Good Bye Dear Friend

 

On an otherwise nondescript September evening in 2015, I announced to my friends and Guru that I had a new job at a think tank called ORF and would be joining from the next day. No one except Malavika Aunty, a friendly elderly lady who learnt music with me, had heard of ORF. She said excitedly, “I know ORF. My niece Joyee (as Joyeeta was fondly called by family and close friends) works there. She can be your friend”. The next day I reported for work both excited and scared at 9, much before other colleagues. By sheer coincidence, I was given a seat right opposite Joyeeta. As any new place, ORF seemed like a mystery to me. A senior colleague sitting close to me was enjoying his breakfast while reading the newspaper and slowly went off to sleep. As I was used to more formal settings, I was pleasantly surprised. Then Joyeeta came and sat down at her seat and I rose up to introduce myself. That was the beginning of our friendship.

We hit off instantly. Both of us had similar interests – good food, jokes, sarees, music, and generally chilling around. We often agreed that the only reason we worked was the fun that came with it. Money and making a mark in the research world was secondary. We often went out for lunch together, shopped together, and had golgappas at Bengali Market. She had a much better idea than me in where to eat what so she was the leader and I was the good follower. Often she took me to places to eat and later I took my sister, family or other friends there. So conversations with my friends and family often started, “Joyeetadi took me there and the food was awesome. We must go there”. But most important were sarees and saree days in office were a serious matter for both of us. She loved sarees, shopped a lot and received a lot of gifts from her husband and also extended family. She had a lot of friends in Bangladesh, her area of specialization, and received Dhakai Jamdani sarees from there too. She shared every detail. Who gave, what were the special features of those sarees, the weavers who weaved them etc. I often complained Africans never give gifts. I wish I worked on Bangladesh.

Shortly after I joined ORF, Manish (my husband) and my parents got together and started preparing for our marriage. As we were very close, I shared all my anxieties and excitements with her. I was quite anxious because of the huge differences in our backgrounds, Manish’s atheism and refusal to participate in religious rituals, and the hyper-religiousity of so many of our family members. Some of the comments I got such as “men change after marriage”, “love marriages don’t last”, “men are one thing when they are wooing a woman another after marriage”, “his family and mother will not let you work after marriage” and the most common one “so no more non-veg for you after marriage” drove me crazy. One day someone said, “ab music to bhul jao shadi ke baad”. And I broke down and rushed to her. There were 10 days left to my wedding and someone was trying to tell me I had only ten days left to live. Joyeetadi sensed the tension and said ‘let’s take coffee”. What followed was a one-hour counselling session in which she told me very firmly, “Nothing of that sort will happen. Manish loves you he will keep you very happy. Why do you listen to such people? Every one doesn’t have the same experiences. Look at Subimal. He always encourages me to dance. He encourages me to do work. Just relax”. Subimal, her husband featured in every third sentence that she spoke. Her love for him was so reassuring. Next she told me something that completely shifted my mind from anything else that was going around. Subimalda had bought two meklas, one for her and one for me. The excitement of receiving a mekhla from Assam was too much for me. I told my mom in advance that the gift from her had to be kept carefully because it was a special mekhla for me.

The real life after marriage was actually closer to what Joyeetadi had predicted. I flourished professionally and personally. Manish, as a husband was so different from the boyfriend that he was. Super caring, loving, and encouraging. I felt the intense love that Subimalda and she had because I knew a lot of the little details of their life. Their funny fights, every time Subimalda teased for being overdressed or her dieting. We laughed and shared everything with each other. Often other colleagues in ORF were amused at our friendship and wondered how we managed to stick around together so much. Most people in office were also aware of her dieting and she often shared the benefits of eating quinoa. But that was another funny story for I knew how non-serious and non-committed she was. After a full week of eating salads, she and Subimalda would go to Purani Dilli to eat breakfast, follow it up with a full Bengali meal, go for a Dinner party. Monday morning, she would be back with salads and complain that it was “Subimal” who was to blame and not her with a big and bright smile.

Not many people knew how deeply committed she was to the region she studied. Her knowledge of Indo-Bangladesh border areas and Bangladesh was very nuanced. I learnt so much from her during our conversations and often told her to write more. I used to give her a lot of ideas to write short stories out of her interactions with people during her fieldwork and also encouraged her to write in Bengali, her mother tongue. She agreed with me but was overburdened by organizing and also the philanthropic activities that she and her husband did together. In one of the programmes that they organized, Manish and I were invited. This was a cultural programme to showcase the richness of the Barak Valley. It was a great experience for me and Manish who learnt a lot and got to know the importance of the work that they were doing together.

A few messages to her wishing her on the Bengali New year (a day we were always dressed in Saree in office and went out to Banga Bhawan to eat) were unanswered. Then I got to learn from colleagues that she is hospitalized and then came a frantic call from my sister. “Just saw Samir Saran’s tweet. Is it the same Joyeeta?”. That ended everything. No more Dhakai sarees, no more golgappas at Bengali market, no more discussions on Assamese politics, NRC, and Bangladesh, no more ‘Subimal this Subimal that’. Last Tuesday, it was my turn to call up Malavika Aunty, and inform her of the terrible news that her niece is no more. This is death which ends everything. Our dear Joyeeta, very smiling, slightly temperamental, who knew how to love is no more. She has left behind a Joyeeta-shaped in me. In such a short period of time, she was so much to me. All the discussions of maternity and my little son which I can never have with her now that she is gone. And I am here at home, listening to the helpless stories of friends who are struggling for oxygen, hospital beds and also going through the loss of their loved ones, waiting for my own turn.

Can technology help me get away?

Technology has brought all of us very close. At one instant I can reach out to my cousin in another city or country. I don't write letters or have long and interesting conversations, and never miss anyone. I have a very good idea of the political opinions of all my relatives and where all my friends and cousins went for a vacation and also what they cooked over the weekend (photos of food must be uploaded as well!). Is there a way to not know all this? Is there a way to really miss someone. Remember someone without really being able to text them instantly? Is there a way to just engage with some people only once a year that too without literally feeling the anger that they feel over a certain political development? There is off course the 'freedom' to leave the platform. But should the mode of engagement necessarily be 'all or nothing'. Is it possible to retain the elusiveness of the yesteryears and still be a part of the 'connected world'? Am I being nostalgic? or worse, stupid? 

Fate is sealed

Lips are sealed

Neighbourhood is sealed

Shops are sealed

Evidence is sealed

Borders are sealed

Food is sealed

Fate is sealed

But hope remains

Lockdown pains and dreams

One month and I am done

I want my freedom and some fun

The deadly virus and deadlier lockdown

I simply can’t face it down

O God give me the strength

To keep everyone at an arm’s length

Social distancing is tough

Sure enough, enough is enough

I want to go and hug my friends

Go for films and some other odds and ends

Kiss a lost puppy

And drag along hubby

Catch up on some healthy snacks

Golgappas, tikkis, and chaats

I dream of a meal in a fancy restaurant

Spared of the pain of the migrant

I yearn for freedom from this confinement

For freedom Sen said is development

We need a Corona Devi

We desperately need a Corona Devi. In this age of specialisation and division of labour (courtesy Salman Rushdie), it is unfair that we burden our existing Gods and Goddesses who have too many projects at hand, with the task of getting rid of corona virus. Seetla Mai helped us get rid of small pox. Similarly, we need a Corona Devi. Without a separate devi, there is a lot of confusion amongst existing devi-devtas as to who should take responsibility over the corona pandemic. Currently Gods are simply passing the buck to each other. Our diyas, crackers, utensil beating is useless as of now.

Corona Devi ki Jai!

Who is an Urban Sanghi?

We all know who the ‘urban naxals are’. They are the ‘sickular’ ‘libtard’ ‘commies’ who are ‘anti-national’ enough to be concerned about the rights of women, muslims, dalits, homosexuals etc. Most of them have wasted precious time studying social sciences in educational institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru University instead of joining the prestigious whatsapp university. Many of us have made vain attempts to counter the barrage of insults by trying to remind our brothers and sisters of something called the constitution of India which guarantees justice, liberty and equality to all its citizens. Some of us, believers at heart, (though regarded as godless ‘commies’ out to destroy hindus) have requested them to spare a thought for the God which created us all and whether he/she would approve of such violence (both verbal and physical) against fellow beings. But there comes a time when ‘the monster’ overpowers Dr Frankenstein.

Enough of ranting. This post is about returning the favour. Some theorising about the urban sanghis who have made me shiver at the news of a family dinner and have left no stone unturned in trying re-educate me through whatsapp and facebook. If only they didn’t keep in touch! My life would be so much more peaceful. But ‘revenge is sweet’ I have learnt from them. So, time for a bio-sketch of a perfect ‘urban sanghi’. Who qualifies as an Urban Sanghi? These are not the countless poor people deprived of a good education and living in poverty and hardship. An ‘urban sanghi’ is typically an engineer or an MBA working ‘very hard’ to pay for branded clothes and EMIs of a big house and car. The ‘urban sanghi’ often laments about the sorry state of affairs in India. He/she also has a plan through which India can become just like the United States in only five years (Oh no. five year plans again…these leftists deserve the hatred they get… They have made in roads even in the sanghi minds). While dining in expensive restaurants, they argue that if only everyone in India could work as hard as they do, India would become a developed country like the US in just five years. The maid who is serving food and has cooked the sumptuous dinner painfully looks on as they yell at her for being too stupid and not knowing how to serve properly.

MOST IMPORTANT. The ‘urban sanghi’ has done their parents proud by becoming an ENGINEER and doing an MBA after that. Beware of such proud parents. They are simply dangerous. Avoid them. Run when you see them approaching. No small talk. No ‘hello aunty’ or ‘hello uncle’ or basic courtesies for them. They simply don’t deserve it. They exist only to humiliate others and especially other parents whose children are not engineers or not settled abroad or don’t possess a car or have not booked a flat already. They had children only to be able to insult other people whose children aren’t as rich. No other reason behind the deed. The Bengali ‘urban sanghi’ (decades of communist party’s rule had to give some space to dissent of another kind) also won a prize in a solo singing competition in school as a child. Generally, Bengalis are more dangerous than others and no you can’t do anything about them or their prodigious children. So just ‘bhag Milkha bhag’ when you see them approaching.

As a I said, the ‘urban sanghi’ works very hard and rarely has the time to read serious analysis on either national security, poverty, unemployment, GDP growth statistics, Indian politics, Hinduism, Islam or the caste system. Years of hard work to improve ‘quant skills’ (‘quant skills’ not math) have also seriously impaired the ability to comprehend anything beyond two lines written in poor English. Whatsapp university and thunderous TV anchors come in handy. A not so dear aunt, a hardened ‘urban sanghi’, whose dear uncle was a notorious nobody in the communist party of Bengal and had distinguished himself as a local goon, once gave me a lesson on nationalism. Now in Delhi, as an engineer, the lady had all the right to be an ‘urban sanghi’ and forget the inglorious path of revolution her beloved uncle had never trodden. It was a lesson I never forgot (just as she had intended!). My parents have never understood my love for them. They never will. So, I should have beaten her up. But desire to be appreciated by one’s parents is so strong that I allowed her to go on. Even the kalakand that she served did not make the lesson any sweeter. “My brain has been brainwashed in JNU by the communists”, she roared. She had seen a photo of young Kanhaiya (the seditious one not the seductive one with a flute) receiving a prize from AB Bardhan. “That’s how he picked up anti-national ideas and went on organise anti-national events in JNU”, she reasoned. Just how?? Given that she was raised by a man who was an ardent supporter of the communists how could she manage not becoming Mao Zedong 2.0? Then I understood how she must have scored full marks in the reasoning section of the engineering entrance exam. Her mother, needless to say has given her daughter A plus. She is an engineer, owns a flat in Delhi and two in Kolkata.

Then there is the younger lot. The younger lot also works very hard in investment banks, KPOs or consultancies. The pride that this lot takes in working for places which have slightly better conditions that the 20^th century workhouses of England is praiseworthy. If only everyone could work as hard as they did, India would be a better place. “But most of the people in India (barring researchers like me) actually work very hard. They are still poor guys. The problem is more complex”, I tried to explain. And the pack of loyal ‘urban sanghis’ attacked me like a pack of lions, “you experts are too bothered about data and research. Your data is bullshit (but the world bank data on ease of doing business is perfect). You have spoilt the country. Your research is of no value”, yelled all of them together. One of them had a five-year plan (again..) for poverty eradication. All subsidies and government schemes should be eliminated. But the subsidy on petrol to run their cars off course must go on so that they can pollute comfortably. Freebies spoil work culture. All schemes like NREGS should be stopped. People should be made to work for a living. Wait a minute. Doesn’t NREGS try to ensure employment for 100 days? But an ‘urban sanghi’ never engages with any issue. He/she operates with an extreme hatred towards the poor and marginalised. Their dream of India as a developed country is basically exclusionary. There is absolutely no concern about the rights of the poor and the marginalised. Most of them are naïve techno-solutionists. And off course, they boil with rage at the mention of the ‘M’ word. Muslims are their main enemy who are responsible for most of the ills of the country. They are the ones who are behind all rapes and murders in this country. The Muslim rulers brought in all the social ills in India. Wait a minute, did the Muslim rulers create caste system? Or sati? Or Dowry? Shut up you urban naxal. You must be sent to Pakistan!

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G20’s compact with Africa: How beneficial for Africa is it really?

The emphasis on Africa, a hitherto marginalised region in G20 summits, was one of the most prominent features of Germany's G20 Presidency. Germany launched the Compact with Africa (CwA) initiative under the G20’s finance track in 2017. The main objective of the CwA initiative was to encourage private investment in Africa, particularly in the infrastructure sector, for high growth and job creation within Africa. Domestic pressures to stem migration from Africa also played an important role in the formulation of the CwA initiative. It was felt that creation of adequate economic opportunities for Africa’s youth within Africa would deter young Africans from seeking a better life in Europe.

Under CwA, African countries willing to join the initiative commit to an investment compact and engage with international organisations (World Bank, IMF, and AfDB) to discuss the initiative’s objectives and national priorities. Thereafter, the compact countries focus on reform measures and implementation. The three main reform areas under the CwA are as follows:

1. Macro-economic environment for investment which covers economic policies in African countries to main macro-economic stability and ensure adequate infrastructure provision.
2. Business environment which includes the general environment in which firms operate, regulatory practices and predictability, state capacity for management of public-private partnerships, project preparation etc.
3. Financing environment for investors which includes development of local capital markets and support from long-term institutional investors in major financial systems.

So far only a handful of African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia have joined the initiative. According to a recent report by Rob Floyd, Kapil Kapoor and Laura Sennett, 101 commitments have already been made by nine participating African economies out of which 43%, 37%, and 21% were related to macro-economic stability, business and financial environment respectively.^[i] While 33% and 22% of the commitments under the macro-economic and business environment pillars were achieved only 5% of the commitments under financial environment has been achieved so far. Thus, one can say that there is some progress in reform process in the Compact countries but given the long-term nature of the reform process it is not clear to what extent the African countries will succeed in attracting private capital from these reforms. The following paras discuss some of the main issues with regard to the CwA and what the initiative holds for the African continent.

One of the first questions that emerges with respect to this initiative is how invested are other G20 members in this initiative or is it just a German initiative? So far not many G20 countries have involved themselves deeply in the CwA initiative. Only Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Spain, Netherlands, and the United States have participated in this initiative.^[ii]In fact Katherine Keil argues that the CwA is more like a G7 initiative because apart from Spain and Netherlands, all other countries are a part of the G7.^[iii] Many of the G20 members have their own programmes with Africa and may not be very keen to get closely involved in the CwA process. In fact, Chinese funding for African infrastructure exceeds the contributions of other countries and international organisations and comes without any additional conditionalities or reform requirements.

Secondly, although the initiative claims to be demand-driven, one of the major problems with the initiative is that it continues to look at Africa as a problem and adopts the age-old prescriptive approach to address development challenges in the continent. Currently, South Africa is the only African country which is a G20 member. Although the African Union and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) attend G20 summits, the continent as a whole has little say in global development issues discussed at the G20. Under such circumstances, an initiative like CwA which essentially tries to facilitate reforms in African countries to boost private investment for higher growth and more jobs for Africans perpetuates the historical relationship that the continent always had with the West.

Thirdly, the initiative assumes that promoting private investment and development of physical infrastructure through domestic reforms is the panacea for all of Africa’s development challenges. There is little evidence to support this view though. In order to address poverty, inequality and youth unemployment in Africa, it is not only important that the continent attract private investors but also that such investments lead to the creation of decent jobs for Africans. The central question is - Will Africa profit from private industries or will the private sector profit at Africa’s expense? Africa’s development history suggests the latter is more likely without adequate safeguards. While African governments are committing to domestic reforms to attract the private sector, there is no guarantee that the private sector will meet environmental or social standards. What will be the role of G20 members and international organisations like the IMF and the World Bank? They will provide technical assistance, help in project preparation and encourage their private sector to invest in Compact countries. Unfortunately, the issues of fair wages, decent working conditions, environmental standards, sustainable development goals are completely absent from the CwA narrative. African governments will be responsible for ensuring these on their own. Moreover, overemphasis on the creation of physical infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPPs) ignores the importance of social infrastructure like health and education which are essential for poverty alleviation and development.

Another key feature of the CwA initiative is that it reinforces the activities of the IMF and the World Bank. Directing private investment to the infrastructure sector has been the focus of these institutions for a long time. However, the fiscal, legal, regulatory, and institutional challenges with regard to PPPs have been completely neglected. PPPs often cost more in the long-run and expose governments to financial risks. In case of private financing of large infrastructure projects in immature financial markets, there are high risks that the private returns come at the expense of long-term fiscal costs. The CwA framework also includes business arbitration courts and Systemic Investor Response Mechanisms (SIRM) which often prioritise investor interests over public interest. In a nutshell, although launched with a lot of fanfare, the actual benefits for African countries from the initiative is still not clear and offers nothing new to African countries. In fact, the G20 members must realise that they would contribute more to Africa’s development by focusing the issues like fair trade practices, climate change, global financial architecture etc.

(This article originally appeared in the Observer Research Foundation's website)

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^[i] https://t20japan.org/policy-brief-g20-compact-with-africa/

^[ii] https://us.boell.org/2017/12/13/g20-compact-africa-innovative-partnerships-or-business-usual

^[iii] Ibid.