Jimmy Wales and the democritization of knowledge

In the good old times, knowledge was institutionlaized. It was put together by researchers and scholars, it was authorized by institutions such as academies and universities, it was distributed by big publishers. For instance, the Encyclopedia Britannica is the standard bearer of general information.

Now we have Wikipedia. Wikipedia places the authority with the contributors. Indeed, there are no “authorities” in the wiki world. It is a democratic set up in which each individual has a voice, has a story to tell, and has a right to be heard. Another contributor might have other views, and has equal rights to criticise the story.

The very idea of an authoritarian setup, with a jury deciding the official version of the story is undermined. We now have multiple stories: readers have more options. They can buy into a story they find suits their understanding of the world (world view).

In time to come, this approach to knowledge is going to gain ground. All scientific systems must meet the test of democracy – that is, approval by the users of the knowledge. It is a bottom-up approach to building the grand narrative.

But then, is there a grand narrative? Is there a universal design in all things we see around us?

Can Mr Owaisi stop Telangana state?

Mr Asaduddin Owaisi is very clear about his stance on the Telangana issue. He is firstly for a united Andhra Pradesh. If that cannot be, then he will go with Royal-Telangana.

The reason his position has significance is that he controls a large part of the twin cities electorate, and he is expanding into the hinterland. What happens to Hyderabad then, is Asad bhai's concern. And he made his position very clear.

In the light of that, will the center be emboldened to keep the state united? They can, if...

- they make Ramgopal Varma undo the damage he did in Money Money.

- they fix all regional imbalances in the jobs in the secretariat.

- they settle water disputes.

The powers that be in Delhi might find it much easier to bifurcate the state. It is no skin off their nose.

Will Mrs Geeta Reddy Make It This Time?

Will Mrs Geeta Reddy make it this time?

I have earlier suggested that Mrs Geeta Reddy would be a perfect fit as CM of Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, things have changed a little, with Mrs Geeta Reddy's name cropping up in connection with EMAAR properties.

Be that as it may, I wish to argue that even now, there is no other suited for the role as well as Mrs Geeta Reddy does. The question really is: is Mrs Reddy ready for it? In a candid interview with a local news channel, she admitted that she resorted to some lobbying at the time of Mr Kiran Reddy's nomination. We don't know if she at least sent a feeler or a formal appeal to the high command regarding her readiness.

If she did and all works well, we might well have a woman CM from Telangana. She will be a perfect conduit between the populace - she with a solid grounding at the grassroot level - and the powers that be in Delhi. Is it difficult to push her nomination through? I doubt it: in the Congress party, once the high command decides on a name, everyone falls in line. Of course, after a year or so, there will be noises for change, but what the seeled cover contains is never questioned at CLP bheti's.

To briefly recapitulate the pros I listed earlier: she is well-educated, belongs to the dalit community, and is experienced as a minister. She had been a YSR loyalist but keeps her distance from Mr Jagan. Oh yeah, as stated in this blog earlier, she is from Telangana.

Bottomline: Why is Prof Kodandaram shooting himself in the foot? Is he taking a page out of the rabid communist Narayana?

the aliens are grounded

The aliens space station project is grounded. We don't see their ads in the papers any more. Is it that they have sold all the flats? I doubt it. I said earlier that the towers will be blasted. I meant, the frustration levels in this country are so high that the aliens will become a target for miscreants.

Last year, around this time, they proudly announced the handing over of keys to the first buyer. Have there been many more? I doubt it.

Often, I write without checking facts first. But this time, I checked: what was earlier planned as a 35-storey structures in now down to 15-storeys. Hmm, the story changed considerably.

15 is reasonable, I think. In singapore, the government goes up to 25-floor buildings in their HDB apartment blocks. Fair enough. We can have 15 floors. The trouble, as the levels go higher, is water. They will be draining all the water from the table, and cause scarcity for people around the ugly space station.

These enclaves (literal meaning: territory within enemy country) of prosperity among a see of poverty are an eye-sore. I live in a modest enclave myself. Forever there are guys cleaning the cars, there is a guard, there are many workers who just look at all the wealth and wonder where it is coming from. Given their limited knowledge of financial markets and speculative philosophy, they conclude that all this is looted mal.

Guys working in big malls see folks buying products they have not imagined before - tiny cricket bats for instance (I have seen one for the first time) and wonder how come some children get the best of breed toys and their own children are malknourished.

There is no one to convince them that it is their karma.

Therefore I predicted that aliens will be cut to size. Which is what happened, with aliens space station.

Do I need to say more?

In the year 2000, I was in singapore and got into a vacant bus. It was not yet time for the bus to leave. As I was sitting there, I hear Made In India sung from somewhere. Since there were no passengers, I wondered who it was; later, I discovered that it was the driver - kind of hidden in the cabin like thing in one of those big a.c. buses.

As I went up, he smiled at me - recognizing that I was Indian. All in all it was time well-spent in Singapore. Except that they put me in custody overnight for drunken behavior (actually, that was my normal behavior - just that they did not know :)

Last year, we predicted that http://www.sankarar.blogspot.in/2011/08/jagan-will-eat-chippa-koodu.html

A Night In Custody: What Made Gandhi Mahatma?

A day in prison can do wonders. A night In Custody can change your entire weltanshauung (worldview). This is true. Before going to prison, the Mahatma was a mere unreformed male. The prison made him the great soul that he later shared with his countrymen and women and the world at large. His largesse had its roots in one of the two things that go to make men great men: one is getting in touch with the greatest number of masses that one can. The Mahatma had done that in ample measure – across the length and breadth of India.

The other measure that makes mere mortals into great beings is getting in touch with oneself. There is nothing like a 6x6 prison cell with a toilet in one corner which sends you into rhapsodies of self discovery. I was once In Custody overnight so I can tell. That was a long time ago, quite far away in Singapore – but that tale has to wait for another blog. For now, matters more immediate, such as Jagan’s impending arrest.

Bottomline predicted, speculated, and even advocated the arrest of the upstart MP from Kadapa, and now that it is happening, we welcome it. I thought it was long overdue but with the bye-elections underway, the timing seems to be rather well thought out. One thing is clear, Jagan must be stopped from campaigning and the only way is to put him in prison.

Now rewind a little: Jagan has travelled the length and breadth of Andhra to meet people. It is said that about 200 people around him are his own ‘men and women’ (and maybe even children). Even so, he is getting in touch with more people in Andhra than the entire Gandhi clan ever did. That way, he is set to complete the goal of getting in touch with the masses.

How about getting in touch with himself? Here is a godsend: the government is going to send him to a closed cell, which is the best incubator for great leaders.
The prison experience puts things in perspective, gets you into your cosmic groove and sets you up to really do what you are destined to do. If Jagan is destined to carry out his father’s legacy, no one can stop him from that. But then, Jagan himself must face up to what his father’s legacy really is: there is no better place than prison for Jagan to really retrospect the events of the past few years. Things have moved at such a maddening pace that he needs a bit of rest and retreat from the rough and tumble. He must now seek to formulate a vision for the future for himself and for the state beyond the kursi.

Given a little space, be it locked up, for oneself, an intelligent businessman like Jagan would know how to turn the game to his advantage. That space, and a chance to get in touch with oneself, is the godsend Jagan has now on a platter. Yes, and God is watching.

Let us hope Jagan will emerge a better human from custody, which seems immanent; and a better leader, if not a great soul.