2012 ~ is here

It is said one should always welcome news things as a positivist and with optimistic fervor~ so Aloha 2012 has arrived .... Hope that it turns out to be great year for all Indians ~ despite all my efforts at sounding hopeful the skeptic in me is lurking close-by trying to pop its head every now and then . My efforts to banish it to wilderness are not totally met with success. Also one remembers at such times precaution is better than cure, so a bit of pessimism may not be harmful it will  only brace us better to face any eventuality if at all it arises.
2011 saw many maestros bidding farewell to the world (in the Indian context) , many tragedies inflicted on my nation, even as the year was drawing to a close it bloodied us with "Cyclone Thane" killing almost 50 people in Tamil Nadu. I am not going over the political dramas staged by politicians in parliament (which is supreme). The way 2011 ended is a precursor about how 2012 will be. Lets not be under any false optimism - this year will and all the subsequent years to come will be great only if we the masses/ citizens decide to take some pains now. Only if we participate in our democracy more actively and are not oblivious of our hardships and the difficulties faced by our fellow citizens that we will ensure that days to come will be better ... So how 2012 will be ultimately lies in our hands if we are conscious, concerned, caring towards our fellow citizens, rest assured, we can chant merrily 3 idiot's famous dialogue - "All is Well". So the mantra for a buoyant , happy, prosperous India for all is an awakened and alert citizen.
I will sign off now, wishing all a happy, merry, prosperous and peaceful 2012 ...
Peace , grace ,chao 

26/11 is just another date ?

Three anniversaries and after innumerable memos and meetings with Pakistan counterpart , it seems there is no headway in the direction of closure for victims / martyrs of 26/11 {2008}. With a judiciary, government machinery too obsessed with 2002 riots and trying to fix its adversaries {Reddy, Kiran Bedi , Kejriwal} what else could one expect.
Well but this is how every terror trail plays out in India .... There are no thorns to the anti- terror policy. To add insult to injury there is Digvijaya Singh with his saffron brand of terror.
Gillette of late has initiated a move to dedicate the "Gateway of India" to the martyrs of 26/11. I am thoroughly irritated by this whole move about dedicating the "Gateway of India" to victims and martyrs of 26/11 - a drive driven by Gillette ~ Fact remains yesterday the families of victims of 26/11 were protesting in Mumbai for not receiving the promised compensation and they were arrested ....
So lets get real rather than jingoistic, lets set our house right first.Tighten security in our own home , take care of victims of 26/11 and not forget there was Poona blast 13th Feb 2010 and Javeri Bazaar blast on 14th July 2011 ...
This has to stop else we will end up with a:-
1. Manual of Major blasts of Maharashta Alone leave aside whole of India
2. Manual of memorials of these blasts
3. And we will run out of monuments to dedicate them to our martyrs
Some 10 odd Pak non- state elements sneaked into Mumbai and unleashed a trail of death and mayhem. For 60 hrs nation was held hostage and it (and incidents of its type) just serve as a raw material for:-
1. Media / News channels
2. NGOs which extract charity money in name of victims and martyrs ( Remember how money pored in during Kargil into media houses like India Today and was there any accountability for that money ? Please a auditor can draw the picture you want them to draw)
3. MEA officials to hold 5-star style parleys at tax-payer's money
4. Erecting monuments . Well one Mayawati is enough for that.
Point is when we blame Pakistan for all the ills plauging us~ isnt it there a need to reassess what all is lacking in us and raise these questions:-
1. why Afzal Guru is still alive when a death sentence has been awarded to him~ if our president cannot expedite his clemency plea's resolution forget about Pakistan doing enough on its part
2.Why is Kasab trial still not over , as he lives to see a Poona blast and then a Zaweri Bazaar blast ~ he must be laughing at us thinking he is really in zannat
3. also the way Indian system operates it seems killing scores of people means that one just ends up in jail and President of my country will take years to give its verdict on clemency pleas hence the point is why blamee Pakistan when we do the same being the victims.
Have we even tried through our actions do the following and convey a stern message for once through acts and not words:-
1. Zero tolerance to corruption and inefficiency in things which touch our internal / external security
2. swiftness in taking decisions ~for ex. Costal security is lax and caught in red tape contrast this to the swiftness the govt. has shown in clearing FDI in retail sector
3. Giving our soldiers lean and mean weapons a, training and machinery and not memorials such that never in future 10 odd vernacular killers can hold a nation of 1 .2 bilion to ransom for 3 days and kill 100s of people.
I dont believe in harboring anger but I cant help being angry which has benumbed me as it reminds me I cant do anything tangible to rectify the situation and my anger solves nothing.
I often wonder what would be JUD sermons to its recruits from now on vis-a-vis Indian terror attacks:-
a. JUD will tell its terror recruits guys just get captured by Indian police they will ensure you stay alive forever
2. You will have a system gaurding you and giving you a star lifestyle spending 18 crore on your upkeep.
It brings me to the point where I can tell the government which makes its customary statement on the eve of 26/11 , the things I as citizen dont want:-
1. No more memorials please, they seem like living symbols of failure of my country's machinery
2.  Also we dont  want govt. getting into a mode of memorials on these occasions ~ Poona blast, Zaveri Bazaar blast~ not that I want to forget what happened just I hate the idea of glorifying the kinks in my country's security armour
3. I want an end to super VIP summits with Pakistan which solve nothing and serve no purpose..
4.Stop having cricket matches and tournaments in the name of these terror attacks.
5. Use parliament to debate more critical issue than the slap on the face of a Union Minister
I am presuming none of this things will happen so my message to the perpetrators of acts like 26/11 in case you terrorists want to make a point shun the route of explosives come and start slapping my government's ministers perhaps they will start taking note of your attention grabbing tactics as killing the aam - admi on the roads does not unnerve my establishment , its just another day for them to rant statements and empty threats, ammunition for TV channels ... So please hit where it hurts take inspiration from Harshwinder Singh....

Who said donkey is a Dumb animal !!!

Recently I read about a sanctuary being run by a couple (John and Bob Harrision) in Haryana and since then anything related to donkeys catches my eye, so did this story shared on facebook. Mostly an object of rebuke and ridicule just read on to see how this story proves that the beast is anything but intelligent.  One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized

what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! MORAL : Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Why Diwali is not raising my spirits?

Do you remember the famed "India Shining" Campaign of NDA - which led to its downfall and criticism but in hind sight economic indicators were not that grim at that time. The festival season is at its peak the shops (oh no malls) are bustling with people shopping. This left many wondering didn't someone say there was a recession? Well as everyone keeps saying there are 2 India-s and worst well to-do counterpart of India is surprisingly oblivious of the not so rosy India. When I say so its not the political class at whom I am waging my finger? Though they don't command much virtue but the so-called well off India too has a lot of answering to do. No no don't get me

wrong no-one is expecting you to go to the impoverished India and feed the teeming millions (though that would have been a nice gesture) but our complacency and indifference gives this defunct system and governments leeway to thrive on inefficiency. So much so that to a TV channels relentless focus on grim reality of "Encephalitis in UP Gorakhpur (UP)" the only urgency the national government showed was rush their Health Minister to UP. His proactive actions included-meeting more officials , setting up a panel and promising to meet UPA chair-person with a report. Wow in this manner it will surely be resolved? I mean did you hear of mobilization of extra doctors ? Or asking private health providers to dedicate 15% of their facilities to the people inflicted by this disease? This is the urgency for the Indian masses which our ministers show? Well did I hear UP was a VIP constituency which returned year after year UPA Chairperson and her son? Or isn't it Mayawati's Karma Bhoomi? Also I find the opposition BJP too muted in its attack - why dont they raise their pitch and additionally all political parties have their youth wings what are they doing? Well but we are the root of the problem- we are not alarmed when such things happen? Had there been a feeling of dismay, outcry from us-the government would have reacted at all levels. Why this lethargy in reaction and hence action? The only fast pace thing happening in India is at "Buddh Circuit" that too is a paradox isn't it? Taking place in the same UP where people are dying year after year of things which are preventable. The high-rises built by private builders are only thing growing/flourishing in this nation? On Saturday (22nd Oct 2011) the charges of 2G-Scam were framed - a hapless Karunanidhi came running to Delhi for his daughter - wasn't the "Janta" also like children to these politicians ideally - why not similar urgency is shown when there are Indians dying of hunger, disease , etc. Just compare this - a scam of 2000 crore to 175000 crore ( there is a dispute on the actual figure) and kids are dying of malnutrition . My Diwali happiness is robbed by these grim indicators and I don't have a split existence so I am at infinite unease and restlessness. I just keep pondering when will this situation improve, we are talking of Libya but I find many Gaddafi's here. One used to point at US , European nations for good governance but if I goes by current incidents "Occupy Wall Street" , the mess US banking sector is in ... where is hope - it seems greed and corruption has infested all. To add to that war and regime changes are smoke screens behind which all these governments are trying to hide their failures. I am an optimist but indifference to hardships faced by my fellow citizens is not my definition of optimism hence this time around my own philosophy of thinking positive is failing me ............... In case you want to know about Encephalitis situation in UP refer to:- http://www.deccanherald.com/content/199905/encephalitis-has-claimed-over-400.html http://ibnlive.in.com/news/up-encephalitis-kills-6-more-death-toll-438/192943-3.html On Malnutrition:- http://ibnlive.in.com/news/maharashtra-hunger-kills-500-yearly-in-melghat/195228-3.html http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/india/28128570_1_malnutrition-integrated-child-development-scheme-maharashtra

Is the world slipping into an economic crisis?

Are we slipping into a crisis which is far bigger than the one which was called "first bubble burst"? You know rabbits have a tendency- when confronted with crisis they close their eyes thinking the danger will disappear as they reopen their eyes? Are we too falling into such a trap? We as a rule assume we are insulated from such evils or its not going to touch us?  Though one is aware of the common adage "being forewarned and prepared always helps". So have we even analysed this situation? One is receiving text messages  like - "Via SMS: 10 years ago America had steve jobs, Johny Cash, Bob Hope and now America has NO jobs NO cash NO hope"  about the state of american economy, not to mention the "protests at Wall Steers", I cannot help but think what is in store for future? No matter everyone may want to put up a brave face - but on ground at least the IT sector seems to be in for a major crisis - if it does not restructure its target client base , it has to shift focus from US/ Europe and turn towards other pastures. Though its easier said than done. I am dreading a time when inflation coupled with consequences of economic crisis will push us into times when we will be forced to shun the malls and go to public parks on weekends. Major corporate seem to be prepared for the situation with many shifting focus to Africa and Arab markets, but is the medium range - industry prepared for the windfall? 
Also I was reading about the top 10 indebted countries according to external debt, or the total public and private debt owed to non-residents repayable in foreign currency, goods or services, the list is as follows :-
1. United States of America - $148,253.1 million
2. European Union - $ 137,200 million.
3.United Kingdom - $89,810 million
4. Germany - $47,130 million
5. France - $46,980 million
6. Japan - $24,410 million.
7. Italy - $22,230 million
8. Spain - $21,660 million
9. Luxembourg - $18,920 million.
10. Belgium - $12,410 million
Well I am not a pessimist but look at the countries- if any of the top 5 countries tanks- we are in for serious trouble. Common apprehension being- that we expect these countries to bail us out while I think some them may well utilize some help this time around. My biggest fear the recession due to the faulty policies of these nations coupled with the lack of preparedness and corruption of hoarding money out of circulation will push us into a major -major crisis . Hence it is high time that the powers concerned stop all noise about clamping down the media, or going after annoying netizens ,or getting square with RTI activists or trying to fool public on mining scam - this time the government has to seriously put its act together and think smart along with all the parties concerned lest 2012 may spell doom for all of us..........

Rajnitigya (A Politician)

Jisme niti na ho wohi to raj kar paayega
Rajnitigya Kehlayega

Taliyon ka hakdar bankar
Desh ka Dhan churayega Rajnitigya ban Jayega

Joshile bhashan se humko jo bharmayega
Wohi hamara pratinidhitva kar payega Rajnitigya ban jayega

Lal kile par meri matri bhumi ka tiranga lehrayega
Jhute vado se hum sabko lubhayega Rajnitigya ban Jayega

Videsho ka bhraman niyta-prati kar aayega
humpe bekari, berozgari, mehangai  ka boojh lad jayega Rajnitigya ban Jayega

Ma nitya tera apman karwayega tujhe roolayega
apni muthi garam karke tujhe nihatta chor jayega
WOHI TO MA SAFAL RAJNITIGYA KEHLAYEGA

-written in 1998

SDLC of a CBI investigation

CBI has earned various sobriquets- Congress Bureau of Investigation, Congress Bachao Institution (Sushma swaraj during Lokpal debate) - but if you were to ask me I have the following:-
1. Champions in Botching Investigation
2. Corruption Breeding Institution
If one looks at the way CBI conducts itself  then one can chalk out the CILC ( "Case Investigation life Cycle" -after SDLC in IT which stands for Software Development Life Cycle) one can distinctly classify it into the following phases:-
1. {High drama heady initiation as if Krishna is out to teach Kansa a lesson} 
2. {Charge-sheet with lot of delays } 
3. {build a weak case - what why how else they will save the guilty}
4. {No evidence - No Prima Facie evidence - No Quid Proquo}
5. {Botched up case visible to layman's eye}
6. {Exoneration of guilty - goal achieved}
Such is the notoriety earned by it currently that the above phases best defines its functional areas.
Primary motto:-
1. To be biased to ruling alliance
2. To have no backbone and sense of pride
3. To be corrupt to the hilt
4. To never meet any deadline, to be unsystematic,.....
5. And last but not the least it always has and will always safegaurd the CORRUPT

 Such are the salient features of the primer organization of my country which is entrusted with the trivial job of enforcing corruption free society , probity in public life  ('_')......
No wonder they don't want to be part of the proposed  Lokpal ........ silly they can just bend their knees before ruling party MPs and be answerable to no one else.................AMEN

Why is the government manufacturing a insurmountable problem (Manipur)

We lament that we live in a hostile neighborhood with China on one side and Pakistan on another. There is no denying the fact that our neighborhood is not a conducive one, but do we ever realize that how hostile and callous we & our government is towards its own  people - take the example of Manipur - I am told that there is an economic blockade there as a result of which - Price of petrol is a mere Rs 130/liter in Imphal. A gas cylinder is about Rs. 1500!! Why is the govt so indifferent to such problems, why it always gives a knee-jerk reaction, it can at least show a workable level of efficiency if not perfect efficiency? Is it not manufacturing a crisis? Does the government love being in a - what we call - "fool's paradise". Now when China will move in and start exploiting the situation - then the administration will come out of its slumber and will start crying foul. Why don't we act now? Or is it that Government thinks whole of Manipur is "Irom Sharmila" - forgotten for a decade? In this case state government too belongs to INC- hence why doesn't the government act what is stopping it from taking cognizance? Is it due to lack of Political will - well that they will have to muster on their own...
A friend of mine adds:-
The truth is even with all the army GOI has barely any control over NE. The reason? Because they want to control not provide good governance. Take Tripura it had a 3000 year old royal family which provided a better standard of living to itspeople in terms of schooling, infrastructure etc. Fast forward to now and it is a laggard state. There is a need to restructure centre-state so people in far off areas from the centre can receive the administrative deliverable due to them. Lets start with a glass of drinkable water for the whole country, that itself should be an achievement!

The "Sense of the house" & Vikramadiyta's throne - how are they related

Ideally any assurance by the parliament on any issue should lay to rest beyond doubt any suspicion about the government's intention - but alas! that doesn't seem to be the case. It was not a welcome sight when people were raising concerns on the reliability about the assurance given by the house. Not a happy situation for any citizen- but then what else one can expect in the present scenario? It reminds of a childhood story from my "Chandamama Days" (often retold by my dad as a bedtime story - well he had a set of favourites from which he used to pick and narrate). The story goes as follows:- The was once a sleepy village of Timarpur (1 of the default names I use  during any narration) . Every Wednesday a weekly haat (village market) used to be held in the football grounds of the village. Today was no different , children were running riot, caged birds were chirping, hawkers were shouting at the pitch of their voices vying for the attention of the buyers, the sweet meat shops were churning out the lovely yellow spirals popularly called the jalebi . Amid-st all this  activity the peace was marred by a ruckus raised by a war of words between two vendors. They were arguing over space for laying their wares. One of them contented it was his regular place , while the other contented that he had come first hence he was the rightful one to lay his shop there. In due course of time they went to the center of the ground which had a banyan tree , at its base was an elevated ground where sat a small kid. He volunteered to resolve the dispute. The villagers agreed though a bit hesitantly as the kid was too young for that, yet they agreed. The child asked both the hawkers if they owned the place or paid any tax for the place to this both replied in negative , then he asked the one who claimed that he was a regular to that place - if he used to go to the village temple? To this the person's answer was in affirmative.  The child further asked him - Do you go there daily? The hawker  said - Yes. Then he asked - Do you own the village temple? the hawker said- No.The child then said -as just by frequenting the village temple daily does not make you the owner of the village temple similarly the fact that you used to set up your shop on  a certain piece of land on a weekly does not make you the claimant of that place. As you do not pay any tax for the place hence anyone who comes first can lay his claim to that place. Everyone accepted the ruling and were amazed by the sharpness of the kid. An inquisitive few went near the banyan tree and started investigating the elevated ground closely, to their surprise it concealed a throne and on further examination it turned out to be the "Throne of Vikramadiyta"- which had the magical quality of turning anyone who sat on it into someone who gave impartial and flawless judgments. Now coming to the current scenario prevailing in our country- I keep wondering isn't the seat/position of the "Member of Parliament" sanctimonious enough that it too evokes similar responses and behavior from our legislators?? I just hope it does inherit the magical qualities of "Vikramadiyta's throne" one fine day.....

Irom's fast of more than 10 years - has to end .....

Why cant we all stand up for Irom Sharmila ,I think the following are the reasons for her protracted fast:-
1. Manipur has only 2 lok Sabha seats so till the time we (rest of India) stand up, this is not going to be resolved anytime soon as political parties are concerned only about the numbers. {This makes me shudder at the thought of creation of small states, will it mean that they are created for better governance and regional aspirations, but in the long run due to the small size- government becomes apathetic to their plight.}
2. The media in my opinion is the biggest culprit - the hosts (though not everyone is same) who sit there and lecture everyone about morals cannot escape their responsibility - you cannot say this my bread and butter and escape the guilt ( remember how critical we are about doctors who turn into money churning machines the same is true for every  professional- but the responsibility of a doctor, teacher and journalist is always more than others in the society due to the very nature of their job).As many may argue my boss doesn't allow focus on Irom as it is financially not rewarding - well I know people who were once journalist are now
owners of News Channels so now you can act, cant you?
3. Apathy of the rest of India towards north-east. That's the very reason I see people in black and white - Indian/ Not Indian / Socially disadvantaged Indian. Lets not ignore others' plight - as who knows we may find ourselves in similar situations some day - lets always be sensitized to others plight, at least at the mental level - becoz I have seen people showng indifference when you narrate any incident of this nature to them as they feel it doesnt effect them or as if they are immune from such happenings - fact remains these things are responsibility of every Indian not to be left to the mercy of some NGO or Human Rights Body.
4. Also people of Manipur shouldn't have let the fast to continue for such a long time. In case of Anna 13 days were very painful though we supported Anna's cause we wanted Anna to give up the fast in case no breakthrough was achieved - so it is the responsibility of people of Manipur also, to ask her to give up the fast as we cannot risk a person's life for a cause. There is no denying that it is a pure case of improper handling and government apathy but one has to see to it that situations dont precipitate to such an extent. What prompted Irom's fast was a very unfortunate occurance - On November 2, 2000, in Malom, a town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur, ten civilians were allegedly shot and killed by the Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary forces operating in the state, while waiting at a bus stop.The incident later came to be known to activists as the "Malom Massacre". The next day's local newspapers published graphic pictures of the dead bodies, including one of a 62-year old woman, Leisangbam Ibetomi, and 18-year old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner. Her brother Irom Singhajit Singh recalled, "The killings took place on 2 November, 2000. It was a Thursday. Sharmila used to fast on Thursdays since she was a child. That day she was fasting too. She has just continued with her fast".  She demands that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA)
I came to know about Irom Sharmila only when twiteerati became very vociferours about Anna , and as a result some people from the journalist fraternity (Anubha Bhosle, Sumon K Chakrabarti, Kishalay Bhattacharya)highlighted that - if you people are so concerned about Anna what about Irom who is fasting for 10 years, I couldn't believe when I first heard it. How could one survive, was my initial reaction.. Then I googled about her and came to know that she was being force-fed by "Nasogastric Intubation".
Lets see to it that she breaks her fast in our lifetime .... no let see to it that she breaks her fast before next "Republic Day" at all cost....
Also here is a link about Irom Sharmila by Anubha Bhosle -http://ibnlive.in.com/news/anna-becomes-an-icon-irom-sharmila-forgotten/179427-3.html do read it.

Anna Laughter Beans

 

Fury of the mighty unleashed

Just look at the swiftness with which MPs are bringing "privilege motion" (the 1 by Ram Gopal Yadav) - isn't it an indicator that they are on "teaching a lesson time" - by the MPs to those who took them to task or questioned their credentials or credibility. Well the media itself has shown how enlightened our MPs are when asked to recite impromptu the "National Anthem". Showing the mirror is always risky.

The various facets of the Anna/Janlokpal Andolan

What has the Janlokpal Movement achieved? Well a lot , not an iota of doubt on that:-

1. The most important achievement of the movement was thet it was firmly conveyed to the political class (which should be called the Paisewala class) that the "Pakistan - brand " -{Blame and bait India for all its ills and woes} of polity  will not work in India. It has shown the likes of Laloo, Sharad and Maya - divisive polity is not very much appreciated by 21st century India (at least the 1st signs are there), which is the reason for their irritation and blaming of the "dabba" (idiotbox)

2. Exposed the politicians effectively - now one has to be a smart voter see through their designs and vote for a better set  of people for that if you have to bribe to get your voter ID cards in place do it - remember 2014 is the D Date.

3. Has shown the government what are issues which concern the masses , as I am not ready to accept that it was a middle class movement , most of the middle class stayed at home but were backing Anna

4. There is a Rahul specific message too - if he can decipher it - one need not be young (though at 40 some people may object to that, but I will grant the concession) to be a youth icon - you have to just inspire the youth. Inspiring comes from honesty of intent - tears of Bhattaparsul are not different from woes of farmers in Ullahawas village (near Gurgaon ) - if one doesn't show fairness in one's cause one is bound to have a fall. Rahul is expected to show more sagacity - trash your advisers start acting on your own.

5. On the Janlokpal bill front it has achieved nothing substantial as what Anna got was "sense of the house" which is not binding on the Standing Committee which is drafting the law - also being optimistic lets assume they implement it - just watch out for the loopholes they leave to escape.

There are many more facets but will sign off here ...... Hence I did not and will not rejoice till I see change on the ground, I will do my bit but within my limits (accepting one's limitation honestly is the first step to solving a problem). It is a nervous beginning for me , fully aware that the path ahead is full of deceit , but through constant vigil one has to ensure that we the masses are not taken for a ride. Remember how the government implemented -"The lnformation Technology (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2011." - perhaps the media didnot  raise a hue and cry about it. Here a link do read it - if rigorously implement we will be china in no time, also dont forget since its a law govt. can implement whenever it wants to:-
http://www.mit.gov.in/sites/upload_files/dit/files/RNUS_CyberLaw_15411.pdf . A write-up which brings out the inherent dangers of these rules :-  https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/06/new-indian-internet-intermediary-regulations-pose