Keeping Politics on Track

The Indian Parliament election results are just hours away. Most commentators suggest that national parties – Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party are likely to fare batter then the last time. The regional parties are likely to lose some of the clout they had come to enjoy. We seem to have come full circle. The single national party – Congress – threw away democratic norms during the regime of Mrs Indira Gandhi and small regional outfits led by Devi Lals and NTR’s and Bijus and Karunanidhis came up. These were followed by Lalus, Mulayams, Paswans, Devegaudas, Mayawatis and the ilk. Politics seemed to be losing relevance. People of India have high aspirations – they aspire to have better education, communications and jobs – not just bijli-sadak-pani (power-roads-water).

We, as a nation, need to learn our lessons. We the citizens must keep the politics on right track. Must ask ourselves – What has to be done to make politics relevant again – transparency, accountability, involvement of intelligentsia? What am I doing to achieve this, what can I do to this end. And act.

The slow deliberate route to genius

Today's New York Times has an interesting article about new scientific thinking on geniuses. The discussion suggests that genius is not devine or genetic to a large extent. Indeed it is slow process involving "the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine." The article goes on to poin out that the brain is 'phenomenally plastic' and that we construct ourselves through behavior. The Article refers to two new books: “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyle; and “Talent Is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin. Here it goes:


May 1, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Genius: The Modern View
By DAVID BROOKS
Some people live in romantic ages. They tend to believe that genius is the product of a divine spark. They believe that there have been, throughout the ages, certain paragons of greatness — Dante, Mozart, Einstein — whose talents far exceeded normal comprehension, who had an other-worldly access to transcendent truth, and who are best approached with reverential awe.

Here is the rest of this eminently readable article