This and That 20206: “App”ropriation: Apps and Religion

There are explosive discussions on smart phone Apps and programs like Adhar card being an intrusion on the privacy of individuals. The latest App victim is the much touted health App, Arogya Setu, made compulsory by the Central Government in some circustances, during the pandemic times.

It is common knowledge since many years that Apps can trace your Web habits, look into your contact list, make phone calls without your knowledge, track your location, examine your files and more. They can also automatically send information such as location data to mobile ad networks and wherever.

In addition, apps can gather the phone number and the unique ID number like the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of each type of phone. Personal information these apps gather from your phone can be matched to these IDs. That means this information can in some cases be used to infringe your bank accounts, direct targeted advertisements and probably even blackmail you after gathering sensitive information regarding your personal life. Apps are also selling additional information in the market, including users' location, age, gender, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political views.

It's not as if you weren't warned. Before you download an App you are warned in a subtle way of all these. Some of us heed the warnings and take precautions so that we can leverage the many facilities afforded by these Apps in easing our life. But generally, most people ignore these “warnings” and in a manner accept this violation of privacy and individualism – and continue to crib about the violations.

(With malice to none) In the wake of this “App”ropriation of individual exclusiveness by these Apps, here is a provocative question. Are individualism and religion reconcilable? Are they antithetical and diametrically opposed to each other?

Most people within religion or outside of it, will say that religion essentially is conformist. Most religions have set out laws that govern your thoughts, actions, the way you dress, pray, eat, drink and many more. An individual can be profiled to a great extent by his religion. Some will justify the conformity as for the greater good, there has to be a certain type of conformity for greater good of the society. Some of these dictates are not moral relativism; it’s an absolute set of laws such as Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal etc. But there are many more prescriptions laid down which unabashedly regulate daily life to the extent of how men and women should dress – and people just accept them or are forcibly made to accept them; no cribbing here.

When you ask individuals, one on one, what their priorities are most say it is self-expression and religion is down at the lowest end of the spectrum. Yet most fail to see how Religion is controlling their lives. No cribbing there. The problem is that Religion has become so bureaucratic and God has become so stereotyped into a superimposed being with a dogmatic set of laws rendering religious followers to unabashed exploitation much like the modern Apps in your smart phones – yet nobody cribs.

We consider this millennium to be a celebration of the self, as the Times put it. In this millennium the self has emerged, and we’re on our own, for better or for worse, as opposed to the first millennium, where God was the center of the universe. Individuality is not just an inherent right of birth it is the right of all beings. So, in no way should religion, or a Divine institution in the spirit of God contradict, repress, suppress, or compromise that individuality.

Yet people don’t crib!!!

Tail Piece: (with malice to none).  When false information and targeted misinformation is spread, mostly on social media, for weeks we call it Fake News. When information (not established as true or false) are spread in the name of faith and beliefs for centuries, we call it Religion. Both are used to influence individuals, society, politics, businesses, crime et al.

This and that…20203… Whither India? In brief

I am presently in New Jersey across the river Hudson from New York. New York and New Jersey are the two states in the USA worst affected by the pandemic. Within these two states the worst affected is the city of New York and the three counties (districts) of New Jersey bordering New York City.

Some figures: (AS on 01 May 2020)

USA	Total	Total	Active	Tot Cases/	Deaths/	Total	Tests/
State	Cases	Deaths	Cases	1M pop	1M pop	Tests	1M pop
USA Total	1,132,038	65,783	904,589	3,420	199	6,700,781	20,244
New York	315,222	24,069	240,586	16,068	1,227	927,438	47,274
New Jersey	121,190	7,538	112,381	13,645	849	255,214	28,734

During the peak periods in these states the Medicare facilities were found wanting. Required resources like hospital beds, ICU beds, doctors, nurses, medical equipment were about 4-5 time those available. Hospital ship of the US Navy, Field Hospitals by the Army were all pressed into service – but they all came a bit too late. The damage was already done.

In comparison here the figures for India from those states with more than 1000 cases as on 01 May 2020.

State/UT	Confirmed	Active	Recovered	Death
Maharashtra	11,506	9,142	1,879	485
Gujarat	4,721	3,750	735	236
Delhi	3,738	2,510	1,167	61
Rajasthan	2,720	1,534	121	365
Madhya Pradesh	2,715	2,046	524	145
Tamil Nadu	2,526	1,186	1,312	28
Uttar Pradesh	2,328	1,632	654	42
Andhra Pradesh	1,525	1,051	441	33
Telangana	1,044	552	464	28

I will confine my discussion to these two states, NJ and NYof the USA where I have been an eyewitness of the developments, which started reacting to the virus weeks after India had started reacting and enforcing travel restrictions and the lock down. New York is as crowded and as dirty as any metro in India. The metro network in New York, more efficient and more crowded during peak hours, is comparable with that in Mumbai for the sheer volume of traffic.

As on date, 02 May 2020, the states of NY and NJ are in complete lock down. No industry, no malls, no cinema houses, no clubs (including Golf Clubs), no salons, no parties, no gatherings, no.., no……….. Yes, during these times, restricted public transport was kept open to facilitate movement of healthcare workers and those involved in providing essential services. These sates are expected to open up a bit more in the next few weeks. Joblessness and people queueing up for meal coupons, in spite of the “massive economic stimulus” injected is huge.

You just have to compare the statistics to realise the positive effect on the lives and morale of Indians. Morale of the people is very important for them to return to work. A quote from the local press “...... for that to be the case (economic recovery), a vast army of workers will have to put aside their fears of a pandemic that has infected more than a million Americans and killed at least 60,000 and restart the country's economic engine.”

I am convinced that the key to an economic recovery is the people. A stimulus will come any which way. In spite of the stimulus only if the people come out to work (and spend) without fear or panic can the economy recover.

I feel at this stage, it is advantage India.