Hari the Hadron

INDIGESTIBLE INDIAN POLITICS

2010-06-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Congress party today stated that their Government at Centre had no role in Warren Anderson escaping from India in 1984. Let us for a moment accept their statement in full.

So Mr. Warren Anderson came to India on his own free will, had a picnic at the Bhopal Gas tragedy site on his own free will, got arrested on his own free will, got the bail on his own free will and went back to USA breaking the bail conditions on his own free will, all without any intervention of the Central Government of India run by the Congress party.

If a foreign country citizen is able to come in, move around, commit crime and leave the country so easily, then what kind of Governance did the Congress impart being the Central Government and why the hell were they calling themselves the ruling party, when they were less than a spectator.

WHO IS THE BIGGER TERRORIST

2010-06-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Is it Warren Anderson who killed 20000 Indians with a single accident or Osama Bin Laden who killed less than 5000 Americans with three accidents, if I may call so under guidance from the US of A. And who is abetting the terrorist here.

The US Government would not extradite Anderson because he was not personally involved in the accident. I don’t think even Osama Bin Laden was personally involved in 9/11 incident, then why is the US army still camping in Afghanistan to capture him. Is it that a human life in US has more value than a human life in India.

GLOBAL WARMING – WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT ANYWAY

2009-10-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

Loud, long and strong but useless talks are going on at the Global level for creating awareness and reducing Global warming for quite sometime now. In fact the developed countries are trying to create a new divide among the world community of Economic "haves" and "have nots" by trying hard to keep the developing countries as perpetually developing.

But do we, the self empathizing class called “common man” ever realize that we may be the largest group of unproductive emitters of Carbon-di-oxide world over, due to our environmentally unfriendly lifestyle, more than any other economic developmental activities. The second largest emission may come from the extravagant summit meets on Global warming conducted world over more as a ritual than with a purpose.

Take for example, each family in urban India (developing country) has atleast two vehicles for two working persons. If both of them decide to use a single vehicle to commute to their working places the following advantages are realized.

1) You get up more early in the morning, which reduces the number of hours the A/C runs in the bedroom, thereby reduction in CO2 emission. Waking-up early in the morning also is healthy in many ways.

2) Since we may be require to leave our home early we would end-up spending lesser time in the Wash-rooms and Bathrooms thereby lesser use of water and Water heaters resulting in lesser electricity consumed and reduction in CO2 emission. Many of us take bath for more often for pleasure than when necessary. The necessity can be complied within 10 minutes but pleasure lasts more than half-an-hour.

3) The burning of petrol on the second vehicle is the biggest reduction of CO2.

4) The reduction in traffic in the roads if each family follows the principle. The reduction in traffic reduces the time taken to commute which reduces the petrol consumption and hence emission of CO2.

5) Due to lower traffic we would spend lesser time idling in traffic signals, resulting in further lower emissions of CO2.

6) Lesser pollution due to burning petrol in the atmosphere, creates a healthy atmosphere.

7) We may be required to walk a little more to reach a convenient point for being picked-up by our family member at evening resulting in a healthy exercise to an otherwise dormant physical lifestyle.

8) We may reach home a little late, but it helps in reducing the time spent in front of the idiot box, resulting in lesser consumption of electricity and reduction in emission of CO2.

The intention here in this post is not to create a guiness record by preparing the biggest list of advantages, but just to throw light of awareness that a single act of adjustment in our lifestyle can lead to so much reduction in emission of CO2 into atmosphere and in the process enhance our health too.

Now it is for us to take a call on who is responsible to reduce the emission of CO2, the developed countries, developing countries, its leaders holding the summit meets on protection of environments or WE, the people of the world.

CATTLE CLASS ????????

2009-09-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Mr Tharoor has just proved how ungreatful a person can get. He got elected partly out of the votes of his so-called "Cattle Class". He also got elected to fully milk the so-called "Cattle Class". But there is least expression of gratitude when he uses the term "Cattle Class". Is that typical of an Indian politician?

HOW CAN THEY DO THAT ?????

2009-07-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had given the job of designing and construction to Gammon India and the reason given by the authorities was that it was done to save costs. What a horrendous decision is this.

This is something like giving a caterer a lakh of rupees to prepare lunch for a thousand people and also giving him the freedom to choose the menu. Obviously he is going to serve you with Curd Rice and pickles while he prepares a feast for himself with the rest of the money. This is exactly what Gammon India have done for Delhi Metro Rail lines. Unfortunately just as sometimes the curd gets sour even before it is served, so has the structures built by Gammon India.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2009-07-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

"God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

- Author unknown

TALKING ABOUT DROUGHT, WHAT ABOUT THE FLOODS

2009-07-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

It is shocking to find that the Government, political analysts, media and a whole lot of communities, who think they can successfully run the country with their oratorial abilities, are so much engrossed in shouting in resonance that the country is facing a situation of severe drought when there is a part of our country called “Assam” which is reeling in heavy flood even this year.

It is a horrific revelation of total non-governance and lack of Political will (I really don’t understand why it is such an importance feature of governance) on the part of Indian Democratic system, when this phenomena of flood in Assam and drought or shortage of rainfall in other parts of the country has been going on for decades now, that not a single tangible step has been taken to harness the flood water and divert it to regions with shortage of rainfall. People who talk about the cost of such an exercise should just put their heads and look at the amount spent in flood relief in Assam almost every year and compensation to farmers in other parts of the country every year, which would cumulate to a sum many more times higher than that would have taken to harness the flood water from Assam.

It is even more pitiable that today people have even stopped discussing the subject of floods in Assam in detail and are only shouting about the drought in Northern India.

INDIAN GOVERNING SYSTEM – FUELLED BY PRESSURE

2009-07-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have been getting this feeling sometimes that the Indian governing system runs on the fuel called “Pressure”. Let me be clear that this fuel called “Pressure” is only meant to run the governance part of the Indian Government and not the non-governance activities which forms a major part of Indian Democratic system.

It is also that our governance system runs only on high degree of “Pressure”. Take the case of killing of a MBA graduate in Madhya Pradesh. The Government took action to investigate the case by CB-CID and then the CBI only after heavy “Pressure” from the public.

So we should all understand that we need to fuel the governing system of our country separately for separate functions. For governance activities, we need to fuel it constantly with “Pressure” and for Non-governance activities, anway we all know how to fuel it. I think the whole problem is that we have been using only the fuel meant for non-governance activities, whereby the process of governance has become a junk.

So jaago bharat jaago, we all have more than required “Pressures” in our life. Just keep releasing it on the Government, I am sure we will have a better governing system in place.

GENERAL LAWS OF LIFE

2009-04-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

Got this as a forward. These are things happens to us almost daily. But when we find such things happen in the life of most of us, it becomes a General Law or Rule of Life.

LAW OF QUEUE: If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

LAW OF TELEPHONE : When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

LAW OF BIO-MECHANICS : After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

LAW OF THE WORKSHOP: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

LAW OF THE ALIBI: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tyre, the next morning you will have a flat tyre.

BATH THEOREM: Whenever you are immersed in the tub, the telephone rings.

LAW OF ENCOUNTERS: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

THE ITCHY LAW : The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

THEATRE RULE: People with the seats at the furthest from the aisle arrive last.

LAW OF COFFEE: As soon as you sit down for a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

SOME WORDS DEFINE THEMSELVES

2009-04-28T03:56:00.000-07:00

We find certain words in English, their spelling or pronunciation give their meaning and characteristics more perfectly than any dictionary.. Two such words I found are “EASY” and “PERSEVERENCE”. Their choice of letters, number of letters and their arrangements define the word so perfectly which made me feel that development of these words was really a great work of art.

100% VOTING – THE ONLY WAY TO STEM THE DIVIDE OF INDIA IN CASTE AND RELIGIOUS LINES

2009-04-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

If spreading of casteism and dividing the country in terms of religion is a crime, then the politicians of this country are the biggest perpetrators of this crime. And we all know that they are not indulging in this crime for the upliftment of any particular caste or religion. The motive is only one that of gaining the support and votes of a particular caste. The politicians know very well that once people of a particular caste are uplifted and are able to stand on their own, they would stop voting.

It’s a sad predicament in India that people who do not have anything else to do only feel the need to vote while a majority among us don’t understand that we are forced to do a lot of things which our conscience does not permit and waste our time and energy on that, only because we don’t exercise our right to vote.

Suppose you do a case study of a particular Lok Sabha or Assembly constituency which falls within a rural or semi-urban India, you will find that there will be two major parties fighting for the seat, a couple of minor parties and a few independents. Each of the major parties might be having the support of about 20% of the votes. The minor parties which would definitely be a caste or religion based parties would have about 10% support each and independents can garner a support of 5% on their own. The constituency will be dominated by one or two caste or religion, which may constitute 35% of the electorate. The remaining 65% may be the educated, uplifted or so to say casteless community.

The major political parties who have about 20% support talk loud about the majority caste or religion in the constituency on how they are suppressed and suffer etc. to gain that additional 10% vote to win the seat. Considering some cross voting taking place among the major parties, the person who talks louder on caste or religion wins the seat by polling just about 30% vote in his favour. The reason being the most of the 50% casteless community and the enlightened part of the majority caste do not exercise their right to vote which results in the victory of a candidate by polling less than one-third total votes in his favour.

Take the case if 90% of the electorate in the constituency goes to vote. The major political party cannot just talk loud on a single dominant caste or religion in the constituency to win the election because in that case their votes alone will not be sufficient for his victory. The politician will be forced to talk on real issues and in terms of performance and upliftment of the downtrodden.

Four major outcomes will emerge from a near 100% voter turnout in the elections.

1) Divide of the nation in terms of caste and religion will definitely get reduced.
2) Real and actual upliftment of the downtrodden castes will happen as the politicians will have no benefit in keeping them downtrodden.
3) If at all money is being distributed in elections, they will get reduced as the politicians cannot afford to distribute money to all the voters in the constituency.
4) Last but not the least the governing and performance efficiency of even the most non-performing politician will look upward when they realize they can no longer win election in religion or caste platform.

“VOTE FOR CHANGE” – BUT WHERE’S THE “CANDIDATE FOR THE CHANGE”

2009-04-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

The “Vote for Change” campaign inspiring every Indian citizen to vote is indeed heartening, but the real question is whether mere exercising the voting power by every citizen of India in this election can bring about a change in the governing attitude and system of governance in this country.

It is true that power to vote is the only weapon that a common man has against the politicians who run this Democracy for them, by them and through them (here “them” denotes politicians). But if it is the same old bunch of corrupt, self-interested, criminal minded politicians who are nominated to each and every constituency of the country then we only have the power to vote but not to vote for change. A “Vote for change” would happen only if there is atleast one person in every constituency who has the power to make the Indian Democracy “for the people, by the people and through the people”.

So for this campaign “Vote for change” to be successful, it should be adequately complimented by a “Candidate for making the Change”

FRIENDS

2009-03-26T02:56:00.000-07:00

There’s a saying: “Good friends are like stars….. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.” And it is also true that if some people calling themselves friends feel that only seeing, meeting and talking and proving is the lifeline of friendship, then it is no more than a formal, pre-defined, conditional relationship.

In the same vein, I would say people who form the chain of the formal, pre-defined, conditional relationship are like people interested in watching Television News Channels. They only want to get the news first, but really not interested in doing anything with it.

For example suppose you are alone in the city and meet with an accident. You make calls to people you know to inform about your ordeal. A true friend will not ask a second question after he gets the news and will immediately reach out to you at the earliest. Whereas if it is not the case, there will be a hundred questions poured on you including when and at what time it happened, why did you not inform earlier and finally end up with a statement like “take care and keep me abreast with your progress”.

Friendship is like the “SUN”. It is always there at the same position giving the same warmth to us. If at all we see day, night and global warming in our friendship, it is only because we are not static and keep depleting the good atmosphere around us. It is no use blaming the sun for that.

THE WORLD HAS ENOUGH TO FULFILL ALL OUR NEEDS BUT NOT OUR GREED

2009-03-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

These are the words of the “Father of our nation”, Sri Mahatma Gandhi. I am sorry that I have to be very elaborate in introducing him because just a few days back in a TV News Channel during the debate on acquiring the memorabilia of Mahatma Gandhi, I heard a youngster telling that people of today don’t remember Mahatma Gandhi anymore.

Coming back to his above utterings, isn’t it more evident now than ever that because of our greed we have not only destroyed our today (courtesy the Global Meltdown) but also our tomorrow by warming the Globe much beyond the levels where it can keep our future cosy.

It is really ironical to note that if we all lived a life just trying to fulfill our needs there would have been enough and more left for the future generation we have procreated. On the other hand we are working overtime to fulfill our greed in the pretext that we are doing it all for our children, ultimately not leaving a place for them even to survive and live their life.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE COST OF NOBILITY

2009-03-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

It would not require a deep introspection to realize that we Indians have paid for this Roller-coaster ride of economic development with our nobility, tradition and whatever little national Interest and governance we had in our democracy.

Today a majority of people feel that everything of their interest can be bought with money or rather put it this way that they are only interested in things that can be bought with money. Things like family values, love, affection and selflessness which cannot be bought with money or may not get the true stuff with money have been sold off as consideration for economic independence and development.

This is one reason a part of the country population is so badly affected by the Global economic slowdown that they require psychiatric and counseling help to come to terms with the situation. This category of people feel suffocated and cannot even breath on their own without money and luxury. But the country is still afloat despite the Global meltdown is because there are still a good lot of people who know to live in an underdeveloped economy with the help of strong family values, traditions, nobility and discipline in life.

The second group is fast becoming extinct and it is strongly recommended to save that species if we are to prevent India and its future a history to our children.

CLEANING THE INNER ENVIRONMENT

2009-03-10T04:08:00.000-07:00

This concept is not my original but borrowed from “Swahilya”, an authority when it comes to understanding our inner environment and maintaining it clean.

But introspection into this concept really gave enormous food for thought on how important a pollution-free inner self is to feel and understand the pollution in the outer environment and the necessity to keep it clean. For example if you wear a lens full of dust, you will naturally feel the whole environment around you hazy and you would not know the difference between the clean and dirty or say the “right” and the “wrong” in a hazy atmosphere.

Similarly only if we keep our home and family environment clean, healthy and noble, we shall realize the lack of cleanliness, good health and nobility pervading the society. On the other hand if the atmosphere in the home itself is unclean, then the lack of it in the society will not hurt us at all

ROOTS OF CORRUPTION – INDIANS GENERALLY CARE LESS FOR LAW

2008-11-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

Is it really justified to brand the politicians and public servants alone as Corrupt? Does corruption begin and end there?

These questions have been pondering in my mind for quite sometime and after a lot of introspection I feel though we can argue that the chain of corruption end with Politicians and public servants, it surely does not begin with them.

The roots of corruption begins somewhere in our minds. So I wanted to put up a series of posts on the root causes of corruption and in the process also analyse whether corruption, if not possible to be removed completely, can atleast be given a legal face, which would do more good to the society. Sometime total eradication of corruption may result in a break-down of a certain branch of the administrative machinery especially in a scenario when there is no accountability among the Government machinery to perform and give results beneficial to the national interest. I will be picking up aspects which I feel form part of the roots of corruption and I will be too glad if I can get more inputs from readers whereby together we can disintegrate this seemingly impregnable web of corruption pervading all sections of our society.

One such root of corruption I feel is the lack of respect for law that is generally prevalent in our society right from the lowest strata of the society to the highest levels of the society and the Government. It is this lack of respect of law that is also impeding in the proper enforcement of law. If one happens to peruse the wide range of statutes that has been promulgated by our Governments, we would find that we are adequately endowed with rules and regulations for excellent administration of our Democracy. But unfortunately there is widespread ignorance of law which is helping in prevention of its enforceability by vested interests and lack of respect for law.

Take the simple example of the traffic signal. I am sure nine out of ten people among us would not mind jumping the signal if given a chance. And I have seen educated well-placed people justifying the reasons for the traffic violation with the police and trying to get away without paying any fine. Today I found in the papers that nearly all the commercial buildings in Chennai have not fitted the filter or Diaphragm in their sewage outlets which prevents solid waste from flowing into the main sewage, the main cause of clogging of sewages. The Madras High Court has passed orders seeking to restrict manual cleaning of underground sewages, declaring the same as injurious to human and they are very much justified in doing so. There is a strict rule and instruction for the commercial establishments and buildings to put up the filter, but almost none have complied. The cost of putting up that structure would be negligible when compared to the cost of the whole building and also the bribe they are ready to pay for not complying. Notices have been given by the Government to all the building owners but to no avail. How do we define this attitude of the people in question. They are ready to pay a few thousands of rupees in bribe to abstain from constructing the filter every now and then, rather than construct it and do a whole lot of good to themselves as well as to a lot of other people, mainly the hapless Corporation worker who has to clean the sewage manually.

So corruption definitely stems from this root of “Lack of Respect to the Law”.

CREATOR OF INSECURITY DEMANDS SECURITY

2008-10-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

This post is not meant to undermine the goal or intention of Mr. Raj Thackeray in demanding first preference for native Maharashtrians for job and self-employment opportunities in Maharashtra. It is the means used to achieve this endaevour that is unjustified and totally deplorable.

The situation is getting even more unjustified with the followers of Mr Raj Thackeray demanding state-security for their leader. It’s like he has to be provided highest security to his life by the state Government so that he can move around happily and create insecurity to the lives of common man, whose only crime is in not being a native Maharashtrian. The bigger irony would be that the funding for such provision of security would partly come from the same Non-Maharashtrian common man by way of tax, whose life and property is endangered by Mr. Raj Thackeray.

Mr. Raj Thackeray should understand that there is no dearth of opportunities for both Maharashtrians and Non-Maharashtrian in both Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. There is also no specific reservation or preference for Non-Maharashtrians in either Government, public or private sector industry. So if at all Mr. Raj Thackeray feels that Mahashtrians are losing their opportunities, he has to create a fire within each Maharashtrian to develop and equip themselves to the requirement of the Industry and gain their rightful place on the basis of merit and I am sure they have the spirit in themselves to do it.

The decision of the Government of Mahasrashtra in this case would prove whether their intention is to promote a sense of being an “Indian first” in every citizen of the state or they want to further divide Indian citizens in terms of their linguistic origin.

INDIA – A POLITICOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT

2008-10-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

A Government is a form of organization of State having a system of governance based on it nature of formation and in India’s case the attitude of its constituents. A Democratic form of Government is a Government by the people and is just a larger version of a society which ignores hereditary class distinctions and tolerates minority views.

If a person where to call the Indian Government a Democratic Government, he or she must be blind, deaf and dumb. In a true Democratic Government, the Politics should begin and end with elections and Democracy should stand thereafter. But in India, the Democracy begins and ends with the elections, as the elections are the only democratic process in India and thereafter only Politics stands. So I think it is better we call our Government a Politicocratic form of Government.

Everything here is ruled by Politicians, their Political aspirations and political correctness. The politics, politicians and political consideration decides whether an Industry should be set up at a particular place or whether a region should be developed or not.

The political consideration motivates our Government to try and pursue the Government of another country to safeguard the life and interest of residents of Indian origin in that country. Irrespective of the consideration I respect that intention. But the absence of the political consideration failed to produce the same intention when it came to the question of coming to the rescue of Indian citizens held captive by Somalian Pirates.

But I am not at all blaming the politicians of our country for this state of affairs. It is we the self-centred, narrow-minded, short sighted citizens of this country who are responsible for all this. Why did it take a Raj Thackerey or our honorable Minister of Civil Aviation, who is more a spokesman for a particular Airline than the governing authority of Aviation sector, to come to the rescue of the terminated employees of Jet Airways rather than the vast population of citizens of India who should have gheroad the Office of the Airline and questioned the unethical terms of employment that they follow. Why did the users of Air-transport not call for a immediate boycott of Jet Airways which does not have a human face in conduct of its affairs.

It is we the the Indians, especially the Middle Class Indians who are solely responsible for the destruction of Democratic norms in India. We are the tools of Democracy, but unfortunately we are rusted.

IS THERE ANY REAL RIGHT IN RTI

2008-08-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

When Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had sent a notice for performance audit of Central Information Commission (CIC) the apex authority for regulating the Right to Information Act, (RTI), the CIC had sent a reply questioning the jurisdiction of CAG to conduct such an audit and also whether such an audit is ever permitted.

So when the apex authority regulating the RTI itself is apprehensive about its performance record, so much so that it is trying to avoid any kind of test on its performance, this whole drama of transparency being played by the parliamentarians under the robe of RTI seems nothing more than a sham.

When there is no transparency permitted at the regulation work done by the Regulatory authority of RTI, one can well imagine the quality and transparency of information available to the user of RTI. Add to that cases of blantant refusal, by those bound by the RTI Act, to give the information sought for. So what is the sanctity of an application made under RTI and what is the accountability to those governed by the Act.

POWER-FULL POLITICIANS

2008-07-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Tamilnadu Government announced that there is acute Power shortage in the state and Chennai and other cities will have to suffer one hour of power-cut everyday, while the suburbs will be put to two hours of power-cut daily.

But when I went to T.Nagar (busy shopping place in Chennai) on Saturday, I found a particular road fully decorated with Tube lights and decorative lamps due to a congregation of a particular political party. So power shortage is only meant for the common man who unfortunately and ironically not only elects the politicians to a position of power but also pays the taxes to enable them to get rich and also make the common man the most deprived. Can any civilized country have a better justice system to its citizen than India.

The moral of the story is that today politicians of India are the most powerful community in the widest definitions of the word "Power" and all others are Poor-full communities in its widest definitions too.

CORPORATISATION OF POLITICS / CORRUPTION

2008-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I think that is the best way a lay-man can explain the meeting of Mr. Mukesh Ambani with the Prime Minister and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. Today the function of Government of India is limited to satisfying the political and personal interest of politicians and fulfilling the business interests of their rich industrialists’ patrons.

The UPA winning the vote of confidence does not depend on how good or bad their governance of this country was, but on how much they would be able to satisfy the personal and political interests of their supporters and settlement of family dispute of poor Ambani brothers, who incidentally are much more important to this country than the over 100 crore unproductive population.

Political degradation and corruption cannot reach a lower level than it has reached in India today. Today we are seeing corruption corrupted to such an extent that the corrupt are getting boldly richer without any national or individual goal being achieved.

In a way Corporatisation of Corruption would be a positive development in the sense that a certain professionalism and Corporate Governance may be expected to evolve in corrupt practices. Corrupt practices would be more transparent and goal oriented. The Annual Reports of Company’s would clearly spell out the amount spent towards corruption, just a boldly as they give out the amount spent on Research and Development and also the benefits accrued therein. This may also make the corrupt accountable to deliver the goods for the consideration they get.

Not such a bad idea after all, when something is better than nothing.

A NATIONAL SHAME

2008-07-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

He was the greatest warrior and a legend in his community. His commitment to his duty was unquestionable. He was among the last of the endangered species of true patriots of this country. He was Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw.

Every citizen in this country who knows anything about the Indian armed forces would have learned about him, except the parliamentarians of this country who are totally blinded by the cancer of politics to such a grave extent that they neither respect nor recognize true patriots anymore.

It’s a shame that the parliamentarians of this country who are able to find time and logistics to attend the birthday party of a Chief Minister don’t have the gratitude to salute and pay homage to a legend and a patriot, but for whom and others in his class, they would not have been gifted with this Akshaya Patra (a vessel with infinite wealth) called “Independent India” who they butcher day in and day out for their own political interest.

As far as it concerns the three Service Chiefs who stand tall more on their snobbishness than on their feet, I only feel they would really not have found themselves dignified enough even to stand in front of the dead Field Marshall, leave alone when he was alive.

But who is bothered about a National Shame in a country filled with shameless nationals

WHERE DEATH ATTRACTS PENALTY

2008-03-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Till now we have heard only of Death Penalty being given to criminals for the rarest of rare crimes, but the mayor of a village in Southwest France has announced severe punishment to anyone who dies in the village (Courtesy : The Business Line, 07.03.2008). The reason being no room left in the local Cementery to bury the dead. So only those people who have a plot in the Cemetary are permitted to die in the village.

Where is the world moving to? At a time when people find it hard to buy themselves a home to live in, it is indeed the height of agony when you need a place to die too.

WHY THIS TOTAL AUTOCRACY IN FINANCE BUDGET

2008-02-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

We are watching almost daily in the media that the Honorable Finance Minister is giving an audience to representatives from the various sections of the Industry and Service sectors to have their views, requirements and concessions in the ensuing Finance Budget. But the vast majority of our economy called the “Salaried Class” who are also incidentally the among the largest contributors of tax both directly and indirectly are never called upon for an audience by the Finance Minister to seek their views and requirements, leave alone giving any concessions to them.

Is this Democracy?

The Corporate Tax has not been changed for the past few years. The Dividend Income is exempted from Tax so that the rich Corporate Promoters go almost tax free. The Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) introduced to tax the fringe benefits the Corporates extend to their employees has only resulted in the employees’ benefit being reduced notwithstanding the questionability of the definition of fringe benefits.

The Service Tax paid by the Corporates are deducted from their Excise Duty liability. But the salaried employee pays both Income Tax and Service Tax in full without any deduction.

The net result of Service Tax deduction for Corporates, FBT and the resultant reduction in employee benefits is that the Corporate income increases and the Corporate Promoters getting higher Tax free Dividend. The common salaried employee gets lesser tax-free benefits and pays more tax.

Add to this an almost daily increase in the commodity prices thanks to a section of mindless consumers who have learnt their household budgeting lessons from the spending economy of the USA and are willing to pay any price for their conspicuous consumption without any thought of their future again adding to Corporate Profit and the riches of the rich Corporate Promoters.

So here is a budget where the rich get richer, the not so rich (comprising of people who feel rich) invisibly starting to become poor. The poor remain as it is but nevertheless furnished with a TV for which they would not have money to pay the electricity, Gas connection with no adequate supply of LPG cylinders and offcourse Cement at concessional rate but no land at humanly affordable prices to construct upon.

AGONIZINGLY AMAZING.

LOVE IS A SCIENCE…..

2008-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Atleast that is what the academics at the Oxford University claim (Courtesy: The Business Line, dated 06.02.2008). The academics at the Oxford university have devised a scientific formula to find the most compatible match for an eligible bachelor, or in other words, a formula to find the true love for a person.

Gone are the days of love being an involuntary, spontaneous, blind and inexplicable process happening to a person. In the hi-tech world of today where almost everything other than consummation of marriage is possible with computers, it’s really not surprising that software technology is almost at it by helping us find the true love of our life.

Necessity is the father of invention. In an era where marriage as an event is a million dollar industry and stable long lasting marriages are a thing of the past, scientifically arranged love seems to be one of the last hope for any person on the look out for a lifetime partner.

GOD DOES EXIST

2008-01-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! The pain and suffering happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.

VENDOR OF HAPPINESS

2008-01-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Blogworld is indeed a paradise on earth. It has such beautiful people inhabiting it, all with distinct thoughts and messages of their own, but with a single minded resolve to make this world a better place to live.

The list of such bloggers is indeed very long but some of the bloggers who touched my life here are Partha Sir of Early Days - the oldest blogger I have met is a guiding light with his rich experience in life, Dream Vendor takes us to a dream world, Ravi of Carpe Diem fame - a person full of warmth and affection makes the days great with his thoughts, Ramya the glam celeb journo with her posts depicting ground realities reminds us of our duties to this world, Swahilya – a picture pure spirituality takes us a step closer to realization of the supreme, Usha – the authoritatively positive person instill a sense of confidence on her readers and a lot of cute young chirping birds like Sophia and Shiv who instill a freshness into the mornings with their sweet poems. This list is inexhaustive so there are many more wonders whom I have missed to spell out here but nevertheless add to the richness of this unique world of connectivity.

It was indeed hard for me to remain away from this world for long having been blessed with an opportunity connected to such distinguished personalities.

My good luck pulled me back here only to find another bright shining star on the horizon. In a world where people are not even bothered to kill others to find happiness for themselves and their family, as is evident from parents buying pistols and Mercedes Benz to their minor kids who happily go on killing spree, here is PREETI – The Vendor of Happiness with a sole aim of giving happiness to others sharing bits and pieces of her own life and what she seeks in return is a priceless smile on the recipient’s face. Isn’t she an angel in this blogworld.

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS SHOULD BE A MASS MOVEMENT

2008-01-18T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is the Golden message that Narendra Modi delivered at the Aniversary celebrations of “Tuglak” Magazine held at Chennai. Whatever may be his political status and character, he has definitely shown the right approach Development especially in large democracies like ours. I would go a step further and state that even the process of Governance should be converted into a mass movement.

As I drove through a cross-section of Chennai city the today, I found atleast half-a-dozen Fly-overs standing incomplete with either work moving very slowly or stopped completely. The common man has no knowledge as to why the work on the Fly-overs are not completed and how much of the taxpayers money has gone into the drain without any benefit. The politicians get away wasting crores of money without being accountable. On probing further we get unconvincing answers of pending land acquisitions and inter-departmental approvals.

But for the same project if the people are involved at grassroot levels from the stage of planning, all these land acquisitions and departmental approvals can be had before initiating the project. This is because the process of land acquisitions and departmental approvals etc. begins with interactions and consent of people at the grassroot level. So put the ball in their court and make them take the hard decisions of loosing a few for gaining a lot and let the government implement implement the project when complete with all inputs. In these situations, the Project once started would get completed within the stipulated time without any implementation delays. In the reverse situation of consensus not being arrived in land acquisitions and approvals, atleast there would be no waste of public money on incomplete projects and common man in that case deserves to suffer when he cannot forgo short term individual micro benefits for long term macro benefits for the society as a whole of which he is also an integral part.

Further the common man would have more knowledge how much of his tax is being used to create amenities for him and could also make him more responsible to preserve and take of the amenities so created.

One argument here would be that going to people for every project would be a time consuming process. But I feel a process being completed is better than a process lying incomplete for decades after crores of money being spent and even practically analyzing the top-down approach does not seem to complete the process any early, notwithstanding the possibility of the same lying incomplete.

The second argument would be why go to the people again when the politicians themselves are the representative of the people. We all know too well that the politicians in our country represent us only till the end of elections beyond that they represent just themselves.
Let me leave the topic of “Converting Governance into Mass movement” for the next post.

WHERE ARE THE SPARROWS

2008-01-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

The Home Sparrows, commonly called as “Kuruvi” in Tamil is nowhere to be seen now. I saw a programme the other day in the TV where they mentioned that the population of Home Sparrows have declined by 50% worldwide in the last 25 years. It is at that point I realized I have not seen a “Kuruvi” for a long time now and felt guilty of my ignorance to the disappearance of a sweet creature that was so much part of the childhood of my generation

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 17

2007-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Author - Unknown

IN INDIA…....

2007-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

If Politics is the Software to run the system of Governance, then Corruption is the Operating System in which this Software is most compatible.

The Democractic system begins and ends with Elections, beyond that it is just the Dictatorship of the elected representatives. Unfortunately they are too many in numbers.

The concept of “Strength of Unity” is best understood only by the corrupt and destabilizing forces and hence is the most misused concept.

CHENNAI STINKS

2007-09-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

The newly appointed Director General of Police (DGP) for Tamil Nadu was suggesting innovative steps for security at public places to prevent terrorist attack but currently Chennai is not as much in danger against attacks from terrorists as it is against deadly bacterias emanating from stinking garbage strewn all over certain parts of the city. These bacterias are capable of spreading deadly diseases like leptospirosis, which affects the renal and hepatatis function in humans. So what does the DGP have to counter this indirect biological weapon based terror-attack that the Corporation of Chennai is perpetrating on the citizens of Chennai.

The services of a private company that was collecting garbages from three zones of Chennai have been terminated from the 24th August, 2007. Understandably the company stopped collecting garbages right from the first week of August itself and promptly removed all their infrastructures on the last day of their tenure. The new company to which the contract for clearing garbages had infrastructure and equipment only large enough to cater to a few households let alone a colony or the three zones for which they were contracted. It was like a person trying to give bath to a fully grown elephant with a small bucket of water. And to top it all, the government officials came to know of the unpreparedness of the new encumbent only on the 24th August,2007. What name do we give to this dastardly act of the Government. Is it irresponsibility, mismanagement, disorganised or plain stinking corruption.

Talking about Chennaiites, they are educated but lack knowledge, they are intelligent and so care less for everything happening around them, they are sophisticated but uncivilised in their lifestyle. They have been throwing their garbages all over the roads in front of their houses and vacant plots around them leaving the garbage to decompose in the rains that follow and polluting the environment that leaves a far from civilised image of the society. The three zones mentioned here comprises middle class and upper middle class residents. Why can’t these people who spends hundreds or may be even thousands of rupees everyday on luxuries, buy some big plastic containers and place a few of them at every road corner to collect these garbages and then call up the Corporation to pick up the garbages from those containers.

The best way to make a person work is to do his work and make him useless and redundant. The Chennai Corporation deserves something like this to be done. It is very much in our interest only.

HOW GOOD IS OUR SOCIETY

2007-08-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a Story:
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe,that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child."Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked,"Do you think they'll let me play?"

Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning." Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman' s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay" Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third Shay, run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, run home!

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team. That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.

Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

MORAL OF THE STORY

A society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

NOW HOW GOOD IS OURS.

GROUND(NUT) REALITY

2007-06-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

The prices of Groundnut kernel and Oil have increased by more than 20% from that at the beginning of this year. The reason for this increase is attributed to increase in liquor consumption.

Amusing but true, the increase in liquor consumption has lead to increase in consumption of peanuts which in-turn has lead to lessor Oil being produced and higher prices. So the evils of liquor is all pervasive not just on the person consuming it and his family, but on the entire society.

Just one more reason why we should abstain from consuming liquor or atleast peanut alongwith it.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS – 16

2007-05-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

“A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.”

Author : Dorothy Canfield Fisher

This thought dedicated to “MOTHER” – The most beautiful word in the world.

My heartfelt MOTHER'S DAY wishes to all the mothers of this world and all those children to whom their Mother is a God and her teachings, a pure path to spirituality.

HAPPINESS IS THE BEST GIFT

2007-05-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Moral of the Story: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

Received as an email forward, felt good, so posted.

A RATHER LONG HOLIDAY FROM BLOGGING

2007-04-27T04:22:00.001-07:00

The reason for this long break is not a writer’s block or lack of interest in posting; rather it was a result of a struggle to control a cannibalistic urge to voice my frustration against the clinching signs of total degradation of values in our society and the country as a whole. I prevented myself from posting my hard feelings because my frustrations made my language so ruthlessly crude that it may not have been acceptable in a public domain, though I am sure it would have only reflected the harsh truth about the state of affairs.

Its not that now I have learnt to take it in my stride and get on with my life, blogging on softer and happier issues but just that I am learning to channelise my energy into a determination to put forth my views in a more subtle manner and persist hoping that someday myself along with the unflinching lot of sensitive bloggers in this blogworld might be able to bring about a positive change.

FREE RICE, FREE TV, FREE GAS AND NOW FREE HIV!!!

2007-02-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

The Tamil Nadu Government has been flooding the homes of Tamil Nadu with freebies to the extent of setting a sense of complacency among recipients while the economic analysts were pondering over what would be the cost or the sacrifice that the people of Tamil Nadu would have to bear for this generousity by the Government.

The revelation came only a bit too soon and the cost was the ultimate the people of Tamil Nadu could have been asked to pay. As an add-on with the freebies the Tamil Nadu Government Officials may have also injected free HIV Virus into the most vulnerable sections of the society through their vast network of Government hospitals and dispensaries where an investigation by a television channel revealed rampant re-use of unsterlized syringes.

But why this situation when the Government had allocated more than Rs. 200 crores for healthcare in Tamil Nadu? The answer is simple that Government in fact procures the freebies from the tax payers’ money. And just as people who do not have sufficient earnings sell their organs and blood to earn bread for their family, the Government is eating into the healthcare budget and taking our life to get us the freebies.

This is a rude wake-up call not only for the people of Tamil Nadu but for every citizen of the country to come out of this myth of freebies offered by politicians and realize that everything in this materialistic world comes at a cost.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS – 15

2007-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

Author - Unknown

BE MULTILINGUAL, EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN.

2007-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

A recent research has established that people who speak more than one language on a routine basis tend to give a special exercise to their brains which delays the onset of dementia or loss of intellectual and memory power. Isn’t this a rewarding enough reason to learn more languages and interact with people from different geographical cross-sections.

Another logical inference is that if this conclusion is true, then Indians must be having the lowest rate of dementia as we speak so many languages within our country itself. But on the contrary as I see we Indians are born with dementia and short memory, otherwise how else can you describe the politicians being re-elected time and again despite the fools that they make of us and what to say of our intellectual power when we get sold out for free colour televisions.

May be India might well be an exception to this result.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 14

2007-01-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

Author - anonymous

SATURDAY THOUGHTS – 13

2007-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.

Author - Anonymous

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

The year 2006 has been trendsetting in the sense that the voice of the people has been the greatest winner of the year, definitely from the Indian perspective. So the expectation of the common man for the year 2007, on the voice of the people especially through blogging, is very high. Even as the voice of the blogworld is reaching new frequencies it is sad to see some of the top bloggers, whose words have the punch and the power to penetrate and make a difference, losing steam and interest somewhere along the way. The allegation very much applies to me too, even though my ranking would be very much low in the blogworld. But for the year 2007 I have resolved to post much more frequently, not with any intention to rise up the level of rankings, but only to re-ignite the passion among the top bloggers reiterating that if an insignificant blogger like me can see a purpose in blogging, then for them sky is the limit.

Going by the impact that the voice of the people has created in our country, for us bloggers who have taken to blogging to give vent to the fire within us to voice our thoughts, feelings and opinions, blogging is no longer just a passion but it is a responsibility, not only to raise our voice on issues but to echo the feelings of thousands of people who are not really able to express it.

It is the law of nature that every peak is followed by a trough and we cannot change it. But with our concerted efforts we can definitely increase the height of the peak. So the voice of the people including the blogworld has reached the high in the year 2006, let us all work hard and continue the rise during the year 2007 too.

FRIENDS SHOULD BE LIKE OUR EYES

2006-12-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

Have you analysed the relationship between your eyes. They see things together, move together, blink together and cry together, though they never get to see each other.

Moral of the paragraph: Our eyes are example of best friends.

But………………….. when a beautiful female comes in front, one eye goes blink and the other remains open.

Moral of the Story : Females can break even the best of friendship.

INDIA – REDEFINING DEMOCRACY

2006-12-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Democratic Government has for long been defined as a Government of the people, for the people and by the people. But Indian Democracy has indeed come of age and has got redifined into a Government of the Politicians, for the Politicians and by the Politicians.

The members of Indian Parliament and the State Assemblies are above the Constitution. They do seem within the constitutional ambit because whenever they blatantly cross the Constitutional limits, an ordinance is passed in the Parliament to amend the Constitution to bring the unconstitutional acts of the Members of Parliament within the Constitution.

These super human beings are also above law. I do not remember a single politician in Independent India convicted for any Civil, Criminal or Economic Offence case booked against him or her. This must not be construed to make the Indian Politician as the unquestionable example of a Statesman. This is only an example of how much above law they are. (Sri. Shibu Soren case being an aberration)

Accountability and Governance is something not available in the Dictionary of the Indian Government and its representatives. I really do not understand how we helpless people are still tolerating a system of Democracy where there are Laws and Rules for accountability and Governance of every citizen of India, every form of Association in India and every form of system operating in India, except for the Members of Parliament, State Assemblies and Politicians in general.

The latest salvo from the Autocratic Democracy of Indian Government is the Law for Accountability of Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court and the High Court Judges. Its definitely a good move in itself but when it comes from the bow of the Autocratically Democratic legislature of the country, it has the ability to shake the foundation of Judiciary, as an independent system.

Today they talk about the performance of Indian Cricket Team in the Parliament and use their unholy power to influence the Selection of the Team too. What more evidence is required than that Mr. Saurav Ganguly resigning from the captaincy of West Bengal Team even before he was selected to tour South Africa.

Beware Indian Citizens (other than politicians), a day would come when the members of the legislative assemblies or the Parliament, will decide whom you will marry, how many children you can have and may be even more.

WAKE UP INDIA, WAKE UP. BRING ABOUT LAW STIPULATING GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. MAKE JUDICIARY AND LAW ENFORCING AGENCIES TOTALLY INDEPENDENT OF LEGISLATURE.

INDIAN CRICKET TEAM IN A NUTSHELL

2006-11-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

One thing the Team India has made easy by their blastering performance in recent times is their definition. So even without putting in a nutshell you can elaborately define the India Cricket Team as :

THE BEST MODELS, WORSE ROLE MODELS AND WORST CRICKETERS.

And what to say of my beloved country, where it has become a tradition, that the people who perform the least or rather worst are the one who become the richest, most celebrated and the most decorated too.

I feel it is totally wrong to say that India does not have good sportsperson because there is not enough money in it and people cannot make a living out of it. It is rather now more evident than ever, that it is the excess money and the uncanny ability of sportsperson to make a better living being in and at the same time out of it (sports), which is preventing India from producing genuine sportsperson.

A typical example of my above statement is Sania Mirza and Narain Karthikeyan.

So once again talking of the Indian Cricket Team, one really gets everything wrong, this time its the title of my post.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 12

2006-10-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

The toughest part of getting to the top of the ladder, is getting through the crowd at the bottom.

Author - Anonymous

I did not want to leave a single month without a post and I want to create a brand of Saturday Thoughts, so I retained Saturday even though it is Tuesday today. There is a ladder full of thoughts in my mind, but I am trying hard to get through crowd of obstacles affecting its flow.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS-11

2006-09-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Knowledge is proud that she knows so much; Wisdom is humble that she knows no more.

- Cowper

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 10

2006-08-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

"The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement."

- Author Unknown

LOOKING INDEPENDENT, FEELING INDEPENDENT AND BEING INDEPENDENT

2006-08-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

I recently read a book by Swami Sukhabhodhananda, where he spoke of the concept of looking good, being good and feeling good. Looking good relates to looking glamorous externally that is so much in focus now and in fact is a fast growing industry. But this external good look does not last long unless it is complimented by feeling good which is automatically showcased in the form of being good.

This morning I read a post on Independence Day in Swahilya’s blog and suddenly could relate the above concept of good looks to Independence too. I sincerely feel that we Indians only look independent and are working very hard to make the look glamorous by ever increasing pomp in celebrations of the Independence Day. We are far from feeling Independent.

Its 59 years since we have attired the looks of independence and its high-time our Government / politicians start working on instilling the confidence in our citizens to feel independent. What more to say, even our politicians are not feeling the independence, because the ruling party is not able to rule and the opposition party is not able to oppose, independently with a clear conscience. I am sure you would not call, walking out of the Parliament at the drop of a coin, an independent way to oppose and amending the Right to Information Act, an independent way to rule.

I just read in a post in Thennavan's blog titled "We the People", that India is not branding itself properly. But then how can we do so when we do not feel the independence deep within ourselves. Its like the difference between living in a rented house, even if on a perpetual lease, and living in ones own house. Looking independent is like living in a rented house and feeling independent is like living in our own house. How can you expect the citizens of India to create a Brand image for their rented house? Just make them feel it their own, the sheer population of our country feeling the Independence is enough to give India an image larger, stronger and dynamic than any other country in the world.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 9

2006-08-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Life is made of processes of ageing and growth. The process of growth adds life to your years and the process of ageing adds years to your life.

- Words of Swami Sukhabhodhananda

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 8

2006-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

- Mohandas K. Gandhi

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 7

2006-07-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope."

- Author Unknown

MUMBAIKARS ! INDIA SALUTES YOU

2006-07-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

This post is not to condemn the dastardly act of terrorism unleashed in Mumbai yesterday. This post is to pay glowing tributes to the Tsunamic wave of humanity, selflessness and resilience displayed by the Mumbaikars the magnitude of which has reduced the impact of those bombings to much less than a Diwali cracker.

The purpose of this dastardly act of Terrorism was not to kill hundreds of people, but it was to shake the very roots of the economy of India, it was to shake the faith of people of India on their freedom and it was to create a religious, social and political turmoil in the country. But the resilience of the big and strong hearted Mumbaikars not only withstood and absorbed the impact of the bombs but decimated in totality the very purpose behind the act.

Mumbaikars have set the finest example to prove that it is not the Government, police, army or the intelligence who can neutralize the plans of terrorists and terrorism, but it is the Unity, Integrity, selflessness and resilience of the citizens of this great country that can uproot terrorism from the soils of our nation.

Today Mumbai is not just the Commercial and Fashion Capital of India, but it is the heart and soul of India. Today the heart of every Indian should be in Mumbai and with every family who has lost one of their members to reiterate that though their loss is irreplaceable but a place for those families in our hearts is a gain that is invaluable.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 6

2006-07-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

- Abraham Lincoln

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 5

2006-07-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

"The secret to happiness is not in doing what one likes to do, but in liking what one has to do."

- Author Unknown

BIKINI HAS ATTAINED RETIRMENT AGE – WHAT NEXT?

2006-06-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

The most celebrated swimwear world over , “Bikini” is attaining 60 years of age in July this year, the big question that comes to my mind is what is next. I read in the Hindu-Business Line today that Bikini as a swimwear was invented in Paris in 1946 and the city is gearing up in a big way to celebrate the occasion. Contrary to humans who put weight as they grow old, Bikini has infact shred a lot of its weight and size over its 60 years of life. This has literally made bikini next to nothing, in the widest range of definitions.

So this celebration throws the challenge of the millennium for the fashion gurus to design a dress more popular and for a longer period than bikini. Any takers out there.

PUTTING MORE THAN 100% EFFORT – WHAT DOES IT TAKE

2006-06-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? We have all been to those inspiring meetings where a Management expert uses the most delicious sounding language to motivate you to give over 100%. We have also seen Press conferences called for by Corporates where they boast of having achieved 120% efficiency or 140% performance etc.

But how do we achieve this 100% and more efficiency or performance. After years of research a mathetical formula has been arrived to measure performance traits in percentage terms and list out the traits that yields best results. It goes like this :

If the English alphabets,
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z are given the values :

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 respectively

Then:

KNOWLEDGE would fetch you 96%

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

HARDWORK would fetch you 98%

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

But, it is ATTITUDE that would fetch you 100%

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

Up to this it is fine............But moving beyond 100% is what requires extraordinary effort.

For example:

B-U-L-L-S-*-*-T

2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

There are similar and more conscience crushing efforts which would yield even more but I leave it for you to compute.

So, now I suppose we have a fair idea on how to put in 100% performance and more. While it is Hard work and Knowledge that gets you close and Attitude will get you right there, but ultimately it's the Bulls**t and more of such traits that will enable you to move beyond the best.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS – 4

2006-06-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

“The desire to succeed means nothing without the will to prepare.”

- Author unknown.

The fact that I am persisting with the Saturday thoughts even when I am not able to present any other posts is only to keep myself mentally prepared and inclined to post an interesting matter soon.

DELAYED SATURDAY THOUGHTS – 3

2006-06-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

- Eric Hoffer

Usha, thanks for your inspiration, but I had a Computer problem so could not club my inspiration into a post.

THE FUTURE OF INDIA NEEDS HELP

2006-05-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have copied this post from Alka. This is just to spread the message regarding the need for sponsorship of four Indian students who have been selected for research assignment at NASA. I am sure, if people with a heart come together, this amount can definitely made to look small. After all, it’s a matter that would make our nation proud. When we can spend Rs. 5000 crore on conducting Commonwealth Games in Delhi, can we not arrange Rs. 5 Lakhs for these young students.

The post reads as below :

I’ve been reading this news about 4 students in Rourkela winning a NASA competition for a few days. They needed to conceptualize a model of an outer-space settlement that could accommodate 10,000 people. These students bagged the second price. There were more than 200 entries from more than 90 schools from all over the world and the students of the Ispat English Medium School run by the Rourkela Steel Plant, were awarded the prize for their project titled ‘Eden’. The NASA has invited these young students to go there and conduct further research. Sadly, up till now, no funds are forthcoming for their trip to NASA.

Although they have applied to various places, including the office of the Orissa chief minister, they haven’t received a response yet. It will be tragic if they cannot go due to lack of funds. They need I think around Rs. 5,00,000 (approximately $11,000). If you think you can help in anyway, please get in touch with the school mentioned above, or spread this piece of information through email or your blog.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS - 2

2006-05-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

- Jack London

RESERVATION – A HIGHLY MISUSED WORD

2006-05-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

The term “Reservation” has been highly misused in India, especially by the Politicians who have made it take a form of a virus even more deadlier than AIDS. The term “Reservation” has been used to take Power corruption to newer depths of evil as is evident in this article.

The “Reservation” virus is taking deadlier forms as the days pass by and has began to spread its wings even more farther when students from Pak occupied Kashmir (POK) are demanding reservation in leading Indian educational institutions. If only the Honourable Human Resource Destruction Minister Mr Arjun Singh is offered a post for the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, he might well consider the proposal of POK and etch his name in the annals of Indian history as the Chief Architect of Human Resource Destruction in India.

SATURDAY THOUGHTS

2006-05-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

- Seneca

LOK PARITRAN – A LET DOWN BIT TOO SOON

2006-05-18T02:35:00.000-07:00

The people in Tamil Nadu were just about seeing the light in the end of the Tunnel, a viable alternative in the otherwise sick political scenario of the state, in the form of Lok Paritran. What the people of Tamil Nadu were seeing in this party is a group of energitic, educated and selfless youngsters committed to bring about the beginning of a much needed political reforms in the country, where corruption and individual vested interest would give way to a selfless commitment to serve the greater common cause.

But in less than three months since its birth, at a time when it has not even started to crawl in this wily world of politics, we are already seeing a vertical split in the Lok Paritran. Its very disheartening to see the weakness or total absence of unity, when it come to a noble and selfless cause. The whole purpose of this Party was to eradicate corruption from the Indian political system and make politics, a scientific guide to selfless service. The basic premise for such an ideal would be to put the country’s interest ahead and over all personal interests and the basic premise itself seems to have disintegrated here at Lok Paritran.

Ramya, who I suppose has not even finished replying to the comment on her inspiring post on emergence of Lok Paritran as a flagbearer of a strong and corruption free Indian Democracy, has to come out with a more powerful post to be read by every member, both past and present of Lok Paritran Party, reminding and educated them strongly of the meaning and requirement of the Political ideals spelt by them.

WHY ARE INDIANS SO AVERSE TO LAW

2006-05-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Take the simple example of Mother and Daughter. It’s a very lovely, warm, affectionate and selfless relationship. But the moment we make it Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law, the whole scenario changes to one of dislike and bad taste.

So the aversion for law begins at home and the tendency to break it pervades all aspects of our life. When we are driving, we take the first opportunity to jump signals or sneak into no-entry zone. When we are walking most of us do not even know what a Pedestrian crossing zone looks like. The practise of Jay-walking seems to have got legalised in India. We all get unusually hard-pressed for time the moment we enter a Government Office that we start giving money to any person with a hand to get to the concerned official quickly. We are so much habituated to giving money that some of us end up giving money to our spouses when they open the door for us when we return home. So much so that even when we grow old, we buy Senior citizens ticket for Rail travel and board the train without the proof of age and then blame the ticket checker for not being competent enough to judge our age without the age-proof.

The Industrial community and the common man was once upon a time making such a hue and cry about the license raj and Control system when Government approval was required for anything and everything causing huge delays, undue hardships and too much spent on bribes. But now its just more than a decade since the license raj has been totally abolished and we already see Cement and Sugar prices soaring up abnormally and hoarding of Sugar leading to artificial scarcity prompting the Government to think on re-installing some kind of controls again. Definitely control would mean power to government officials and more corruption. But then who is responsible for that now ? Definitely it is not the Government.

We are the same people who will raise voice about total lawlessness prevailing all over the country and blame it on the Government. But none of us realise that we the people are the ones who give the Members of Parliament and state assemblies the first chance to become corrupt, break laws, not make adequate laws and help them become corrupt and make huge sum of money to accommodate our laziness and aversion to be a law abiding citizen. IGNORANCE OF LAW IS NOT EXEMPTION FROM LAW.

MOTHER'S DAY - A DAY TO THANK GOD

2006-05-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

MOTHER is the greatest gift of God given to every human being and at the most opportune time, that of their birth. So Mother's Day is not only a day to thank our mother for all her selfless sacrifices to make our life a success story in its widest of definitions but also to thank God for having given us this greatest of all gifts which is a single source for all future good things that happen to us in life.

The relationship of mother and child is the finest examples that nature's creation is something that can weather the most stringent of natural and man made tests and stand tall for time immemorial. All man-made relationships break or atleast develop cracks or fade away at some point of time or the other.

I take this opportunity to thank God for having blessed me to be the son of my mother, who is to me the supreme power that I worship. She has not only been a caring mother, but the greatest of friends, guide and teacher. I would not say that she is responsible for what I am today because she has contributed to make me much more successful, noble and selfless. It is only me who has not learned the lessons taught by her in proper perspective. And I am sure this would be the case with every child because every mother sacrifices every drop of her blood only to make us nothing short of the best in the world.

HON’BLE FINANCE MINISTER – AN AMAZING COMBINATION OF SUPERLATIVE FINANCIAL SENSE AND POLITICAL NONSENSE

2006-05-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

It is an unquestionable fact that our Honourable Minister of Finance, Govt. of India, is a financial wizard in its widest of definitions. But unfortunately his Political immaturity puts his financial wizardry to shame.

In a very recent example, he delivered a speech during his campaign for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, wherein he stated that it is definitely financially possible to give Rice at Rs. 2/- per kilogram in the Ration Shops and free Colour Television to every family in Tamil Nadu.

A veteran parliamentarian rightly asked as to why then the Hon’ble Finance Minister not distribute free Colour Television to every family in the country. Here I would like to add another question that if it is viable for the Indian Government to sell rice at Rs. 2/- per kg then does it mean that all these years the Indian Government have been making profits by selling rice at a higher price.

It is a shame for Indian Democracy that even after more than 50 years of its existence we neither have matured politicians who talk about guiding the country to a bright future during their election campaign nor have matured voters who would declare to these politicians that they are no longer kids to be happy with Colour TVs and lollypops and instead look forward to electing a leader who can create avenues for the voters to participate in the development of the country and proudly EARN their decent living.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS – THE MOST LOVED AND HATED

2006-04-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

The month of April has arrived and the salary increment virus is spreading like forest fire all over the organisation. The Management are devising strategies to finalise that minimum increment that would be just enough to keep the employees hold on to their jobs. And the employees are devising strategies to get demand the maximum increment points upto which the Management would prefer to keep them hired.

The other day I was discussing with my HRD Chief to decide on the proposals in this regard and he told me that magnitude of his role is directly proportional to the gap between the expectations of the employees and the generousity of the Management. Larger the gap, bigger the role and more space for getting hit.

He sent me a mail which he had received on how to do a selfless performance appraisal. It was very interesting so I decided to post it to make you all think twice before you go to your HR Manager for a performance appraisal.

After 2 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been promoted, no transfer, no salary increase no commendation and that the Company is not doing any thing about it. So he decided to walk up to his HR Manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his HR Manager his observation. The boss looked at him, laughed and asked him to sit down saying “Myfriend, you have not worked here for even one day.”.
The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain.
Manager:- How many days are there in a year?
Man:- 365 days and some times 366

Manager:- how many hours make up a day?
Man:- 24 hours

Manager:- How long do you work in a day?
Man:- 8am to 4pm. i.e. 8 hours a day.

Manager:- So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?
Man:- (He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours i.e. 1/3(one third)

Manager:- That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?
Man:- 122 (1/3x366 = 122 in days)

Manager:- Do you come to work on weekends?
Man:- No sir

Manager:- How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man:- 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equals to 104 days

Manager:- Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?
Man:- 18 days.

Manager:- OK! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove that 14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man:- 4 days

Manager:- Do you work on New Year day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on workers day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 2 days sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on the (National holiday )?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 1 day sir!

Manager:- Do you work on Christmas day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- None sir!

Manager:- So, what are you claiming?
Man:- I have understood, Sir. I did not realise that I was stealing Company money all these days.

So guys do your homework well before you go to your HR Department.

SHORT STORY – 4

2006-04-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

He pledged not to hate anybody. The whole world hated him for that.

Is it that there is a absence of selfless love or is it that love has evolved in time with a shade of negativity, that people measure your love for them with your hatred for all others.

RESERVATION – BENEFICIARY THE POLITICIANS OR THE BACKWARD COMMUNITY

2006-04-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

The Central Government has announced plans for Reservation in admission to seats in IIM, IIT and other Central Educational Institutions.Whose cause it is going to serve. Definitely not the cause of the economically Backward community. Concessions in fees on the basis of Economic Status is definitely welcome as I strongly believe that every citizen of this country should be given equal chance on merit get admitted to these institutions. But Reservation on the basis of a historically created, Religiously nurtured and Politically motivated Social status or caste is a crime, not only on the said community but on the country as a whole.

The fact is that these premier institutions give admissions only the basis of merit and it would be untrue to state that backward community students are denied admissions here. Then where is the room for caste based reservation where only merit and not caste or religion is the criteria.

In case of Reservation, Non-meritorious students would get admissions even if they fail in the entrance examinations. But that alone will not serve any purpose. The Government has to then reduce the pass marks for them in order to let them pass and complete the course. So the Reservation tag has to continue till course completion. So what thereafter. The students passing out with low marks are definitely not going to get placements in good jobs. The next step would be to introduce Reservations in pivotal senior executive posts in both public and private sector and if possible in foreign countries too, otherwise the whole purpose of the initial reservation would get defeated, if at all the purpose is to churn out economically successful IIM and IIT graduates within backward communities.

This ever extending act of Reservation briefed above would have two major implications. The first one is that the politically defined Backward community people would remain attached to their BC tag for generations to come, thanks to Reservation. The second implication is how fragile our economy would become, at the hands of less equipped people holding pivotal posts, in a liberalised scenario. This is not to imply that Backward Community people are less equipped, only that people coming with the comfort of Reservation at various stages are definitely less equipped. Finally we will end up again as an under-developed economy with only one caste and that of economically backward.

It is time for the politically defined Backward community people to wake up and break away from the vicious circle of backwardness that these politicians have been weaving on them for the last more than five decades of Independence. It is time for them to learn and earn their share in this gallopping economy and remove the inequality, definitely with adequate support in the form of fee concessions to economically backward and intensive coaching for those belonging to educationally backward families.

Today be it education, employment or any other field of activity where preference is given to merit, as is the case in private sector, nobody bothers about the caste, community, religion etc. It is the Government sector, where every form of application still has a column where you are required to state either your caste and class. If the Government is so keen about creating a casteless community, let them stop talking about caste first and make such differentiation at any level a punishable act. I am sure there would be no such thing as Backward Community in another decade.

Today be it a Member of Parliament or top Executive posts in Private Sector or professionally successful Civil Servants, you can find a lot of people from the Backward Community earning these posts not out of Reservation, but with their competency. By the way does the Indian Parliament have adequate Reservations for Backward Community ?

RESERVATION IN ANY FORM AT BEST IS ONLY A NUTRIENT FOR NURTURING CASTE BASED SOCIETY.

8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD

2006-04-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

I had been to Hyderabad for a couple of days and I saw something there which I really found very amusing at first, enough to term it as the 8th Wonder and as a picture of the positive attitude of the Hyderabadis, only to quickly realise the dangerous side of this sight too.

I am very bad in General Knowledge, so kindly excuse me if the 8th Wonder of the world is already crowned. What I coined as the 8th Wonder was a dog chasing our Aircraft in the main runway soon after it landed in the Hyderabad Airport. With due credits to the positive attitude of the dog, but that is definitely one place where it should never have been present.

I hope and believe that the Pilot would have reported the incident to the Airport Authorities and action would have been promptly taken considering the fact the Andhra Government is fast becoming a trendsetter in governance and discipline. From the couple of days I stayed there and speaking to old timers and prominent personalities in the state, I found that a truly serious bend has set-in in the Andhra Government towards Governance and away from politics. Definitely the initial credit goes to Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, but all credit to the current CM for improving upon the momentum and the good work initiated and last but not the least, the proactive response from the people, atleast in Hyderabad, in this endaevour.

I do not know whether Andhra Pradesh is free from corruption and I really do not bother about it so long as it does not affect development and good governance. That is where I advocate “Healthy corruption” since corruption has become like cholesterol in our bodies and we can only choose between “Good cholesterol” and “Bad cholesterol”, but can never totally remove it.

A GIANT WAVE OF SORROW

2006-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

It struck like a Tsunami in his brain washing away his central nervous system in one stroke. It took away with it not just his life, but the very essence, the foundation, the past, present and future of my life. The heamorrhage that occurred in his brain left my whole family paralysed. True to the definition of a father, he was the pillar of strength, being the most inspirational partner in each of my quests at every phase of my life, till his last breath.

Unfortunately I could do nothing more than being a mere spectator in this final battle of his life, may be the only time he would have expected me to lend him a helping hand in his battle to survive. What an incapable and helpless son I finally proved to be.

DIAMONDS IN KIDNEY

2006-01-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

The inspiration or the heat for this post came from the recent post from the Witchy Angel on wonders that marketing does to an apparantly ordinary product.

I recently read in BBC NEWS that “Star Trek” cult Hero William Shatner famously known as “Captain Kirk” recently got his Kidney stone removed and had auctioned it for Charity for a whooping USD 25000.

Is it that Kidney stones among people in USA is a rare phenomenon or is it William Shatner’s Kidney really produces stones more precious than diamond. If it is the former, then I think the Kidney Stone clinics in India have a great export opportunity in USA.

This is not to undermine the noble intentions of Mr. William Shatner to serve the charities, though with a rather heavy dose of arrogance in the means employed. But what is painful is that there are much more productive, useful, innovative and creative products produced by the inmates or beneficiaries of many of the charities themselves which never get even the value of the efforts and money put therein. If these big monied marketing magicians are able to sell those products even at double their actual value, would it not be a great source of inspiration and satisfaction to the charities, when compared to the frustration, that they have to depend on the Kidney Stones of famous personalities for their survival.

What do you have to say about this Witchy. Sometimes I feel the words “Special”, “Famous”, “Value” etc. are all very irrational terms not really connected to any logic.

THOUGHT FOR A SPECIAL DAY

2006-01-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

To forget is human,

To forgive is Divine.

We are all very much humans in the sense that all of us keep forgetting something everyday, but as a believer I feel the Divine or Supreme power is present in all of us. We only need to invoke the Divine power within us, why not do it by performing atleast one act of forgiving everyday. The results are indeed magical and can be realised only by experience.

Today is a special day for me and from my side I want to see all of you elevated above the human level today by not forgetting atleast one thing, and so thank you all in advance for wishing me many more Happy Returns, in the words of Dream Vendor, of the day I am supposed to have become “A Complete man”.

SELF DISCIPLINE / SELF REGULATION....

2006-01-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Self discipline, self regulation, planning, meticulousness, etc..are the traits my father thought are very important to a person and I used to be very poor in. My father always stresses that in the long run these traits not only allow you to be prepared and successful in most of the challenges in life, but more importantly saves a lot of money and time. But my viewpoint was otherwise in the sense that I thought that it was too strict a regime.

But an event in my neighbour’s flat a couple of days back was an eye-opener. At about 4 p.m on Wednesday, I got a call from my wife that some smoke was rising from window of the 2nd floor flat of our building. The flat was inhabited by a couple and their college going children and nobody was in the flat at that time. I immediately informed the couple in their respective offices.

I rushed home as a fire in one flat is a potential risk for all others. By the time I reached my other neighbours had broken open the door and the fire was doused. And the culprit for the fire was an iron box left in the bed with the switch on, by one of their children. The bed was smouldering for more than a couple of hours and the heat and smoke generated almost destroyed every piece of furniture in the bedroom and left the whole flat blackened. There was no insurance and the estimated damage was more than a hundred thousand rupees. The more unfortunate thing was that the flooring was so badly damaged that water starting seeping from the ceiling of the flat below theirs.

A small act of negligence lead to such a great mental and financial torture. At that point I learnt the value and importance of the traits my father always speaks about, not only for our well-being but for the well-being of the society as a whole in which we live, as a single mistake on our part can spell irreparable disaster to so many people around us. And God forbid, anything like that happens, our conscience will never forgive us for life.

NRI – NON RESIDENT BUT VERY MUCH INDIAN

2006-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

We Indians have such a unique and extraordinary culture heritage that where on one hand the characteristics of our culture like tolerance, resilience and integrity during adversity helps us overcome the trauma and damage created by such huge environmental disaster like Tsunami and make us the largest democracy in the world, on the other hand certain negative characteristics like religion, casteism and politics running in our blood and emotions has been keeping us a developing nation even after 50 years of Independence.

One thought that with Globalisation and Indians migrating to all parts of the world creating their own identity wherever they go with their achievements, the negative characteristics in our culture will slowly fade away. But it was all proved wrong in the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards ceremony today, part of the Pravasi Diwas Celebrations, where President of India gave away awards to eminent NRIs excelling in various fields, when an NRI created ruckus on the award being given to an doctor practicing in USA, who he claimed was a staunch supporter of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Ironically the doctor, who was a consultant allergist, could not manage to "stem this eruption" surrounding him in the ceremony. Strangely the NRIs objected to the security personnel evicting the trouble maker, stating it was violation of their right to speech. I wonder if the honourable NRI would dare to do the same in front of a gathering addressed by President George Bush in USA.

Whereas the theme of the event was to celebrate and decorate NRIs all over the world achieving excellence and create a place for Indians wherever they go and still thinking of their home country, but in reality the NRIs were more bound only to their own native state, their individual problems, their own gender and there was not a single selfless, casteless, religion-free, apolitical Indian in that forum.

So even after having travelled throughout the world, learning and understanding diverse cultures, society, ethics and lifestyle, especially in the developed countries, the Indians still remain only developing.

ITS SAD.

A NEW YEAR DOUBLE

2006-01-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

BLIND WITH A VISION

Ashish Goel is a handsome and intelligent 25-year-old MBA Graduate from Mumbai working as a finance analyst. But what makes him stand apart from other professionals is that he is totally blind. Life has played a very cruel joke with him when he was identified with a degenerative eye disease at the age of 15 and started losing his vision and by the age of 19, he was totally blind. Though initially he cursed his destiny but ultimately got the better of it and with sheer guts and determination completed his MBA in Mumbai. Now he wants to further study Management in USA and work in a top financial slot in the Wall Street. That makes him extraordinary.

I recall here my earlier post on Kausalya, an HIV positive woman, who redefined positive with her extraordinary achievements and now it is Ashish Goel. Sometimes I feel why God puts only the extraordinary people through the most grueling tests or is it that only such grueling tests create the extraordinary.

POLITICS IN MEDICINE

Its about a fortnight back that, in the parliament, the politicians of West Bengal across party lines were objecting to politics in sports, on the exclusion of Saurav Ganguly from the Indian Cricket Team. For once I was very happy that even the politicians agree that politics leaves a bad taste wherever it goes.

But now a politician from the same state, the CPI-M Member of Parliament Ms. Brinda Karat has given a political flavour to the Ayurvedha by alleging that Ayurvedic products of Swami Ramdev, a famous practitioner of Yoga and Ayurvedha, contain animal extracts. Unfortunately, except for the Communist, all other section of public and politicians do not find this flavour very tasty.

Though the CPI-M, including Ms. Brinda Karat, may argue against any politics here, but the pertinent question as to why Swami Ramdev's medicine was particularly chosen for testing is unanswered since there are a lot of other Ayurvedic brands in the market much before Swami Ramdev.

Is it because Ayurvedha is a Hindu medicine or Swami Ramdev is a Hindu or because he seems to be close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Otherwise what is the reason for Ms. Brinda Karat's sudden onslaught on this issue when, as a section of the media rightly pointed out, nowhere in the Ayurvedha it states that it is a purely vegetarian medicinal preparation and for that matter any field of medicine.

Ms. Brinda Karat, please understand politics is a very special perfume made from a very rare flower that blossoms only during election and its perfume smells best only inside the parliament, put it at any other platform and it stinks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2005-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

This post is to wish the blogworld and the wonderful people that inhabit it a VERY VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

May the New Year usher in a new era for the dynamic, vibrant, sensitive, warm natured and real fast growing Blogworld. This only goes on to show that there are not only some real wonderful people out in this world but also that the population of such people is fast growing. May this New Year see the blogworld fight all challenges coming their way and achieve greater goals and make deep inroads in making this world a much better place to live in where there sustains an environment of love, respect and understanding amongst people and with the nature.

The blogworld did face some turbulent times last year in the form of spamming, invasion of copyright privacy, invasion of the freedom of expression, rubbing on the wrong side like the incident involving IIPM and also a case where pics published in a blog where copied by some organisation for commercial exploitation without any permission. But then this is all part of the game.When we decide to be vocal, it is meant to be heard and intended to create an impact on the people, offcourse for common betterment, but then from time immemorial there are people who do not like this world becoming a better place to live. So troubles from such people is natural but as I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts its time that good things sustain and bad things are made to come to an end. And we the inhabitants of the blogworld can definitely make it happen.

My fact sheet for the year 2005 is very small, simple but made qualitative by some great people I met in this year. I had a fairly generous share of difficult times this year but I realised that it is only a test by God intended to make me a better person. But my biggest and most invaluable gain or blessing, if I may rightly say so, are some great friends in this blogworld. Some of whom I meet are Ravi, Sophia, DV, Somu, Thennavan, Kiruba, Padmasiniji and Swahilya. There are others whom I have not met but then you need not touch the Sun to feel its warmth. The generousity in warmth, affection and selflessness in these great human beings is so overwhelming and enormous that I seem too insignificant in terms of reciprocation as well as contribution. Then we have Partha Krishnaswamy and his wife Dr.Vasantha. They are certainly the oldest bloggers in this community. Their selfless attitude, spirit of participation and contribution and overwhelming affection easily makes them the parents of this blogworld.

Finally once again, my best of New Year wishes to all of you out there.

SHORT STORY - 3

2005-12-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

A wife asks her husband as to what is it that would make his life worth living. He promptly replies “ The everlasting smile in your face”.

The husband asks his wife as to what would bring that everlasting smile in her face. She promptly replies “Your death”.

A strange irony.

ORDINARY WOMAN - EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

2005-12-01T02:31:00.000-08:00

I just read about this woman named Kausalya, and HIV positive in a story titled “Woman who redifined positive”. In the end of the story I found that she indeed redifined not just HIV positive but also the word “Positive” in its most positive sense.

I think people like Kausalya are extraordinary creations capable of converting their most dreadful weakness into their biggest strength. And even reading about such people should give us an inspiration that there is much more to do with life than mere existing and cribbing on our deficiencies and what we do not have.

I have always believed in God and preach and try to practice the philosophy that whatever God does is always ultimate good. I have used this phrase on many occasions in my posts and this is one of those stories which gives a lot of impetus to that philosophy, so I thought it is my duty to put up this story on my blog in an effort to instill that belief not only in myself but in as many people as I possibly can.

Here is a person who proudly states that becoming an HIV positive is the most positive thing to happen in her life which has taken to the heights of success she could have never otherwise imagined, being a housewife in a small town in Tamil Nadu.

She has proved that negetives and positives, strength and handicaps, good and bad times are all just subjective terms created in our minds. If we have the courage, we can redefine positive and redifine our life.

MY SALUTATIONS TO KAUSALYA. LONG LIVE SUCH PEOPLE.

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR INDIAN CRICKET

2005-11-29T23:07:00.000-08:00

It was great to see Mr. Sharad Pawar win the elections for the post of the President of the Board of Cricket Control of India thereby putting to an end the Colonial rule of Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya and winning freedom to Indian Cricket.

This is not to undermine the achievements and contributions of Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to Indian Cricket. He has definitely done a lot to the cause of Indian Cricket and Asian Cricket making it a power to reckon in the World map of Cricket culminating in his becoming the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

But as we call it in Economic terms that anything beyond certain levels result in diminishing marginal utility, the same was the case with the administration of Mr. Dalmiya too. Power is healthy only so long as it helps you in being a good leader. Beyond a certain level Power becomes unhealthy when it makes you an autocratic leader. History has it that autocratic leaders have never survived for long and never contributed to the success of their empires. It was no different with Mr. Dalmiya when he tried to become the Sole Proprietor of Indian Cricket.

As a cricketer of yesteryears had rightly put it, one must retire when everybody asks ‘Why’ and not ‘Why not’. Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya would have been regarded in high esteem if he had chosen to retire after his tenure as Chairman of the ICC. The President of BCCI is an honorary post meant for people with a passion to serve the cause of Indian Cricket which Mr. Dalmiya did perform splendidly for quite some time. But when the passion to serve transforms into passion to own, that is when the diminishing marginal utility sets in.

Finally Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya definitely deserves a special honour for the great and long service he has rendered in the Promotion of Indian and Asian Cricket, but at the same time I am sure he would appreciate the “Retirement” as a concept also has a lot of relevance in the life of every human being.

MAKE RURAL INDIA AS BACK OFFICE OF URBAN INDIA

2005-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

This idea was conceived by none other than the Mr. Sam Pitroda, the author of Telecom Revolution in India. The whole idea is that when urban India could benefit so vastly in terms of economic and infrastructure development by becoming a back-office to the world economy on account of cheaper labour and infrastructure costs, why not try and make rural India as the Back-office of Urban India for the same reasons.

I was very impressed by this idea the moment I read it in “The Business Line” which to me had much wider ramifications than would be highlighted by mere economics a few of which is cited below.

· This would go a long way in stalling the increasing social and economic gap between urban and rural India.

· This would be of immense help to stem the growth of Terrorists and Terrorism in our country, the seeds of which is mainly sown in the Rural India on the fertile soils of Unemployment and Underemployment in Agriculture sector.

· Alternative sources of employment in rural India would not only take the pressure out of the Agriculture sector, but by making them socially and economically more at par with Urban India, the Rural India would be led to believe that the country cares for them and they are very much a part of mainstream economy. As of now there is definitely a feeling that the Government reaches out to the Rural community only during elections, otherwise the country, the economy and its policies is limited to the benefit of urban India.

Jammu and Kashmir is a typical example where the total lack of promotion of economy has led the people in the state to believe, that they are not treated at par with Indian citizens of other states in India resulting in people taking to terrorism first and then terrorism taking over the people.

· Another major advantage of this idea is that lesser dependence in Agriculture would mean more per capita income from Agriculture which would in turn lead to scientific improvisation in Agriculture practices resulting in improvement in quantity as well as quality thereby more income. So a healthy cycle would be set in motion which would not only improve the Rural economy but would ultimately result in making the large Agriculture sector (in terms of cultivated area) a Science and a Profession rather than just a means of subsistence as it is right now.

All these can be made a reality not by the Government of India but only by the India Inc. and why not since they are going to be the biggest beneficiaries out of this idea too. So let us see whether India Inc. behaves like a child who agrees to drink milk and eat fruits only for an incentive or does it act on its own understanding its long term benefits.

KATHRINA, RITA, WILMA – THE FIERY HURRICANES

2005-10-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have a few questions to the blogworld.

Why are all the Hurricanes named after women ?

Was it done by an all-women committee or an all-men committee ?

Was it done to enhance the image of the woman or otherwise ?

Boy-O-Boy. Are we going to see a few Hurricanes in the comment section. That would definitely make my return to blogging, literally with a loud bang.

WAITING FOR LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

2005-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Am still traveling in the dark tunnel of difficult times and the light at the end of the tunnel is still not in sight and that is the reason of the long absence from blogging. I am trying to learn the art of detaching myself from problems, which not only prevents you from giving it a larger than life image but also helps you focus on the solution.

As I was busy fighting a battle with myself, I got this story through a mail, which in a way gave a solution to attain my quest. I thought I would share this message with all my blogfriends when I have nothing of my own thought to post. This is how it goes :

An old Master teaching in a classroom was distracted by the presence of an unhappy young student in the class who seem to be lost in his own world of miseries. The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.

"How does it taste?" the Master asked "Awful!" spat the student.

The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the nearby lake.

The two walked in silence to the lake. When the student swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake." As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the Master asked, "How does it taste?" "Good!" remarked the student.

"Do you taste the salt?" asked the Master. "No," said the young man.

The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said, "The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the pain depends on the container we put it into.
So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your perspective.

Stop being a glass. Become a lake!"

This story made me thinking in terms of expanding my own perspective and I thought what better way it can be than to get back into the blogworld where the scope of expansion is unlimited.

HARD HITTING FACTS – ATLEAST I BELIEVE SO

2005-09-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

I received these comparisons through an e-mail. Could not resist posting it.

Rains in new orleans due to hurricane Katrina - 18 inches.
Rains in mumbai (July 27th) - 37.1 inches
Population of new Orleans - 484,674
Population of Mumbai - 12,622,500
Deaths in New orleans within 48 hours of Katrina - 100
Deaths in mumbai within 48hours of rain - 37
Number of people to be evacuated in New Orleans - entire city
Number of people evacuated in Mumbai - 10,000
Cases of shooting and violence in New Orleans - Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in Mumbai - NONE
Time taken for US army to reach New Orleans - 48hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach Mumbai - 12hours
Status 48hours later at New orleans - still waiting for relief, army and Electricity
Status 48hours later at Mumbai - back on its feet and its business is as usual
USA...world's most developed nation
India...JUST A DEVELOPING NATION

I hope I did not get the last fact wrong???
If not, should I not be proud of being an INDIAN.

Let me reiterate here, that the credit for this does not go to the Government or the Politicians busy mud slinging in an already stinking city or the haplessly exposed administration or the politically affiliated NGOs. The credit beyond doubt goes to the resilient, selfless, never say die Mumbaiites who believe not only in letter but in spirit too that after all we Indians are one large family beyond all caste, creed and religion and that WE are the system, administration and machinery who need to perform. We did it in Tsunami and we have done it again now and believe me we can do it every time we are faced by adversities if only we are all together and believe in ourselves to be so.

“ALL GOOD THINGS HAVE TO COME TO AN END”

2005-08-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

By repeated use of this phrase all over the world by all cross-sections of society beyond territorial, economic and social barriers, it has somehow come to be accepted as a universal truth. I feel that this is the most glaring example of the inherent pessimism prevalent all over the world whereby we have made and come to believe that bad is more powerful than good and that good cannot survive for long.

I for one, though still struggling to swim out of the a worse period of my life, like to believe that ALL BAD THINGS AND TIMES HAVE TO COME TO AN END. This does not only make me stronger than the situation but also if I do not believe this way, then the inspiration to swim across this sea of trouble will die and I will soon drown. Again I would be able to enjoy my good times better without the fear of bad times overcoming me any moment.

It also has a lot to do with our outlook. Is it that good times are really shortlived or are we making it look that way by giving too wide a perspective for the bad. If we are able to convince ourselves that whatever happens is for the ultimate good, then we would find that bad times teaches us a lot of lessons and in fact can be used as a foundation for good times ahead. This way the bad times itself would not look all that fearsome as we may be able to see a lot of good in bad times too, giving the impression of the good times never really die out. I may seem to sound highly idealistic but then this is one way we can remove the stigma attached to the good being short-lived and weaker than the bad.

I also solicit the opinion of this young, vibrant, dynamic and optimistic blogging community as to why this phrase has come to be so widely used and also would it not do a world of good to this world at large if we change our attitude strongly to believe that it is only all bad things that have to come to an end. I am sure your opinion would go a long way not only in helping me but a whole lot of not so spirited people out there in seeing good in the worst situations.

A WELCOME TRIP

2005-08-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

Its been quite sometime since I posted and it is for all of you my friends to judge how far this gap has affected my writing ability, if at all you thought I had one. Anyway the last one and a half months has been a nerve wrecking period for me on all fronts and so just could not pick me up to create any thoughts that can be posted. So much so that during the last ten days I had even stopped blog-hopping as Ramya rightly pointed out in my shout-box.

Finally I decided that I should take a break from this vicious cycle of stressful battle before it gets to my head fully. So myself alongwith my friends embarked on a three day trip to Munnar, the Hill Station in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The pristine beauty of nature out there amidst the fragrance of fresh tea and cardamom really brought the right and positive change in my attitude and approach to things. I had heard from Dr. Vasantha, wife of Mr. Partha Krishnaswamy, a fatherly figure in the blog world, about Bach flower therapy, wherein the essence and fragrance of flowers are used to change our bad temperament, attitude and thought process. But I truly experienced it in the virgin environments of Munnar.

With Kerala experiencing more than normal rainfall, the water bodies of Munnar (which gets its name from the confluence of three rivers in that place) are brimming to its capacity and even extinct Waterfalls are now roaring. Tata Tea owns most of that place, so its just tea estates all around the landscape. Finally even with all the generous inheritance of nature’s beauty, Munnar has the most well mannered, courteous, honest and helpful people inhabiting it and it is the cheapest of Hill-stations I have visited so far in terms of food and accommodation.

I have taken some pictures but am still not a good enough computer wizard to put it in my blog though Sophia did her best to help me in this endaevour. I will try to do something about it soon.

Finally I would like to thank all my blog friends for visiting my blog regularly even during the times I was not posting and help me lift my spirits with your inspiring comments on my shoutbox. It is you people who make this world such a wonderful place to live in.

SHORT STORY 2

2005-07-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

He felt guilty and stopped her whenever she cried, she called it emotional blackmail and loss of basic freedom. He allowed her this freedom without interference, the world called him inhuman.

Out of care he was very gentle on her in bed, she insulted calling him unmanly. He displayed his manliness to make her happy; she broke her hip, the world called him barbaric.

CLASSIC DEFINITIONS

2005-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I got these through e-mail from a friend.

1. Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and a fool at the other.

2. Love affairs : Something like cricket where one-day internationals are more popular than a five day test.

3. Marriage : It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her master

4. Divorce : Future tense of marriage

5. Dictionary : A place where divorce comes before marriage.

6. Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

7. Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

8. Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

9. Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.

10. Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.

11. Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

12. Father : A banker provided by nature.

13. Criminal : A guy no different from the rest...except that he got caught.

14. Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

15. Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after.

16. Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills and kills you with his bills

RIDICULOUS TITLE

2005-06-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

There is article in today's "The Hindu", Chennai edition titled "Fruitful day for Indians" commending the performance of four Indian cricketers playing the English county cricket. I was very happy that Indian cricketers have at last performed well at the English county. But I was astonished and anguished at how our sports media misguide us with their luring titles. They have listed the performance of the players as below :

Dinesh Mongia gave 19 runs of 4 overs and took a wicket, in addition scored 39 runs with the bat. Can be described as "Not a bad performance" at best.
Irfan Pathan took 3 wickets of 4 overs for 16 runs. A good performance and matches the title of the article.
Harbhajan Singh stated to have bowled very miserly giving just 22 runs in 4 overs. Even a person with modest cricketing knowledge would accept the word "miserly" to be a misnomer here and that this is at best a "deplorable" performance by the baller.
Our famous Sourav Ganguly scored 10 runs with the bat as opening batsman and gave 30 runs of 3 overs taking one wicket showcases his worst decline in cricketing standards and our super journalist calls this a fruitful outing.

Even considering it only 20 over matches, it cannot be said to be creditable enough to be called fruitful.

Is it that a great Newspaper like "The Hindu" does not have a quality sports reporter or is it that the definition of performance among the media has become synonymous to non-performance that even deplorable outings like the one above is termed fruitful.

Tomorrow if the media finds a two year old boy of an affluent father walking on his own, they might snap his photos and immediately portray him as the future "Jessy Owens" of India, a great athlete in the making.

In India, the media definitely uplifts and encourages the sportsmen, but to an extent that they kill the sports in them and make them at best a good model. Like they say "Amirtham" ( the divine nectar) beyond a certain levels becomes poison, so does media glare to the sportsmen.

The same thing is being done to Sanya Mirza in tennis. Her second round defeat to the Russian at Wimbledon is glorified like a Championship victory by the media, where in fact she had earlier defeated this same player in straight sets in Dubai Open. Her performance has in fact gone down. The player herself is misguided by the media glare and she too is happy with her deteriorating performance. I do not say media should have put down Sania, but they should have given her a cautious encouragement to an extent it does not make her complacent.

SHORT STORY

2005-06-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Short stories is definitely not my strength. It belongs to Ammani, the queen story teller. I wanted to do something different and so what if it is not an original idea. Let me try and take a leaf out of Ammani and now Thennavan too. So here it goes :

A boy without a mother meets a girl without a father and they fall in love.
Boy takes girl to his father and tells,
“She is your would-be daughter-in-law, but treat her like your daughter”
Father immediately obliges by making the would-be mother-in-law, his wife.

What’s the moral of the story ..eh?

MERCY KILLING – SOUNDS MORE MERCILESS

2005-06-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

A staunch optimist that I am, I have never considered death to be a solution to any problem. The biggest loser in death is the person dying himself. I would say, in most cases in today’s world, even the person closest to the dying person, may only stand to gain either by inheriting some wealth or atleast an end to the agony of having a troubled person close to him.

So of what use is a solution which only leaves you a loser that too with no second chance.

But what about mercy killing. At first, I am not able to give a rational explanation either in favour or against it. I always believed that our life started with a single cell and we should strive to live till the last cell in our body is alive. This applies as much to the physically and mentally challenged too.

When I read this case in Kolkata, where a father has made an application to the West Bengal Government to put an end to the life of his physically challenged daughters because he is too old and there is nobody to take care of them after his death and except for breathing, they require his help for everything, the foundation of my concept of right to live shook badly. I was suddenly forced to think , that like every law, should the right to live also have an exception clause attached to it.

In this said case the father feels that life has become more a punishment than a right to his daughters, but the daughters are not in a position to give their opinion. The West Bengal Government is undecided, may be, because if mercy killing is granted it will become a precedent for people without the determination to live to opt this rule and more for inhuman parents and siblings who do not want to accept the responsibility of such not so lucky people, to put an end to their life, may be much against the very persons will.

The question is how to prove the killing was out of mercy and not merciless as there is a definite possibility of misuse of this rule worldwide and more so in our country. How to ascertain the feelings of the person on whom the said mercy is to be bestowed, if he or she is not in a position to express. I am sure nobody in this world would accept death with total happiness and contentment.

In view of the dangerous implications of misuse of mercy killings, I am of the opinion that the Government should not grant it even in the exception of exceptional cases, though I understand a lot of people who live the life of a vegetable and their caretakers may admonish me for this thought. In the end, though a bit shaken, I have come back to strongly believe that life, in whatever quantity and form it is available to us, has to be LIVED completely, what cannot be cured has to be endured and never censured.

BLOGGER'S PARK – AN ARTICLE IN "THE HINDU" TODAY

2005-06-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Magazine of "The Hindu" today, the 12th, June, 2005 featured an article on Bloggers Meet scripted by none other than Ramya, the Glam Celeb Journo in the Blog world. This is another feather in the cap of the blogging community and please..please..please, this post is not meant to highlight that this humble blogger has also been mentioned in the article.

I feel undeservingly honoured to be mentioned in the article, to highlight the new concept of online bloggers meet, which was in fact the brainchild of Kaush and Princess, who organized the show fabulously. In fact they should have been mentioned in the article for introducing the concept and I feel extremely guilty to have been put in their place.

Kaush and Princess, all credit to you for pioneering this concept. Ramya was probing in the dark and found a candle in me to throw light in this concept, but that candle can never take away the brightness of the sunshine that is Kaush and Princess.

HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY CORRUPTION

2005-06-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

A huge population making resources seemingly scarce, little time and lot of things to be done, economic inequality, affluent people with more ideas and money than time willing to take as well as pay bribes, more loopholes in laws than sections. With all these it is just impossible to eradicate corruption in our country.

Even the most uncorrupt among us does indulge in some corruption at some point of time due to one of the compulsions mentioned above. Believe me corruption is not just exchange of money. Even getting a Railway ticket in Emergency Quota or a Special darshan in Tirupathi without standing in the queue, to name a few, is as much corruption as anything else.

It is here that I wish to divide corruption into healthy and unhealthy corruption. Believe me you may at times find these corrupt people perform much better and productively than uncorrupt ones. And whereas I would recommend immediate eradication of unhealthy corruption, the healthy corruption, if not eradicated, must be properly regulated to put our country in a healthy growth mode.

An unhealthy corruption can be defined, at macro level, where the country is cheated or sold out cheaply for individual benefits and at micro level, where legitimate rights and necessities of citizens is robbed off for the benefit of certain individuals resulting in the civilization and development of our country taking a back seat.

Healthy corruption is one, if legitimized and regulated can lead to the Departments functioning more efficiently and support massively to the cause of fast track growth.

Recently I spoke to a high official of a private sector bank enquiring about the difference between the various categories of Credit Cards apart from their colour and fees. He told me that when it comes to the services available most of the categories are entitled to the same set of services, but what differentiates them is the promptness of the services. The person holding the premium card paying maximum fees gets his problem solved almost at home or immediately whereas the economy class cards would get the same complaint attended to in a week. So the extra fees are in a way bribe for prompt service but legitimized as fees for premium card.

Why not apply the same logic on all services where the officials can offer premium service or economy service depending on the pre-determined fees. The premium on the fees should go to the official. Its like a tatkal scheme on every service. This way I am sure you would find the officials on their toes always and working as efficiently as anybody.

Yes, there is a possibility that the people affording economy fees may not be able to get their work done at all on account of more people willing to pay premium. But that can be tackled by fixing targets to officials that for every premium service rendered a certain number of economy cases should be catered to and evaluation can be done by verifying the pending economy service applications at the month end.

This way the officials are happy with their earning commensurate to the efforts, the premium customers who are responsible of putting the country into fast track of growth receive the push and the layman or economy customers also gets his grievance attended to by virtue of target scheme.

Heart in Heart I would love to have a corruption free India, but till then we need a realistic approach to the problem and it is a choice between bad and worst.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – A PROFITABLE VENTURE IN ITSELF

2005-06-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

The inspiration to this blog is from latest post "Stand up comedy??" in Ravi’s blog on civic amenities in Bangalore and Chennai. He had made a mention therein that Corporates in Chennai are looking at profitability even in discharging their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards the society. I do agree with him that it only goes on to show the degenerating human values here.

But I for once feel there is definitely a lot of profitability even in discharging CSR in both tangible and intangible forms. It is just that some of the Corporate leaders in Chennai lack that lateral and indepth vision to realise the potential. It is wrong to use the word profit in CSR, but the fact remains that even with the profit motive the society stands to gain a lot.

It is a well known fact that today the human resource is the single most important asset of every company and every day a new concept and principle is being evolved to improve the efficiency of this resource. A lot of gimmicks and exercises are being done to remove the stress out of the human resource to make them more productive. The amount being spent on these exercises atleast in professional organisations is quite substantial.

Proper discharge of CSR by the all the Corporates as a unit would go a long way in removal of stress from the employees mind. For example if certain basic facilities like garden, super market, hospitals, bus shelters etc. are provided in every locality, the children would have pollution free playing facility resulting in a more healthy body one one side and reduction in accidents on account of playing in roads. This means the earning member has to spend lesser money and time on the safety and healthy upbringing of his child. Again the home maker would find it easier to get all the amenities for home without depending on the earning member to help out. All these would go a long way in the family responsibilities playing very minimal role in the minds of the employees and they getting more focussed on their office work. This would result in increase in efficiency, quality of output and lastly a huge reduction in expenditure on stress reduction, all tangible gains.

Again the employee will be more committed to the organisation, being aware of its contributions to the cause of his family in general and society in particular. This is an example of intangible gain and there is also a tangible gain in the sense of reduced labour turnover.

This is just an example. There are many other ways in which CSR efforts can be implemented for long term gain for both the society and the Corporate world, only that one needs to look at both as part of the same macro-system.

ANOTHER LISTLESS GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION

2005-05-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

The “Big Temple” of Thanjavoor, Tamil Nadu a historical architechtural wonder which, if I am not wrong is in the control of the Archealogical Survey of India (ASI) for decades (please correct me if I am wrong), has only now been taken up for intensive cleaning up operations.

During the course of cleaning they found a huge dump of Cannon balls in one of the rooms in the temple. Does it mean that for centuries the doors of the temple rooms have not been opened. Instead of being ashamed and being admonished by the men under control of the ASI, the officials are proudly displaying their find and making a revealing statement that this famous temple might have been once upon a time used by the kings as a fort for waging war too. It is a pity and national shame that the premier government organisation responsible for discovering and preserving national heritage, monuments and other archeological and historical findings and in fact responsible for proving and teaching history of our country to the world, have not bothered, to even open and look at all the chambers of one of the major Archeological wonders of South India which is under their control for decades now.

Earlier it took a Tsunami to unveil some of the lost temples of Mahabalipuram near Chennai, Tamil Nadu which again the ASI are proudly presenting to this world as if it was the result of their herculean efforts.

I wonder whether these people in ASI even keep their own house clean and are aware of their own belongings. This is not the only one organisation of its kind, the Indian Government has a lot of such departments and organisations without any accountability and where even gross errors go unnoticed for ages and sometimes like this, are celebrated as an honour or achievement.

SOMETHING LIGHT

2005-05-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been getting this feeling recently that a majority of my posts deal with very serious thoughtful matters (the truth may be the opposite too) and bereft of any spicy tit-bits. So on an expert advise I have decided to give a hand on spicing up my blogs. Kindly bear with any disappointments.

A Unique Hotel :

There seems to be a world famous Hotel in Sweden, which is fully made up of Ice. The Hotel melts down every summer and is rebuilt in winter when visitors from all around the world check into rooms with sub-zero temperatures. I presume another unique thing in this Hotel would be that a Non Air-conditioned Room would be costlier than an Air-conditioned one. It would require a person to be pretty HOT to check into those rooms. Eh.

Unique Wedding :

A 43 year old female teacher in Seattle wedded her 22 year old student last week….Ooops, my thoughts suddenly went to one of our bloggers, a beautiful looking Research Scholar Professor in a Chennai college on whom, I am sure quite a few students would have a crush on………. I dare not mention the name.

Another interesting feature of this couple is that the teacher had got imprisoned a few years back on charges of raping this same student It can happen only in the US of A. Now, Indra Nooyi, you really had a point err… finger of view there in your speech. But one thing I appreciate here is that the "Abuse" laws in USA are equal for both genders. I think the Indian jurists should take a point from this, as I believe that there are quite a lot of cases in India where certain unscrupulous women have been abusing the "Dowry Harassment" laws against their innocent husbands. I am not saying dowry harassment does not happen, but abuse of law is also very much there.

Unique Town:

I read from Alka's blog that there is a town in Belgium called Geel, where mentally challenged people are treated as affectionately as any other normal person. Their behavioral aberrations are never looked down upon or stared at. In fact every family there I believe adopts a mentally challenged person to give them a near normal life. Truly, the most divine place in the earth, the heaven on earth.

BLOGGING – A FORM OF MEDITATION

2005-05-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

In my nine months of life in this blogworld, I have seen people giving numerous reasons and meanings to blogging. Just as it takes nine months for a human being to evolve in its full form in the mothers womb, it has also taken nearly nine months for blogging to reveal its full meaning in my life and now I find it nothing less than a form of meditation.

Blogging provides me the same effect of de-stressing and takes me to such high levels of single minded focus, deep thoughts and contemplation that only meditation can do. I think Swahilya from: swahilya.blogspot.com, the prolific reporter from "The Hindu" and one who breaths spiritualism and meditation, should be able explain this phenomenon much better than me.

Just as people taking to meditation, end up making meditation an integral part of their life, blogging too may be a part of rest of my life or eventually a life in itself. So friends, be prepared to tolerate me in this blogworld for a long time to come.

My special thanks to Ravi from: ravikumar.blogdrive.com for having kindled this thought process in my mind today.