After the last piece that I had written on this blog platform on the issue of corruption, I got very insightful comments from friends and well wishers. One of my friends questioned the lense of social innovation that I was applying to see the range of activities that have been initiated around us in the recent past regarding the anti corruption movement in India. These questions brought me to the cross roads of thoughts dealing with how does one define a social innovation. In the last blog articles, I did not deal with the definitional aspects of social innovation.
Some continuous thinking on these definitional aspects brought out the following dimensions which I thought to share with readers. The first set of question that emerged is – a) What is an innovation?. Some possible answers to these questions will be - it is a set of techniques, activities, thought processes that generate something new and also has certain element of uncertainty associated with it. Essentially, what these set of techniques, activities will help is getting aware of the abilities and capabilities that are ingrained or which have stayed latent and have the scope to generate a new stream of possibilities. These possibilities happen or not is not sure and hence lies the uncertainty with the outcome. These outcomes will very much depend on the process of innovation. It will also link to the way the existing, latent capabilities are harnessed and converted to fruitful outcomes.
In a society, existence of corruption at various levels can create a hindrance towards this fruitful conversion and can create barriers in harnessing of capabilities and abilities. Abilities are the potential that one is capable of and has been proved through past. Whereas capabilities are the future potential which can regenerate towards fruitful outcomes only through better processes. Rampant corruption in the institutional systems, governance structures can hinder these abilities, capabilities of individuals and can create laggards in functioning of the society. It is over here an anti corruption campaign can trigger off debates, create systems, processes, movements which can thereby help in larger fruitful transformation of abilities and capabilities of individuals in a social system. Because of this reason an anti corruption campaign might be seen as a type of innovation process and since it deals with better effective translation of abilities, capabilities of individuals in a society, it can be thought to be an instrument of social innovation. Though the question still exists that how far these movements can be seen as a social innovation process.
In this aspect of the interconnections between social innovation, capability and corruption, I will like to share an incident which will lead to further objectivities in the science of linking social innovation, capability and corruption. The incident happened while crossing a traffic signal of South Delhi in an auto. The auto in which I was travelling was stuck in a signal. Suddenly then, a person with a snake arrived and asked me to give money. Being irritated, bored with the indifference that I showed to him, he moved away after a while.
But what struck me with this incident was why these people have to do these jobs of getting money easily from people by playing around with the fears of people. Is this way of getting money easily by using snakes in traffic signals is also a kind of corruption? I was not sure with the questions neither with the answers. But if there is an alternative to engage these people in some other activities where their capabilities can be harnessed to generate livelihoods for them, should not that be tried: Or else if institutions, policies and systems are brought in place which harness the skills of these people and nurture their capabilities and shift them away from this money earning procedure should not that be tried. One can also ask if those mechanisms of chanelling the capabilities of these people are implemented then isn’t it a social innovation! This is because it will help them to move away from this way of money earning which to many can be a form of corrupt practice of gathering and collecting money. If that happens then can we call it a social innovation after cross referring to the concept of social innovation that we highlighted at the beginning of the write up.
One thing is clear, that it is not only essential to create the systems, mechanisms of harnessing the capabilities of these people for tackling the corrupt behavior of earning money. But, what needs to be done first is to motivate and incentivize this people so that they stop this practice. This will depend a lot on each of the individual and their psychologies with which they get engaged in this type of money gathering process. If I assume, that the guy who came with the snake and tried to collect money from me is a lover of wild life species like snake, then can he be engaged in snake preservation activities. If we can create a system that can ensure that conversion to take place then we will harness capabilities, freedom, skill and will bring in social innovation as a result of which corruption might also reduce. But let me pose another instance; say this guy who came with the snake has no passion about snake or wildlife and is just engaged in this because it is an easy earning option for him in the absence of alternative employment and livelihoods. Then a social innovation which will counter the corruption will happen only when this guy is directed to an alternative stream of income earning where he feels happy and thinks that he is nurturing his abilities and capabilities through that alternative stream. Here the role of policies, institutions, incentives will be a key. All these have to be bonded together to find out what is the option for this guy in a prioritized gradual mode. Immediately after that, actions have to be designed and taken so that transfer of this guy carrying the snake happens towards a new set of activity from the existing one. In the process he has to be constantly motivated to do this shift. Here the role of public policy will become very crucial. Without active public policy making and its effective implementation this social innovation harnessing the capabilities of the individuals with an objective of stopping corruption will not happen. And the day when it happens, may be we will see the same guy who was holding the snake in some other corner of the city to be engaged in a shop or in an activity where his real interest and capabilities lies upon.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
When does social reform follow the process of creative destruction?
Introduction to "Creative Destruction" term happened to me through some writings of Schumpeter during 2009. In terms of a student of "Social Science", once I got introduced to the logical reasoning process of "Creative Destruction", a realisation of noviceness creeped in. It was enhanced when I studied some other readings dealing with application of Schumpeterian thoughts in analysing innovation systems. Few readings are worth mentioning with this respect. Papers by Chris Freeman (studying the relationship between inequality, technology and economic growth), Bengt - Ake Lundvall (exploring the linkages between innovation systems and economic development) and Richard R. Nelson (assessing economic development using evolutionary economic theory) needs to be mentioned.
Now, the point is why I am mentioning about these papers. All these writers in their papers bring out a connection between innovation systems and economic development process. We all know that an economic development process is in many ways guided by social reforms and progress. Rather, these papers motivate us to think how the process of innovation systems, evolutionary economic theory (which counters neoclassical school) raises and pin points to several elements of innovation process that can be analysed to understand social reforms which underlines the development of a society around us. I will just take one activity as an indicator of social reform in this piece of write up.
Let us take the example of the entire set of activities that has been happening encircling around the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare. Now when I was reading about the innovation literature mainly following the writings of authors mentioned above, I thought even movements by Anna Hazare in today's context are a form of innovation in bringing changes in the processes by which social systems are operating.
These innovations are trying to constantly bring a change in the modes of operational structures of the institutions, rules that are guiding our day to day activities. Hence, I thought that why cant the integral components of innovation systems approach be applied in trying to understand these activities (Anti - Corruption Campaigns).
A major element of innovation is the presence of uncertainty associated with any activities which are integral components of innovation. Schumpeterian concept of uncertainty tells us that the actor who innovates cannot estimate the probability with which any new innovative action of his/her will bring the result for which the action was taken or originated. Here the concept of uncertainty in innovation is very similar to Frank Knight (Knight, F. {1921}, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (Boston:Houghton Mifflin)). Another important aspect of innovation is assimilation of new ideas leading to effective actions instead of only accumulation of new thoughts, ideas. Neoclassical school always talks of accumulation in explaining the behaviour of an economic system behaviour. But the evolutionary school of economics remind us of the importance of assimilation in changing an economy and towards the development of an economy. While reading about all these I was seeing that the anti corruption movement in India has most of these elements.
So, can we say an Anna Hazare campaign as an innovation to change the social systems as it closely follows the concept of uncertainty element of innovation as mentioned in the Schumpeterian way of explaining innovation. All these anti corruption campaign actors in many ways dont know the exact estimate of the probabilities of the success of their action. A large part of their success will also depend on how the social actors and systems assimilate these actions and implement it in their day to day actions. So it is not only about accumulation of more campaigns like these. But the success of these anti corruption campaigns as a social innovation process will depend on how much assimilation of these thoughts happen which will be measured by the effective translation of these ideas of social reforms towards implementable, practical, effective actions.
Another dimension of innovation systems is creative destruction. Schumpeter's writings on "Creative Destruction" suggests that any new innovation creates new markets where some firms loose out, become obsolete and new firms, market structure are born once they become obsolete. Technological innovation plays an important role in that dying out and birth of new firms leading to new market structures. But the question is whether a same mechanism of creative destruction will follow in the society. So analogically, a social innovation like anti corruption campaign has to destroy old corrupt institutional systems, processes and will have to give birth to new ones to maintain the analogy. The answer to these are very unknown to all of us in India at this stage. But that should not stop us from thinking about them.
So the anti corruption campaigns can be identified as a part of social innovation process as they have two traits of innovation - viz. a) role of uncertainty in innovation and b) role of assimilation in determining the success of innovation. Further they might or might not follow a process of "creative destruction" pattern of innovation systems depending on many other social, political and economic factors. It is not clear to me to what extent these anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation process. But after doing only little literature review on innovation systems and economic development, these overlapping areas of innovation systems in studying social systems was coming on mind. I am not yet clear about any definitive conclusion about whether anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation processes or not. But that doesnot stop any of us to think, write, debate and exchange more thoughts on these issues. These debates only will give a definite direction on whether we can call "Anti Corruption" campaigns or any social reform as a social innovation system process. And this will always raise one question in the minds of all those debate lovers. That question will be - "When does social reforms follow the process of creative destruction?"
Reference:
Freeman, C . (2011), "Technology, inequality and economic growth", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 11 - 24
Lundvall, B. (2011), "Notes on innovation systems and economic development", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 25 - 38
Nelson, R. (2011), "Economic development as an evolutionary process", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 39 - 49
Now, the point is why I am mentioning about these papers. All these writers in their papers bring out a connection between innovation systems and economic development process. We all know that an economic development process is in many ways guided by social reforms and progress. Rather, these papers motivate us to think how the process of innovation systems, evolutionary economic theory (which counters neoclassical school) raises and pin points to several elements of innovation process that can be analysed to understand social reforms which underlines the development of a society around us. I will just take one activity as an indicator of social reform in this piece of write up.
Let us take the example of the entire set of activities that has been happening encircling around the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare. Now when I was reading about the innovation literature mainly following the writings of authors mentioned above, I thought even movements by Anna Hazare in today's context are a form of innovation in bringing changes in the processes by which social systems are operating.
These innovations are trying to constantly bring a change in the modes of operational structures of the institutions, rules that are guiding our day to day activities. Hence, I thought that why cant the integral components of innovation systems approach be applied in trying to understand these activities (Anti - Corruption Campaigns).
A major element of innovation is the presence of uncertainty associated with any activities which are integral components of innovation. Schumpeterian concept of uncertainty tells us that the actor who innovates cannot estimate the probability with which any new innovative action of his/her will bring the result for which the action was taken or originated. Here the concept of uncertainty in innovation is very similar to Frank Knight (Knight, F. {1921}, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (Boston:Houghton Mifflin)). Another important aspect of innovation is assimilation of new ideas leading to effective actions instead of only accumulation of new thoughts, ideas. Neoclassical school always talks of accumulation in explaining the behaviour of an economic system behaviour. But the evolutionary school of economics remind us of the importance of assimilation in changing an economy and towards the development of an economy. While reading about all these I was seeing that the anti corruption movement in India has most of these elements.
So, can we say an Anna Hazare campaign as an innovation to change the social systems as it closely follows the concept of uncertainty element of innovation as mentioned in the Schumpeterian way of explaining innovation. All these anti corruption campaign actors in many ways dont know the exact estimate of the probabilities of the success of their action. A large part of their success will also depend on how the social actors and systems assimilate these actions and implement it in their day to day actions. So it is not only about accumulation of more campaigns like these. But the success of these anti corruption campaigns as a social innovation process will depend on how much assimilation of these thoughts happen which will be measured by the effective translation of these ideas of social reforms towards implementable, practical, effective actions.
Another dimension of innovation systems is creative destruction. Schumpeter's writings on "Creative Destruction" suggests that any new innovation creates new markets where some firms loose out, become obsolete and new firms, market structure are born once they become obsolete. Technological innovation plays an important role in that dying out and birth of new firms leading to new market structures. But the question is whether a same mechanism of creative destruction will follow in the society. So analogically, a social innovation like anti corruption campaign has to destroy old corrupt institutional systems, processes and will have to give birth to new ones to maintain the analogy. The answer to these are very unknown to all of us in India at this stage. But that should not stop us from thinking about them.
So the anti corruption campaigns can be identified as a part of social innovation process as they have two traits of innovation - viz. a) role of uncertainty in innovation and b) role of assimilation in determining the success of innovation. Further they might or might not follow a process of "creative destruction" pattern of innovation systems depending on many other social, political and economic factors. It is not clear to me to what extent these anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation process. But after doing only little literature review on innovation systems and economic development, these overlapping areas of innovation systems in studying social systems was coming on mind. I am not yet clear about any definitive conclusion about whether anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation processes or not. But that doesnot stop any of us to think, write, debate and exchange more thoughts on these issues. These debates only will give a definite direction on whether we can call "Anti Corruption" campaigns or any social reform as a social innovation system process. And this will always raise one question in the minds of all those debate lovers. That question will be - "When does social reforms follow the process of creative destruction?"
Reference:
Freeman, C . (2011), "Technology, inequality and economic growth", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 11 - 24
Lundvall, B. (2011), "Notes on innovation systems and economic development", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 25 - 38
Nelson, R. (2011), "Economic development as an evolutionary process", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 39 - 49
Friday, August 5, 2011
"Harassment Bribe" and "Institutions"
Since the upsurge in the news of corruption in the country, I have been trying to stay stoic to these news and continue doing the daily job of being insync with the project related research. But this stoicism to the loud news' of corruption didnot stay long. As a first step, I thought to read the latest article written by distinguished professor, author, thinker Kaushik Basu titled - ""Why for a class of bribes, the act of giving a bribe should be treated as legal" - Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi - 1.
The article has been uploaded on the web for wider public reading and invoking thoughts on the minds of every Indian regarding the issue of corruption.
Professor Basu discusses of a particular instrument called "harassment bribe" in this article. In short words he has defined what are "harassment bribe" and when do they arise in a system. Typically it is a bribe which has to be given to a bribe taker to enable the bribe giver to claim and get access to something to which he/she is entitled to. Thus this bribe helps the giver to avoid the harassment and have a claim on his/her right to something. This something can be an asset or any property or any good over which the bribe giver has a full right and is being harassed by the bribe taker towards getting this right to access the property/good/or something tangible.
The article discusses of the incentive structures of the bribe giver, taker and the regulatory, legal paradigms in which harassment bribes get enhanced in a system. These bribes are rampant in several blocks of the system and in our day to day life. We as common Indian have observed, sensed situations where giving little bribe induces the bribe taker to act fast and provide the giver the right or the facility to which he/she is legally entitled.
In many of our day to day scenarios, from the bribe giver point of view, the act of giving the bribe has an incentive as it fastens the procedure of claiming the right and reduces the transaction costs thereby bringing efficiency in the functioning of the institutional systems in which the bribe giver and taker is operating. The taker becomes happy with the illegal payment and does the job and stops harassing the bribe giver by reducing the transaction costs for him/her.
The article by Prof. Basu suggests that if we can create a system where infomation disclosure of giving harassment bribes are made legal and with larger punishments for the harassment bribe taker in comparison to the giver, incentives for the bribe giver to disclose information will increase. Further it will create threat for the taker to not indulge in harassing people and get engaged in taking "harassment bribe". This will reduce the chances of occurance of the act of "harassment bribes" and can diminish the level of corruption in a system.
But this can only happen unless and until the bribe taker and giver collude. The chance of collusion will depend on the discounting of expected costs and benefits of collusion/non collusion by the giver, taker while being involved in the act of "harassment bribes". The article highlights about all these possibilities. Valuation of the expected costs and benefits for both the giver and taker will depend on time horizon of each of them. This time horizon will further depend on the political economy of the institutions and mechanism of operations that decides the nitti grities of the functional mechanisms of the institutional system in which these two individuals operate.
It is here, I believe that even if there is a legalisation of the disclosure of information of the act of giving "harassment bribe" and creation of legal structures that penalises the giver more than the taker, the system can still be marked by the same level of corruption with its sustenance. To put it simply if we ask - "Why does one harass another in terms of exercising his or her claims on something to which he/she is legally entitled?". Is it not linked to the human behaviour, psychology and moreover on the nature of institutions that facilitates one form of human behaviour over the other. The issue of role of institutions to promote the right ethics of not harassing people from exercising and claiming their rights therefore becomes important. So ideally, morality and ethics of the human behaviour regarding corruption and bribe taking should be questioned, regulated and necessarily changed to stop harassment bribes. But in a practical scenario with various constraints it is not possible to change the morality and ethics of every people of a country because of their different backgrounds and socio- cultural routes, constraints. This brings out the question that in terms of policy prioritisation what should be the objective - a) Should it be reform of the institutions to regulate the human behaviour or b) Should it be creation of norms, legal processes to facilitate transparent information disclosure to reduce the level of corruption as some degree of corruption will always stay unless and until in an idealistic situation all human beings are driven by perfect ethics, morality and stop harassing people and taking harassment bribes.
In terms of pragmatism for policy prioritisation, I think to reduce the level of corruption in the economy and the system, the way ahead might be to first change the functional and non functional operational instruments of the institutions. Incentive structures should be first embedded within the institutions and be regulated for effective, efficient operation. Once institution systems with embedded incentives for promoting efficiency, transparency seeking behaviour of human beings within the systems are in place and implemented to some extent, only then instruments of legalising disclosure of information of "harassment bribe" should be brought in. This will further enhance the efficiency of the operational mechanisms towards reduction of corruption in the institutions. Legalisation of "harassment bribe" without the initial institutional reforms through policies and legislations might not be able to reduce the corruption levels. So may be , first institutional reforms have to be brought in followed by legalisation of the "harassment bribe" wherever and if required.
Operational structures of the institutions under different political regimes have to be questioned and modified wherever necessary followed by thought provoking new ways of reducing corruption within the economy. One of the ways of that could be transparent informal disclosure norms supported through effective legal and regulatory frameworks and instruments. In this regard, the suggestion of legalising the "harassment bribe" is a thought provoking idea. Debates, discussions and effective actions following such debates surrounding these types of thought provoking ideas will help in constructing a new India in the days to come. But definitely for a country like India, only legalisation of "harassment bribe" wont be able to reduce the corruption levels unless and until they are complemented with very strong institutional reforms at all levels of governance.
The article has been uploaded on the web for wider public reading and invoking thoughts on the minds of every Indian regarding the issue of corruption.
Professor Basu discusses of a particular instrument called "harassment bribe" in this article. In short words he has defined what are "harassment bribe" and when do they arise in a system. Typically it is a bribe which has to be given to a bribe taker to enable the bribe giver to claim and get access to something to which he/she is entitled to. Thus this bribe helps the giver to avoid the harassment and have a claim on his/her right to something. This something can be an asset or any property or any good over which the bribe giver has a full right and is being harassed by the bribe taker towards getting this right to access the property/good/or something tangible.
The article discusses of the incentive structures of the bribe giver, taker and the regulatory, legal paradigms in which harassment bribes get enhanced in a system. These bribes are rampant in several blocks of the system and in our day to day life. We as common Indian have observed, sensed situations where giving little bribe induces the bribe taker to act fast and provide the giver the right or the facility to which he/she is legally entitled.
In many of our day to day scenarios, from the bribe giver point of view, the act of giving the bribe has an incentive as it fastens the procedure of claiming the right and reduces the transaction costs thereby bringing efficiency in the functioning of the institutional systems in which the bribe giver and taker is operating. The taker becomes happy with the illegal payment and does the job and stops harassing the bribe giver by reducing the transaction costs for him/her.
The article by Prof. Basu suggests that if we can create a system where infomation disclosure of giving harassment bribes are made legal and with larger punishments for the harassment bribe taker in comparison to the giver, incentives for the bribe giver to disclose information will increase. Further it will create threat for the taker to not indulge in harassing people and get engaged in taking "harassment bribe". This will reduce the chances of occurance of the act of "harassment bribes" and can diminish the level of corruption in a system.
But this can only happen unless and until the bribe taker and giver collude. The chance of collusion will depend on the discounting of expected costs and benefits of collusion/non collusion by the giver, taker while being involved in the act of "harassment bribes". The article highlights about all these possibilities. Valuation of the expected costs and benefits for both the giver and taker will depend on time horizon of each of them. This time horizon will further depend on the political economy of the institutions and mechanism of operations that decides the nitti grities of the functional mechanisms of the institutional system in which these two individuals operate.
It is here, I believe that even if there is a legalisation of the disclosure of information of the act of giving "harassment bribe" and creation of legal structures that penalises the giver more than the taker, the system can still be marked by the same level of corruption with its sustenance. To put it simply if we ask - "Why does one harass another in terms of exercising his or her claims on something to which he/she is legally entitled?". Is it not linked to the human behaviour, psychology and moreover on the nature of institutions that facilitates one form of human behaviour over the other. The issue of role of institutions to promote the right ethics of not harassing people from exercising and claiming their rights therefore becomes important. So ideally, morality and ethics of the human behaviour regarding corruption and bribe taking should be questioned, regulated and necessarily changed to stop harassment bribes. But in a practical scenario with various constraints it is not possible to change the morality and ethics of every people of a country because of their different backgrounds and socio- cultural routes, constraints. This brings out the question that in terms of policy prioritisation what should be the objective - a) Should it be reform of the institutions to regulate the human behaviour or b) Should it be creation of norms, legal processes to facilitate transparent information disclosure to reduce the level of corruption as some degree of corruption will always stay unless and until in an idealistic situation all human beings are driven by perfect ethics, morality and stop harassing people and taking harassment bribes.
In terms of pragmatism for policy prioritisation, I think to reduce the level of corruption in the economy and the system, the way ahead might be to first change the functional and non functional operational instruments of the institutions. Incentive structures should be first embedded within the institutions and be regulated for effective, efficient operation. Once institution systems with embedded incentives for promoting efficiency, transparency seeking behaviour of human beings within the systems are in place and implemented to some extent, only then instruments of legalising disclosure of information of "harassment bribe" should be brought in. This will further enhance the efficiency of the operational mechanisms towards reduction of corruption in the institutions. Legalisation of "harassment bribe" without the initial institutional reforms through policies and legislations might not be able to reduce the corruption levels. So may be , first institutional reforms have to be brought in followed by legalisation of the "harassment bribe" wherever and if required.
Operational structures of the institutions under different political regimes have to be questioned and modified wherever necessary followed by thought provoking new ways of reducing corruption within the economy. One of the ways of that could be transparent informal disclosure norms supported through effective legal and regulatory frameworks and instruments. In this regard, the suggestion of legalising the "harassment bribe" is a thought provoking idea. Debates, discussions and effective actions following such debates surrounding these types of thought provoking ideas will help in constructing a new India in the days to come. But definitely for a country like India, only legalisation of "harassment bribe" wont be able to reduce the corruption levels unless and until they are complemented with very strong institutional reforms at all levels of governance.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
TINTIN IN NEW DELHI, WEST BENGAL
Since the results of the election in West Bengal are out, one cartoon character has been thwarting all around in the creative hemisphere of mind. The character is no other than our famous - "TINTIN "created by Belgian cartoonist Herge. An important question is why suddenly "TINTIN" is baffling and coming on the mind.
Reasoning to the answer of this question lies in the plots that were established in the stories of "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO". As all TINTIN lovers know how TINTIN has played a major role in various social reforms. Be it against gangsterism during 1930s America or be it against the oil corporation lobby. Role of TINTIN as a social reformer has been amply depicted by Herge in several of the plot centric stories that has enthralled us.
Thus when the election results were out in West Bengal complemented by the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, I was thinking it would have been great if suddenly "TINTIN" could have arrived in India at this point of time.
Following TINTIN's arrival in India, several plots could have been born where TINTIN the social reformer who always fought for truth and exposed corruption will join hands with Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev in exposing corruption of politicians in India. Perhaps, TINTIN, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Prof. Calculas could have been appointed by the CBI to find out all the culprits of the mega 2G scam in order to find out the people playing around with the public resources of India.
Snowy could have been the biggest information sniffer who would have more efficiently catch hold of the ruffians easily and avoid the institutional beauracracies that jack down the system of finding out corrupt people in this country. Our beloved Snowy would have just sniffed the people, understood them through his senses and would have grabbed their trousers. TINTIN could have then followed it up by putting in handcuffs. The police and the CBI could have been guided by Prof. Calculas in predicting all future plots indicating which minister is going to get engaged in a scam and to what extent. By this way the famous team of Herge could have reduced the existing level of corruption and would have prevented future scams to happen.
However to make the ministers honest and make confession about their corruption, Captain Haddock could have created local informal parties where they could have been intoxicated and Captain could have influenced them to speak the truth with the help of some potions.
In between, TINTIN could have attended some of the Dharnas with Anna and Baba Ramdev and distributed pamplets for common people with objective findings of his investigation exercise of the 2G scam. By this way, our close to heart boy TINTIN would have shown the youth of the nation a new dawn. In between, he could have met also Prof. Kaushik Basu in Ministry of Finance and also discussed his thoughts with Prof. Basu who has been proposing an idea of legalising corruption to check the mal effects of corruption by means of transparent information dissemination. The minutes of that meeting would have been a really nice plot for "Herge's" future plots.
At the end of a two month stint in New Delhi, TINTIN would have got a salute from all the people of this wonderful country in New Delhi and we all TINTIN lovers would have been reminded of the famous "ticker tape parade" that TINTIN had got in Chicago in "TINTIN IN AMERICA".
But if you all think, that TINTIN's stay in India would have ended over here, then you are completely wrong. Because after this he would travel to West Bengal where the state after 32 years of left regime saw Trinamool Congress coming to the ruling position.
The leader Mamata Banerjee would invite TINTIN to sort out one of the extremist problems in certain parts of West Bengal. TINTIN is informed that the extremist movement is largely being carried out by some of the Maoist groups.
TINTIN takes the case and goes to the field to explore the complex interplay of the state, grass root people, opposition politics and how the people belonging to Maoist groups are also expanding their reach through their bargaining with the down trodden people, politicians and corrupt officials. TINTIN also gets some hint that one group of politicians uses the extremist movements as a pawn to come to power. Media facilitates this game of power control amongst the people of the state through a series of manipulated information dissemination.
Industrialists also dont move back and they also see their incentives in supporting a group of politicians for shift of power. In this spider game of power control TINTIN finds out that everybody is maximising their gains. So he is intrigued by the fact that at the end of the day the loosers are people who are in the margin and who dont belong to any of these groups. For these people who live and struggle for their subsistence, the problem is not sorted out. They receive oppression sometimes through means of state, police, opposition party cadres, maoist groups. Their story of suffering continues. TINTIN could not provide a solution to the Chief Minister when he comes back to Kolkata from the field.
Our beloved cartoon hero is now more bewildered, perplexed and he doesnot get a "ticker tape parade" in Kolkata. Though he fails to resolve this case, he understands the need to do a lot and undo what has been undone at all levels of governance in the state. However, TINTIN goes back to New Delhi and from their to his own country. But before going back and waving from the plane in Subhash Chandra International Airport promises to come back soon to solve some of the unifinished tasks in the state.
We never read these stories of "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI, WEST BENGAL". But we read "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN CONGO". But I always hope our future generation will also read or see some manifestations of plots like "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI", "TINTIN IN WEST BENGAL" and through these plots the imagination of future social reforms in this country will be born in the minds of all children as we used to have when we had first read - "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO".
Reasoning to the answer of this question lies in the plots that were established in the stories of "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO". As all TINTIN lovers know how TINTIN has played a major role in various social reforms. Be it against gangsterism during 1930s America or be it against the oil corporation lobby. Role of TINTIN as a social reformer has been amply depicted by Herge in several of the plot centric stories that has enthralled us.
Thus when the election results were out in West Bengal complemented by the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, I was thinking it would have been great if suddenly "TINTIN" could have arrived in India at this point of time.
Following TINTIN's arrival in India, several plots could have been born where TINTIN the social reformer who always fought for truth and exposed corruption will join hands with Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev in exposing corruption of politicians in India. Perhaps, TINTIN, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Prof. Calculas could have been appointed by the CBI to find out all the culprits of the mega 2G scam in order to find out the people playing around with the public resources of India.
Snowy could have been the biggest information sniffer who would have more efficiently catch hold of the ruffians easily and avoid the institutional beauracracies that jack down the system of finding out corrupt people in this country. Our beloved Snowy would have just sniffed the people, understood them through his senses and would have grabbed their trousers. TINTIN could have then followed it up by putting in handcuffs. The police and the CBI could have been guided by Prof. Calculas in predicting all future plots indicating which minister is going to get engaged in a scam and to what extent. By this way the famous team of Herge could have reduced the existing level of corruption and would have prevented future scams to happen.
However to make the ministers honest and make confession about their corruption, Captain Haddock could have created local informal parties where they could have been intoxicated and Captain could have influenced them to speak the truth with the help of some potions.
In between, TINTIN could have attended some of the Dharnas with Anna and Baba Ramdev and distributed pamplets for common people with objective findings of his investigation exercise of the 2G scam. By this way, our close to heart boy TINTIN would have shown the youth of the nation a new dawn. In between, he could have met also Prof. Kaushik Basu in Ministry of Finance and also discussed his thoughts with Prof. Basu who has been proposing an idea of legalising corruption to check the mal effects of corruption by means of transparent information dissemination. The minutes of that meeting would have been a really nice plot for "Herge's" future plots.
At the end of a two month stint in New Delhi, TINTIN would have got a salute from all the people of this wonderful country in New Delhi and we all TINTIN lovers would have been reminded of the famous "ticker tape parade" that TINTIN had got in Chicago in "TINTIN IN AMERICA".
But if you all think, that TINTIN's stay in India would have ended over here, then you are completely wrong. Because after this he would travel to West Bengal where the state after 32 years of left regime saw Trinamool Congress coming to the ruling position.
The leader Mamata Banerjee would invite TINTIN to sort out one of the extremist problems in certain parts of West Bengal. TINTIN is informed that the extremist movement is largely being carried out by some of the Maoist groups.
TINTIN takes the case and goes to the field to explore the complex interplay of the state, grass root people, opposition politics and how the people belonging to Maoist groups are also expanding their reach through their bargaining with the down trodden people, politicians and corrupt officials. TINTIN also gets some hint that one group of politicians uses the extremist movements as a pawn to come to power. Media facilitates this game of power control amongst the people of the state through a series of manipulated information dissemination.
Industrialists also dont move back and they also see their incentives in supporting a group of politicians for shift of power. In this spider game of power control TINTIN finds out that everybody is maximising their gains. So he is intrigued by the fact that at the end of the day the loosers are people who are in the margin and who dont belong to any of these groups. For these people who live and struggle for their subsistence, the problem is not sorted out. They receive oppression sometimes through means of state, police, opposition party cadres, maoist groups. Their story of suffering continues. TINTIN could not provide a solution to the Chief Minister when he comes back to Kolkata from the field.
Our beloved cartoon hero is now more bewildered, perplexed and he doesnot get a "ticker tape parade" in Kolkata. Though he fails to resolve this case, he understands the need to do a lot and undo what has been undone at all levels of governance in the state. However, TINTIN goes back to New Delhi and from their to his own country. But before going back and waving from the plane in Subhash Chandra International Airport promises to come back soon to solve some of the unifinished tasks in the state.
We never read these stories of "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI, WEST BENGAL". But we read "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN CONGO". But I always hope our future generation will also read or see some manifestations of plots like "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI", "TINTIN IN WEST BENGAL" and through these plots the imagination of future social reforms in this country will be born in the minds of all children as we used to have when we had first read - "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO".
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
“DEHOTOTTER LALON – A”
PAGE 2 -
Poddolochoner gane laloner bhonitate dehotottoke khuje petei
Pari dilam ek onnyo deshe
Shekhane dekhte pelam kichu manush shorirer jomite notun bij bune khate ghumocche
Ar ekta ochin pakhi shorboda shei khater ashe pashe ghure beracche
Pakhitake dhorte giyeo dhorte paarchi na
Tar por hothat shei pakhita kisher ek lalona te niche neme eshe boshe porlo shorirer jomite Laloner lalona te lolona kokhon mishe gelo shei ochin pakhite
Bojhar agei ami bujhe fellam ekei hoito bole – “Dehototter Lalon –A”
POETRIES
PAGE 1 - “Jonaki”
Uro jahaje kore biman bondore obotoroner shomoy shohorer jonaki alogulo khub prokot bhabe jole othe
Mone hoi shoto alok borshodure jole thaka taragulo jonaki hoye bheshe beracche shara shohormoy
Ar tari majhe majhe nagorik raastagulo kichu miliye jawa krishno gohoborer moto jure dicche shei tarader, jonakider
Tumi, Aami, Aamra shokole majhe majhei miliye jai shei krishno gohobore
obotorener shomoy
Kichu torol alo amader sathe miliye jai shei krishno gohobore
Jar noishobdota majhe majhei beje othe guitar er tarer sporshe
Ar thik shei shomoy amar mone pore jai kichu robindranather pongti ar shobdo ja bole – “Shei Bhalo Shei Bhalo – Miliye Jawa Noishobder Torol Alo”
Thursday, March 10, 2011
GENE, LANGUAGE TO MUSIC AND SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability or sustainable development has to consider the indicators of society as one of the important pillars. Society dimension of sustainable development can be enriched through larger formation of social capital. Formation of networks between people lead to a formation of this social capital. For forming those networks people need to stay connected and bonded. For staying bonded through happiness, exchange of positive feelings and energy is important. Music plays a key role in creating this feeling. It is said that music plays a very important role in making bondage between people and creating networks that can form new domains and levels of social capital which can therefore add onto sustainability. Music controls and enhances the positive emotions between two people which can control the quality of the social capital formed through music. This improvement in the quality of social capital thereby enhances the quality of sustainability.
Research has been suggesting that music has its origin to genes and history of language. So if one traces back this origin, then can we say that genes, history of language, sound, rhythm which guides the course of the type of music also plays a role in creating social capital by building more human bondage, networks. This bondage thereafter also contributes to sustainability. So this raises the question whether genes, history of language also plays a role to sustainability.
So while writing this article, I thought to name it as – “GENE, LANGUAGE to MUSIC and SUSTAINABILITY”. However the idea of this association arrived only after reading a paper titled – “ Speak to me, melody, EMBO (European Molecular Biological Organisation) Reports, Science and Society, Vol, 10, No.12, 2009, Pgs. 1294 – 1297”. The paper was given to me for reading by my friend Kostuv Basu.
Association through music can happen between individuals who share like minded or overlapping interest in music. This sharing can help in creating the social capital thereby finally leading to an enhancement in the sustainability.
But the key question is what determines a like mindedness about a particular type of music between two individuals that can help in formation of the social capital and hence can address the sustainability dimension of sustainable development.
Does genetic component play a key role in our musical abilities? Studies on molecular biology has shown that genetic loci of individuals in certain families can have genes that can guide the musical aptitude of the members of the family. Such aptitudes thereafter also determines the taste and preference for music by any particular individual. Results from studies in molecular biology are showing that the creative abilities of individuals in a hereditary lineage are largely determined by the gene structures. These gene structures in turn also affect the behavior of the individuals regarding their music preferences, tastes and chances of bonding with other individuals through music.
So the behavior of attachment of people through a communicating medium of music which forms social capital is very much determined by some of the genetic secrets of neurobiology that are embedded in human beings.
But there is an alternate school also to this thought process. Many neurobiologists and scientists across the world donot believe in the fact that music can be only understood on the basis of genetics. According to this school of thought, vibration of vocal chords determine the tonal and music quality. The nature, degree of the vibration determines the quality of music that can create an association between two human beings. Further this vibration is actually generating a sound wave with a particular frequency. So the typicality of a sound wave, frequency determines the quality aspect of the music rather the gene. Hence any preference for music is embedded in the sense of sound structure that any human body creates.
So two human beings can associate with a particular form of music if they can understand and appreciate similar kind of sound structures that the human body creates. A similar logic can also hold between the sense of appreciation of a speech of one human being by another which further leads to a bonding and formation of a social capital. Many neurobiologists, scientists feel that music and language have similar overlapping cognitive systems. So music can be connected and seen as a form of speech having origins to sound structures. Further these sound structures are connected to origins of language. In some ways one can say that music is a form of speech. This brings forward the question whether music is related to language through a process of evolution. However this can only be known if one gets the answer that whether music when heard has a language and genetic component which gets dissociated in the brain. These facts will be important as then one can also bring in how an anthropological history in language origins and evolution of music plays a role towards formation of human bondings and hence social capital which is key to sustainability.
So one has to seek the answer to the question whether creative genes, sound structures operate simultaneously or separately to determine the preferences of music and hence selection of human beings for bonding leading to creation of social capital. Timing of rhythm can determine the cohesiveness of a cultural human bonding that can generate greater social capital and enhance sustainability.
Roots of language, genes will determine the behavior pattern of a child and will also affect the preferences of the human beings in applying music in forming social capital through bondage. The exact contribution of the language, evolution of anthropology, rhythm, sound structures is yet to be determined. Also it is not known how much separated gene, language and rhythm contents of a music and how the degree and nature of that separation guides a preference for music and hence attributes to the formation of social capital block of sustainability.
May be its not far, when we will find out active participation of anthropologists, neurobiologists, ethnomusicologists in the negotiation platforms of the global debates surrounding several issues of sustainability in the world arena.
Research has been suggesting that music has its origin to genes and history of language. So if one traces back this origin, then can we say that genes, history of language, sound, rhythm which guides the course of the type of music also plays a role in creating social capital by building more human bondage, networks. This bondage thereafter also contributes to sustainability. So this raises the question whether genes, history of language also plays a role to sustainability.
So while writing this article, I thought to name it as – “GENE, LANGUAGE to MUSIC and SUSTAINABILITY”. However the idea of this association arrived only after reading a paper titled – “ Speak to me, melody, EMBO (European Molecular Biological Organisation) Reports, Science and Society, Vol, 10, No.12, 2009, Pgs. 1294 – 1297”. The paper was given to me for reading by my friend Kostuv Basu.
Association through music can happen between individuals who share like minded or overlapping interest in music. This sharing can help in creating the social capital thereby finally leading to an enhancement in the sustainability.
But the key question is what determines a like mindedness about a particular type of music between two individuals that can help in formation of the social capital and hence can address the sustainability dimension of sustainable development.
Does genetic component play a key role in our musical abilities? Studies on molecular biology has shown that genetic loci of individuals in certain families can have genes that can guide the musical aptitude of the members of the family. Such aptitudes thereafter also determines the taste and preference for music by any particular individual. Results from studies in molecular biology are showing that the creative abilities of individuals in a hereditary lineage are largely determined by the gene structures. These gene structures in turn also affect the behavior of the individuals regarding their music preferences, tastes and chances of bonding with other individuals through music.
So the behavior of attachment of people through a communicating medium of music which forms social capital is very much determined by some of the genetic secrets of neurobiology that are embedded in human beings.
But there is an alternate school also to this thought process. Many neurobiologists and scientists across the world donot believe in the fact that music can be only understood on the basis of genetics. According to this school of thought, vibration of vocal chords determine the tonal and music quality. The nature, degree of the vibration determines the quality of music that can create an association between two human beings. Further this vibration is actually generating a sound wave with a particular frequency. So the typicality of a sound wave, frequency determines the quality aspect of the music rather the gene. Hence any preference for music is embedded in the sense of sound structure that any human body creates.
So two human beings can associate with a particular form of music if they can understand and appreciate similar kind of sound structures that the human body creates. A similar logic can also hold between the sense of appreciation of a speech of one human being by another which further leads to a bonding and formation of a social capital. Many neurobiologists, scientists feel that music and language have similar overlapping cognitive systems. So music can be connected and seen as a form of speech having origins to sound structures. Further these sound structures are connected to origins of language. In some ways one can say that music is a form of speech. This brings forward the question whether music is related to language through a process of evolution. However this can only be known if one gets the answer that whether music when heard has a language and genetic component which gets dissociated in the brain. These facts will be important as then one can also bring in how an anthropological history in language origins and evolution of music plays a role towards formation of human bondings and hence social capital which is key to sustainability.
So one has to seek the answer to the question whether creative genes, sound structures operate simultaneously or separately to determine the preferences of music and hence selection of human beings for bonding leading to creation of social capital. Timing of rhythm can determine the cohesiveness of a cultural human bonding that can generate greater social capital and enhance sustainability.
Roots of language, genes will determine the behavior pattern of a child and will also affect the preferences of the human beings in applying music in forming social capital through bondage. The exact contribution of the language, evolution of anthropology, rhythm, sound structures is yet to be determined. Also it is not known how much separated gene, language and rhythm contents of a music and how the degree and nature of that separation guides a preference for music and hence attributes to the formation of social capital block of sustainability.
May be its not far, when we will find out active participation of anthropologists, neurobiologists, ethnomusicologists in the negotiation platforms of the global debates surrounding several issues of sustainability in the world arena.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
