Emotional blackmail?

Yesterday we at RPI had planned to come together for candle-light march. It was later changed to discussion session when Anna Hazare ended his fast. It was nice to see 20+ people in such a small Indian community coming together to discuss things.

Some people raised the issue if the method used was tantamount to emotional blackmail. Well, I would say yes. Personally I feel that every method has its appropriate time of use. The times at which such emotional blackmail would work are -
1. To address the issue nothing has been done since ages or there are no chances of something being done in near future. It means that unless you kick the executing body, it won't move.
2. There is 100% public support. The hunger strike worked for corruption issue because everyone supported the cause. It may not work if some group went on hunger strike demanding jobs or reservations.
3. The people going on hunger strike should be of highest integrity. Otherwise general public or government won't listen to them.

It's not that any of the above conditions should hold but all of them (and possibly some more) should hold true if the hunger strike is to have some chances of getting success. In such situations, I do not really care if it amounts to emotional blackmail.

Not a single solution

A funny thing I noticed while reading the comments on various forums about Anna Hazare's movement. According to different comments -
1. The actual solution was to change voter mentality
2. The actual solution was that good people should enter politics
3. The actual solution was to enact the laws to prevent corruption
maybe some more of these types. Somehow people seem to think that there is just one real solution to such problems. In reality however you need a combination of solutions. Just like effective treatment for a patient needs good environment, healthy food and effective medicines.

We need all the above solutions for tackling corruption, no matter in what order they get done.

Frame of Reference

When Tendulkar will retire, our childhood will end.

The childhood of my entire generation has been synonymous with Tendulkar. We lunched with him, studied with him, talked with him, played with him, laughed with him, cried with him. We literally grew up on the images of his magical game. His game virtually got woven into our DNA.

When we watch him play, the grown-up person in us goes in the backdrop and a child enters in our eyes. That excitement returns, blithely unaware of the crude realities. The concept of age completely vanishes, to pick up and savor the last few remains of innocent joy.

Tomorrow the childhood of my entire generation will be dying to watch its hero seeking the glory. And it will refuse to leave us until the hero takes his final bow.