cold blood under custody.

Sanguinary succession struggle was the hall mark of Mughal inheritance. The entire drama was re-enacted again at the death of the king. Ajit Singh, the dead king’s father in law, had assumed prominence in court in the meantime. He was assigned to Agra to quell an uprising in the fort. But Singh commenced to make excuses on the ground that, if he left his daughter, Farrukh-siyar’s widow, behind him, she would either poison herself or her name and fame would be assailed. Yielding to these pleas, Abdullah Khan made the lady over to her father – another first in Mughal annals. She performed a ceremony of purification in Hindu fashion and gave up her Muslim attire. With all her dowry collected back, she was sent back to Jodhpur with much fanfare. The Ulema was thunderstruck. The Qazi issued a ruling that the giving back of a convert was entirely opposed to Islamic law. But, in spite of the opposition, Abdullah Khan insisted on conciliating Ajit Singh so as to coerce at least one prince out of his growing horde of enemies. Thus ended the first episode of a woman reverting to the Hindu faith after she had converted and entered the imperial harem. Whenever such issues originated in the past, the ruling came invariably in favor of religious diktats and the administration siding with the qazis.

One thing led to another, and Delhi witnessed riots of a communal nature in the next decade. The ‘shoe-makers’ riot’ in 1729 was one such incident. The Muslims found themselves burdened with the necessity to take the offensive, whereas previously, the royal troops did it with ruthless efficiency at killing, pillaging and raping. Hindu resurgence was making its first faltering step and the stride continued to gather momentum. For a brief time, it expressed itself as the First War of Independence in 1857, then the Nationalist Movement and finally at the devastating incidents at Ayodhya in 1992. Shall we say that the steel which was used to mould the spade that brought down Babiri Masjid was cast on the day of the little incident of Indira Kanwar’s embracing her original faith again?

Greenland’s Allure

I read Jared Diamond’s Collapse – How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive. There is a section on Greenland in which the Old Norse society collapsed after 500 years of colonizing the icy sheet land in the North Atlantic Ocean. Diamond says he saw only three colours in Greenland – white, blue and black, with white dominating everywhere. Of course, the white is of the snow, blue of the ocean or occasionally the sky and black is the isolated rocks of sufficient height as to rise above the ice sheets. Green is visible only in very few patches of land. On one such stretch, he simply lay down and had a good sleep among "thick moss and dotted with abundant yellow buttercups, yellow dandelions, blue bluebells, white asters and pink willow herbs". A riot of colours amidst a sea of white, a point of hope among the barren vastness, a touch of comfort amid the sharp needles of immense coldness.

So many flowers out there, that I decided to see how they look like, just out of curiosity. The results are shown below.
 

Asters

Bluebells

Buttercups

Dandelions

Willow-herbs