It is too easy to forget what it really means to be the world’s largest democracy, especially for those of us who remain relatively unaffected by the vagaries of Indian politics because we can buy (or bribe) our way out of most problems the government can’t solve.

For the past few decades, India’s educated elite have taken less interest in politics than the uneducated masses. And this has probably been the greatest reason why India’s infrastructure, health and basic education have maintained 3rd world standards even while the educated elite have rocketed up to international levels of wealth. India’s intellectuals have been too busy making money for themselves to bother with societal issues, and so some of the most challenging problems in India remain unsolved. But it is time that we educated elite realize how valuable our freedom is to our continued prosperity; the world’s largest democracy will crumble if we do not begin to participate actively in its well being. We must understand that the plight of the uneducated masses is our own plight, and that it is our responsibility to raise all of India to greatness. If we – who can read and write, who understand why minority rights must be protected, why women should have equal standing as men, and why religious tolerance is essential – do not vote, then how do we expect our democracy to continue to function in a sensible manner? Uneducated voters are more likely to be swayed by manipulative politicians with corrupt agendas and are less likely to understand which government policies will benefit them in the long-run. If we hope to see any improvement in things like water quality, health, education, and sexual freedom, we must make our voices heard by ballot, not just on blogs. A successful democracy encourages voting by all its people, but it demands the active participation of its most educated.

So GO ROCK THE VOTE in the 2009 General Elections!!!

Oh and before you vote, do a quick search on your favorite politicians and make sure they’re not criminals:

http://www.nocriminals.org/

http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/landing/loksabha2009/

A few of you have requested that I give my thoughts on the qualifications of the various candidates. I started to write a post along those lines but soon realized that most of my judgments are not really based on outward qualifications or claims. All the candidates say they want to improve water quality, increase jobs, use technology, etc., so what’s really different about them? Although we have always been taught that we should vote for candidates “on the issues”, it’s nearly impossible to do so when there are hundreds of people all saying basically the same thing. Of course there are some pretty significant differences (e.g., fundamentalist jackasses saying they will cut the throats of India’s Muslims after they are elected), but most of the publicly-approved talking points all have a similar quality of sounding too good to be true. The truth is, all politicians say manipulative things and promise too much. Such is the nature of politics. So how do we wade through all the shit? Should we really vote “on the issues”, or should we just cave into our temptation to vote for the guy (or gal) we’d most like to have chai with? When I choose a politician, I generally ask myself the following questions:

1. is he / she a good person (or, does he / she seem like a scummy, corrupt bastard)?
2. is he / she at least as intelligent as I am?
3. is he / she at least as educated as I am?
4. is he / she open to new perspectives?
5. is he / she tolerant towards opposing beliefs (or, is he / she a fundamentalist)?
6. does he / she understand economics?
7. does he / she genuinely view poor people as humans who deserve basic rights (or, is he / she just trying to win their votes)?
8. is he / she aware of the world, and the importance of our country’s relationship to other countries?

I do not give my vote to anyone who does not pass with a “yes” answer to all of these questions. So I guess it’s a bit of both — I choose on broad issues and on my own affinity towards the person, with a recognition that no politician is perfect and that it’s okay to disagree on some things, as long as we can agree on the most important. Ultimately, I vote for the people I trust to make laws and spend money in ways that are consistent with my beliefs about what is right and wrong, what is important for my personal freedom and what is best for my fellow citizens now and in the future.

Jai Hind.

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There is a tribe of people in Tanzania, called Hadza, who are the only remaining hunter-gatherers in Africa. Every year men from this tribe risk their lives to gather honey from killer bees’ nests hanging at the top of 100-foot trees. If the men are successful, they return to the village (after gorging themselves on raw honeycomb) as heroes. Humans are evolved for a time when sugar and fat were so scarce that no natural instinct was required to help tell us when to stop eating. In the rare instance that we had ample of either, it was in our interest to eat our fill. Fast forward 12,000 years to the pillar of modernity (the grand United States of America), and you’ll find what might be considered mother nature’s cruelest joke on mankind: it is cheaper and easier to find a meal in America that has too much fat and sugar, than it is to find one that has too little (or even just a healthy amount). Moreover, nutrient-rich calories cost more, per unit, than do “empty calories”. Couple that with a human’s natural instinct to eat as much fat and sugar as possible, and you have a major problem on your hands (and hips).

For example, an American living in Atlanta could choose from one of the following two meals for lunch:

a Quarter Pounder Value Meal from McDonalds for approx $4 (200 rupees), which will get you 1320 calories, 51 grams of fat, 95 grams of processed sugar and virtually no nutrients.

OR

a salad from Whole Foods Market for approx $12 (600 rupees), which will get you 310 calories, 5 grams of fat, 9 grams of unprocessed sugar and many essential nutrients.

The problem for most Americans is that they cannot a) afford to pay $12 for lunch, b) work close enough to a Whole Foods to find such a salad on their lunch breaks, and c) be satisfied eating salad in lieu of a meal. And so the world’s wealthiest, most powerful nation has a raging epidemic of a deadly disease: obesity.

Unfortunately, this is one epidemic that is spreading from the richest country in the world to everyone else, and it is a glimpse into India’s future. Obesity in India is following a predictable trend, in tandem with its economic growth — obesity already affects 5% (50 million) of India’s population and, along with the availability of processed foods and unavailability of wives who stay home and cook, is growing steadily. Indians also have the added misfortune of being genetically predisposed to life-threatening problems like heart disease and diabetes. As Nandan Nilekani points out in his new book, Indians will soon comprise 60% of heart-attack deaths in the world. All signs point to a dismal future for India’s health. On the one hand, we have 456 million people living in poverty, malnourished and barely surviving. And on the other we have the “shining” Indian heading blindly the way of the fat American.

So you see I do not simply believe that Indians should copy all things American. There are many things traditionally Indian that I dearly hope are preserved for centuries to come, one of the most important of which is our food. Next time you sit down to a modern meal, remember this — fries from McDonalds, a slice from Pizza Hut and a cold coffee from Starbucks are the bain of an American’s existence. I hope Indians will learn from the mistakes of others, before it’s too late. I for one will continue to hone my roti-rolling techniques to perfection and will urge my children (male or female) to do the same.

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It’s no secret to anyone that Bollywood has become increasingly liberal with its sex scenes and dress codes over the past decade. Long gone are the days of the subtle fade-away over young lovers closing in for an affectionate nuzzle. Yesterday’s wet-sari dances have been replaced by today’s skimpy bikini-trots, or even full-on sex scenes.

We youth should be celebrating this epic change – a herald of India’s sexual liberation. While it is an obvious boon to the young men who love watching Bollywood hotties, it is perhaps the women who should be celebrating most. Women are now free to frolic around nearly naked on screen, groping and booty-shakin’ as they please. After centuries of oppressive limitations on what to wear, how to act in public, and how to speak with the opposite sex — Indian women are finally free.

But, is all this pornographic content really liberating Indian women? Do you feel empowered when you – and your boyfriend – watch Mallika having an orgasm (or is that something else you’re feeling?)

In our enthusiasm to embrace the Western ideals of free-falling breasts and jiggling butt-cheeks, I can’t help but feel that we’ve missed something important regarding women’s liberation…

At least in my mind, Sri Devi commanded more respect in that sultry sari than Mallika does in her biker-babe booty shorts.