- My neighborhood saw rain this week, decent amount. Mosquitos are back! Surprisingly there was no power-cut after first bout of strong winds. In last couple of years, they replaced naked aluminum wires with a bundle of insulated coated wires. Perhaps that helped.
- I learnt a bit about “mock testing“. I thought it knew about it. The way it interacts with Rust’s trait was new to me. This weekend, I am going to collect materials on it.
- Govt agencies are rarely known to be a place for efficiency and accountability but recent news of CBSE botching up student’s mark-sheet is a new low. I read that a “journalist” called the student who brought up the issue Pakistani and cockroaches! Why rush towards a new system just a few weeks before an event is beyond me?
- I’ve never been a fan or admirer of any living politician. I find them necessary evil to be tolerated as long as we can potentially replace them next election cycle. I feel a bit sad when I meet someone who is. The job of citizens is to keep its government on it’s toes rather than touching its feet! Perhaps that is the issue: some folks want to be a subject rather than a citizen? A politician influencing ECI so brazenly is like watching a cricket team installing their own umpires in a match! What is left to celebrate after victory then?
- Some psychologists claim that old people who are bhakt now were chamchas before. Why do they start worshiping Mr. Modi after so rudely disillusioned by Ms. Gandhi is beyond me. It would make a good Ph.D. thesis.
- Powerful leaders, more often than not and surely in our country, cause more harm than good to the foundation of nation. What Ms. Gandhi did to civil services and press is not different than what the current government is doing to judiciary and press. These have long lasting effects that rarely gets corrected on its own. For a weaker judiciary and a spineless press and police are more useful for any politician doesn’t matter which party they belong to.
- We have few examples in Europe to compare. In US, a cult of personality seems to be winning over a “check-and-balance” style of governance.
- Reminds me of Gandhiji who deeply distrusted political parties in general and two parties system of US in particular. He thought that a two party system will eventually turn citizens against citizens. Despite finding Gandhiji politically naive, he sure has a point if you think beyond a few decades.
- We sure have a thing for “powerful leaders”. Sadly even among people who should know better. Perhaps the educated class in this country is subconsciously aware of worthlessness of their education and degrees. I’ve seen them lining up behind Anna Hazare and Mr. Modi as if they couldn’t think of better ideas.
- Even when your leaders are “good” and not interested in lining up his pockets or keep himself in the limelight, they can’t think beyond next election! Some leaders might enjoy nothing more than contesting elections because it gives them a high they can’t get by solving problems that may take more than a election cycle. The timescale of 5 years is too short in life of a nation to lay the foundation of semiconductor fabrication, improve primary education and health system and to improve universities. Might institutes that don’t have to think about their existence every five years help? I hope this to be largely the case but we also have institutes like DRDOs!
- In may countries, political parties are also “institutes” for they easily outlive their current leaders. And these parties can think beyond election cycles though I find this to be rarer and rarer. In our style of society, we have factions rather than parties because they grow and wither with their ring-leaders.
- Sure, one can ditch democracy and look for autocrats for they don’t seek votes. It might work in some cases for a few decades but when it doesn’t work, and it eventually win not, it is going to hurt really bad.
Weekly Notes 2026/22
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