tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-177683482024-03-14T12:43:35.386+05:30Clearway - RenaissanceTat Tvam AsiKrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-23780336629575864962021-04-28T11:56:00.015+05:302021-05-10T23:39:25.780+05:30Covid19 Helpline Info India - information / help for Covid19 in India<p>This post provides updates on numbers / email ids that you can contact for help / info on Covid-19 in India. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Contact for oxygen / hospital beds / medicines / plasma / Remdesivir injections / Food delivery</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rV9Rdv0EJ2A/YJltPRyF6GI/AAAAAAAABAk/9JYfIc4PGDcLk_XlGIox5raNTF5jUNSGACNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="376" data-original-width="939" height="256" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rV9Rdv0EJ2A/YJltPRyF6GI/AAAAAAAABAk/9JYfIc4PGDcLk_XlGIox5raNTF5jUNSGACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h256/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Please visit <a href="https://linktr.ee/combatting.covid">https://linktr.ee/combatting.covid</a> for a comprehensive range of resources and helpline information on fighting Covid19</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Remdesivir injections contact details</h3></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zVwRJBu5PZs/YJl2yNoEa5I/AAAAAAAABA0/VuEYsgn1V041-xm1NYGVD9RqBl5UqRnCgCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="281" data-original-width="416" height="432" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zVwRJBu5PZs/YJl2yNoEa5I/AAAAAAAABA0/VuEYsgn1V041-xm1NYGVD9RqBl5UqRnCgCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h432/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcKxuYlXGMc/YIj8K_JCK6I/AAAAAAAAA_A/xd_iD0fOsmod_cmx6vVZVsnJ7b5piaUDgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Covid-19%2Binfo%2BChennai.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1040" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcKxuYlXGMc/YIj8K_JCK6I/AAAAAAAAA_A/xd_iD0fOsmod_cmx6vVZVsnJ7b5piaUDgCNcBGAsYHQ/w520-h640/Covid-19%2Binfo%2BChennai.jpeg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><p>Pan-India: For any need, please fill in all details as required and send your request/ enquiry to vk_bharath@yahoo.com</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkSKDBEiyvs/YIj_aCAb4GI/AAAAAAAAA_I/izl19vI58iMgy-jiHEpwU0YW2qZA3ua_gCNcBGAsYHQ/s960/Covid-19%2BHelp%2BClearway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkSKDBEiyvs/YIj_aCAb4GI/AAAAAAAAA_I/izl19vI58iMgy-jiHEpwU0YW2qZA3ua_gCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Covid-19%2BHelp%2BClearway.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>This post will be updated with further information as and when they are made available.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-55019741019076469972020-03-19T02:02:00.000+05:302020-03-19T23:35:00.032+05:30Coronavirus Outbreak – Rewriting the love story between China and the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: red;"><b>With Coronavirus changing the assumptions of globalisation, reinforcing national boundaries, and putting hard brakes on global economic growth, now would be a good time to talk about China, its chequered history, and its equation with the rest of the world!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Very few events have the ability to turn global assumptions on their head. The World Wars, for instance, brought the destinies of countries together on the path towards collective destruction. The Gulf Wars were feared to have had the potential to escalate into global conflicts, though they remained regional, finally giving rise to the global threat of international terrorism, leading up to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The pandemonium caused by the Global Financial Crisis underscored the fragility of assumptions about the seamless flow of finances and information across the world. Globalisation was still picking up steam when it all seemed to fall apart, as remote nations could feel the tremors of credit crunches and failing institutions far away from their borders. While strong domestic fundamentals of independent nations served as a buffer, preventing the financial seismic waves from taking them down, the network of international finances and borderless markets were questioned briefly, before the world continued on its quest for the perfect and elusive model of global village.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /><b>The unprecedented threat posed by Covid-19, a.k.a Coronavirus,</b> which Beijing would desperately beg not to be referred to as the Wuhan Virus or the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-criticism-trump-defends-saying-chinese-virus.html" target="_blank">Chinese Virus</a>, is even more pressing than those of the other pandemics in the history of the world, for the very reason that globalisation has now taken centre stage in world affairs. Economies such as Australia and the USA, among others, have become so addicted to Chinese manufacturing for economic reasons over the years, that China has vastly come to be seen as their own backyard to cook their meals before they are readily served on their tables. Stories of manufacturing facilities being closed down in the developed economies of the UK, Australia, and the USA, where entire communities were virtually rendered into ghost towns, with complete supply chains having been shipped overseas, predominantly to China, and increasingly to India and other Asian economies, have been doing the rounds seemingly for eternity now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">All eggs in the Chinese economic basket - China's chequered history</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">China’s willingness to <a href="https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/china-manipulating-its-currency" target="_blank">manipulate its currency</a> in international markets to prop up its economy has been questioned time and again. The <a href="http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1612783,00.html" target="_blank">world has wondered</a> if the Chinese economy has been in overdrive for decades, waiting with bated breath for the bubble to burst, exposing what really lied beneath the glittering hood. China’s ageing population, along with its questionable human rights practices in Honk Kong, its <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/insta/us-lawmakers-say-china-is-undermining-regional-security" target="_blank">expansionist endeavours</a> in the South China Sea, its <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-objects-to-rajnath-singhs-visit-to-arunachal-pradesh/articleshow/72071190.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">brinksmanship with India</a> along China’s borders with the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh, business practices featuring sweatshops, international dumping allegations, deteriorating air and water quality, the controversial <a href="http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/SR109.pdf" target="_blank">China Pakistan nuclear alliance</a>, allegations of spying and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-china-cyber-exclusive/exclusive-australia-concluded-china-was-behind-hack-on-parliament-political-parties-sources-idUSKBN1W00VF" target="_blank">hacking international systems</a> . . . the list of China having been in the headlines would go on and on, even before <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/international/487876-dont-let-china-turn-the-wuhan-virus-narrative-to-its-advantage" target="_blank">Wuhan</a> hit the news for all the wrong reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Fundamentally, it would go against basic business acumen to place all of the world’s bets on one country, and more so on one with such a chequered history as China! For instance, Australia is so <a href="https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/understanding-australias-economic-dependence-china" target="_blank">heavily dependent on China</a> that its retail outlets could virtually go empty if China shut down shop for a few consecutive days! Now, in the midst of the global pandemic crisis with Coronavirus having made its way virtually to every region of the world, the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/03/18/beijing_fears_covid-19_is_turning_point_for_china_globalization__142686.html" target="_blank">USA is discovering</a> that it would run out of the very medical products that people would be in a frenzy to stock up to protect themselves from Coronavirus infections – sanitizers and other drugs. The reasons are simple – the drugs and / or their ingredients are made in China!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The world still debates if Coronavirus was also "made in China", though there is no dispute on the fact that <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/03/16/coronavirus-fact-check-where-did-covid-19-start-experts-say-china/5053783002/" target="_blank">Coronavirus originated in Wuhan in China</a>, and it does appear that China did <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/10/21124881/coronavirus-outbreak-china-li-wenliang-world-health-organization" target="_blank">hide the severity of Coronavirus</a> for a while, even trying to muzzle whistleblowers, before it turned into a pandemic that it is now. That would seem like the all-important window of the first few days of discovery of the deadly virus, which could have, if China had disclosed and had worked in cooperation with the global community, made the difference between a controllable epidemic on a large scale and a wild pandemic whose very nature and impact is yet to be known!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Revisiting Chinese international relations – can one size fit all?</span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, now would be a good time to analyse, while the medical community and government agencies race against time to solve the mystery of the first pandemic of the 21<sup>st</sup> century, if China can indeed be the universal playing ground for global businesses of all shapes and sizes! The world should ask if too many nagging questions have been ignored or brushed under the carpet, with profitability alone dictating the agenda in a very complex network of equations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Was the fight for democracy that kept Hong Kong on the edge for months together, a warning sign about China’s oppressive policies, which were ignored? Could China not have been contained by the international community against its aggressive advances in South China Sea? Could India have dealt with China more assertively to restrain China from breaching into its territorial integrity in Arunachal Pradesh? Could the US have imposed penalties more proactively and stood its ground to check China’s alleged currency manipulation and dumping practices? Did the UN fail to take notice of Human Rights issues and other dubious practices veiled in secrecy under the auspices of China's ruling establishment?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Obsession with one nation is never the best idea, certainly not in business terms where shrewd strategic decisions had to be taken with long term perspectives. Was it sound strategy for the world to shift its manufacturing bases to China, just to stay competitive in the short run? Could business systems be sustained in the long run if low cost productions were the only set of decision making criteria? Could complex international supply chains around the world be built with China as the global hub? When branding is all about trust, would it be in the interest of nations to bank on a country that potentially withheld vital information about Coronavirus in the early days of the disaster's unfolding?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Judgement may well be reserved till when all the panic surrounding the pandemic has ceased and when the Covid-19 dust has hopefully settled. But if the right lessons are not learnt now, when the world is battling its worst uncertainty in ages, when the very premises of globalisation are being questioned, when human civilisation’s proud march towards progress has been put on an uncertain hold at very short notice, when basic assumptions that dictated international business decisions are having to be revisited, the global community may be in for an even greater shock the next time, when an even graver disaster strikes at the core of global belief systems and deals an even deadlier blow, rendering it virtually impossible for the world to recover from! The international community and its leadership would be held accountable then for not having acted in the hour of the greatest crisis of the century yet, despite a cacophony of warning bells ringing for decades before they finally culminated in the pandemic of Covid-19!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">There may still be time to act - but the time to ask is now!</span></div>
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Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-45792952865666745682019-05-28T16:34:00.000+05:302019-05-28T16:34:09.283+05:30Narendra Modi - India's Uniter in Chief!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Modi is back!</h3>
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The last <a href="https://clearway.blogspot.com/2014/05/prime-minister-narendra-modi-moment-of.html" target="_blank">I wrote on Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> was five years ago, when he first assumed the humongous responsibility of running the affairs of a country as diverse and complicated as India is. India has come a long way since, with Modi's reelection <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/day-after-modi-win-global-investors-pumped-in-216-mn-into-indian-bonds-119052800194_1.html" target="_blank">speaking for itself</a>.<br />
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Now, Modi 2.0 is back, with much to do in terms of completing the tasks that he set out to do in NDA's first term, and taking India further ahead. It is no easy task to get the diverse country grouped together, progress and match up expectations, not just because of the enormity of carrying over a billion dreams on a larger-than-life image, but more so on account of the collective unlearning of the past and unwinding from the misdoings of the colonial era that stretched beyond India's independence into the decades of rule by the Indian National Congress (INC).<br />
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The sorry state of Rahul Gandhi and Indian National Congress</h3>
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The BJP's was in no mood to relent its charging 2019 election machinery against the Indian National Congress - INC has been reduced to being more of a regional player than the party of first choice that it once was, and Rahul Gandhi, the last ray of hope that INC has been banking on for years now, had to seek refuge in a so-called safe seat in Wayanad, dominated by the minority communities of India. And this, after Rahul was <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/election-news/uttar-pradesh-lok-sabha-elections/exclusive-india-reclaimed-democracy-from-lutyens-delhi-says-smriti-irani-remarking-on-ndas-stunning-2019-election-win-and-her-own-mammoth-defeat-of-rahul-gandhi-in-amethi" target="_blank">thrashed from his home constituency of Amethi</a> by Smriti - could there be a safer constituency than home? Apparently, there is, for Rahul, in Wayanad, his new home away from home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rahul Gandhi Wayanad Campaign - IUML Flags<br />Source: <a href="https://www.organiser.org/Encyc/2019/4/3/Dont-use-Muslim-League-flags-in-Rahuls-rallies-in-Wayanad.html">https://www.organiser.org/Encyc/2019/4/3/Dont-use-Muslim-League-flags-in-Rahuls-rallies-in-Wayanad.html</a></td></tr>
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However, the safe seat of Wayanad doesn't come without compromises for Indian National Congress. Scenes of IUML flags being flourished during Rahul Gandhi's election rally in Wayanad would haunt the Congress Party, which tries desperately to project what Shashi Tharoor would call "soft Hinduism" as against hardline Hindutva, up north.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Redefining Hindutva</h3>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1133222049109856256" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="563" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9IEd-bba3g/XOz_f8daQgI/AAAAAAAAAfY/NIdA5Kiu_cIfak57DK1-9KBbEShxT7rgACLcBGAs/s400/Shashi%2BTharoor%2BTweet.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Clearly, INC is rattled and wants to go down the same path of confusing Hindus through fake posturing, and propagating the media-peddled distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. If it calls Rahul Gandhi's temple hopping as Hinduism, what would it call the fledgling dynast's embracing Wayanad in a desperate, last-ditch measure to survive in the harsh terrains of Indian politics?<br />
<br />
You are either a Hindu, Mr Gandhi, or you aren't. If skullcaps were what you were after, how did you hope to find them through temple hopping and posturing to mislead Hindus? You should have headed straight to Wayanad and wagged the green flags instead.<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/rhkrish/status/1133227618809962496" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="593" height="293" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GMachFtsPl8/XO0COrk_EtI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Tv-k2lc1_x8KmFjiEEEyCa-pD4dQs7B7wCLcBGAs/s400/Rahul%2BGandhi%2BSkullcap%2BTweet.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This infirmity on the part of INC, fundamentally, is what has gifted the BJP a landslide victory that could well mark a historic turn in Indian politics. While the Indian National Congress has been playing between its minority appeasement politics and half-baked Hinduism, when Rahul Gandhi has been searching for his identity between temples and mosques, and as the Tharoors of Congress have been trying hard to draw a non-existing distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, Modi's reelection campaign has featured a clear message of unifying Hindus - elections 2019 are as much about Rahul Gandhi's green flags as they are about Narendra Modi's saffron robes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jt3T1VvGOK8/XO0EJ_8oiiI/AAAAAAAAAf8/rX9VcQ4rqi8f6Pxq1MxqRJKVXlxgJexQACLcBGAs/s1600/Modi%2Bmeditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jt3T1VvGOK8/XO0EJ_8oiiI/AAAAAAAAAf8/rX9VcQ4rqi8f6Pxq1MxqRJKVXlxgJexQACLcBGAs/s400/Modi%2Bmeditation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/after-2km-long-trek-pm-modi-reaches-kedarnath-cave-to-meditate20190518173233/">https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/after-2km-long-trek-pm-modi-reaches-kedarnath-cave-to-meditate20190518173233/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, were the elections polarised? Yes, they were. But was Modi the divider in chief, as Time would like to declare?<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Modi, the Uniter in Chief!</h3>
<br />
Modi has successfully united India's majority who have been divided for centuries by onslaughts from the Middle East Asia, and from the East India Company in the West, a feat not accomplished by any leader in Indian history over the years of pillage, plunder, and bloodshed. Indian National Congress had taken the wrong lessons from their colonial masters, dividing Hindus again, and appeasing the minorities to such an extent that major demographic changes have occurred in states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, parts of Tamil Nadu, and the North Eastern states. For instance, Hindus are expected to become minorities in Kerala <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/independent-enquiry-must-on-alarming-muslim-birth-rate-in-kerala-nambiar-117090101226_1.html" target="_blank">as early as in 2025</a>!<br />
<br />
The divisive games have been on for centuries in India, so it is surprising that the Time magazine sees divisions in India as news in 2019 - for, it refuses to look beyond Modi for divisive forces.<br />
<br />
The takeaway from elections 2019 is clear - the decisive Hindu has spoken from the land of Dharma! He has realised how he had been treated over the centuries, announced how he has been deprived of his right to self-respect through concocted history and malicious propaganda, resented how he was made to feel inferior for even being a Hindu, and declared how Hinduism deserves its rightful place in the land of Dharma!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1238EbFzQbY/XO0IQ0AWKvI/AAAAAAAAAgM/rg8jzlgug3A7oxqkdn96voZRZNi3XM8yQCEwYBhgL/s1600/765323-amitshah-modi-rajnath-121518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1238EbFzQbY/XO0IQ0AWKvI/AAAAAAAAAgM/rg8jzlgug3A7oxqkdn96voZRZNi3XM8yQCEwYBhgL/s400/765323-amitshah-modi-rajnath-121518.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bjp-starts-regrouping-to-repeat-2014-victory-in-2019-lok-sabha-polls-2696150">https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bjp-starts-regrouping-to-repeat-2014-victory-in-2019-lok-sabha-polls-2696150</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Those who look at Indian elections 2019 in isolation as against a flow in time may deliberately not want to know how history shapes the future. Those with a divisive agenda may want to call Modi the "Divider in Chief". Those who resent the election results 2019 may call him just a marketing machine and not much else.<br />
<br />
Notwithstanding the multiple opinions in a diverse nation grounded in Sanatana Dharma, history is shaping the future of India right now, as <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/bimstec-nations-mauritius-and-kyrgz-republic-invited-to-pm-modis-swearing-in-on-may-30-2161783.html" target="_blank">Modi's swearing in ceremony</a> for a second term is set on the 30th of May 2019.<br />
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Modi's responsibilities as a leader remains just the same as they were after 2014 elections - Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, with an emphasis on winning the confidence of the Indian population through <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/after-sabka-saath-sabka-vikas-win-sabka-vishwas-modi-s-message-of-inclusion/story-6i8Lo7ve0ibklPOR7E4jqI.html" target="_blank">Sabka Vishwas</a>. He would be accountable to the people of this great nation, and <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/pm-narendra-modis-minority-outreach/cid/1691265" target="_blank">committed to the interests</a> of all sections of the society.<br />
<br />
But the decisive Hindu has spoken of his right to reclaim his place in time. 2019 elections are as much about the future as they are about the past!<br />
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</div>
Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-13208309484891210362018-10-27T16:56:00.001+05:302018-10-27T17:37:08.243+05:30Save Sabarimala - Sacrificing Hindu Traditions on the Political Altar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
With over 2000 Hindu protesters arrested by the Kerala Government and a controversy refusing to die down anytime soon, the real Sabarimala issue is not about equality or justice.</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nbObY5eGEz0/W9RCPeDqmCI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/dHth3mPqFdkKZkynsFFjgACFnJrjRwv5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Ayyappan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nbObY5eGEz0/W9RCPeDqmCI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/dHth3mPqFdkKZkynsFFjgACFnJrjRwv5wCLcBGAs/s200/Ayyappan.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy: <a href="https://twitter.com/karanacharya7" target="_blank">Karan Acharya</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Sabarimala issue over the past few weeks and the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/supreme-court-allows-women-to-enter-sabarimala-temple/articleshow/65989807.cms" target="_blank">Supreme Court judgement</a> allowing women of all ages to enter into Sabarimala temple
is an example of how the judiciary could stray into the religious beliefs of the
majority community of India, Hindus. While the <a href="http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_And_You/religion.aspx" target="_blank">majority status of Hindus</a> in the state of Kerala has been dwindling with thriving religious
conversions over the years, Hindus still form the majority in India (though the
quantum of such majority is questionable due to statistical reliability errors and possible misrepresentations).</div>
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It is no secret that India has been one of the prime targets
for religious conversions. Christianity has been at the forefront of religious conversions <a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/anti-conversion-laws/india.php#_ftn19" target="_blank">since the 1990s</a>, from the initial focus on Islamic conversions in the 1980s. The
nationalist BJP government in power for the past 4 years, and the impending Indian
general elections in 2019 featured by <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/heres-a-look-at-oppositions-possible-pm-candidates-for-lok-sabha-2019-2760821.html" target="_blank">lack of consensus on a serious opposition contender</a> yet to match the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have apparently rattled the opposition, who may want to maximise
havoc to reap political dividends.</div>
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South India in particular, has been a hotbed of caste-based
politics, ironically, all in the name of eliminating caste. In Tamil Nadu for instance, Dravidian
forces have <a href="https://twitter.com/lalitha_jr/status/1055771346712416258" target="_blank">started creating petty differences</a> to reinforce distinctions based on caste. Caste
divisions are typically made to look deeper and graver around elections to draw
mileage against an otherwise united Hindu majority, and this election would be
even murkier, in an effort to dislodge the ruling BJP.</div>
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Coming back to the Sabarimala issue, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarimala-protests-arrests-up-to-2061-kerala-hc-warns-police-5420756/" target="_blank">over 2000 Hindu devotees</a> who protested against the Supreme Court judgement last
week have been arrested, with over 500 remanded to judicial custody. The same
Kerala Government that refused to honour the Supreme Court verdict and <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/jSnNCacD3GfsJiluocOKzI/Mullaperiyar-dam-Kerala-govt-files-review-petition-in-Supre.html" target="_blank">filed a review petition on the Mullaperiyar dam case</a> is now intent on upholding
the SC verdict on the Sabarimala issue. The Communist government’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism_and_religion" target="_blank">hardline stance against religion</a> seems to be at play in acting against the core belief
structure of <a href="http://www.sabarimalaayyappan.com/" target="_blank">Sabarimala Ayyappan temple</a>. It is yet another issue as to how the <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/sabarimala-temple-case-wisdom-and-brilliance-combined-legislature-is-bramha-executive-is-vishnu-and-shiva-is-judiciary-says-k-parasaran/1258356/" target="_blank">powerful arguments made</a> against the litigation in the Supreme
Court were discarded and age-old traditions were done away with in one fell
swoop by a landmark verdict.</div>
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Now, it is up to the Ayyappa devotees of Sabarimala to fend
for themselves in what could be described as an <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarimala-protests-arrests-up-to-2061-kerala-hc-warns-police-5420756/" target="_blank">emergency-like situation in Kerala</a> – Sabarimala devotees are being hunted
based on videos of protests held over the past few days. There have been
hundreds of peaceful marches organised in Kerela against the Supreme Court
verdict on Sabarimala. The irony is that there are videos that clearly show
devotees protesting peacefully being <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ReclaimTemples/posts/874452056094384?__xts__%5b0%5d=68.ARCXl7xF5HQc9au1qRik9JWIjDbIIq7dn8BCONbYMwWIddOwZtgmyKwA0nriFgDfnvG3CywClnHQgpyKhK9NhajH_2jCiau7hwntSesGVpgXAqBltbuCklBoj289_62rrsrvh9GK0GH33ZVUBMK_jktAoYgsiAQUz3Z2Gqr54v50ouIEu_hz" target="_blank">targeted by the Kerala police</a> in a heavy-handed manner.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6c564yGPEFozfjAmV2M6cEOuBK_GVAtAd69rF64xOmaCiFJSi3vngO-MUCNAmBALW149rys7REGA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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In a nut shell, an age-old tradition is broken and Hindu
religious sentiments are hurt. The judiciary tampers with religion when some of the original
petitioners themselves have <a href="http://www.organiser.org/Encyc/2018/8/1/Sabarimala-Case-Petitioner-Says-She-Stands-with-Women-Devotees.html" target="_blank">expressed solidarity</a> with the protesting Hindu devotees, non-Hindu women are facilitated into
the temple who <a href="https://rightlog.in/2018/10/rehana-fatima-expelled-sabarimala-01/" target="_blank">allegedly indulged in sacrilege</a>, protesting devotees are targeted by the state
machinery with police indulging in violence, and now, over 2000 protesters have
been taken into custody.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1T0WTcR0--o/W9RHTO2_UgI/AAAAAAAAAaA/BoMxRk_xsvA3ICMw0dFnYNevz0pXFQGAgCLcBGAs/s1600/Rehana%2BFathima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="640" height="208" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1T0WTcR0--o/W9RHTO2_UgI/AAAAAAAAAaA/BoMxRk_xsvA3ICMw0dFnYNevz0pXFQGAgCLcBGAs/s320/Rehana%2BFathima.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spurious "Devotee" Rehana Fathima; Image: <a href="http://twentyfournews.com/e/2018/10/21/rehana-fathima-shabarimala/" target="_blank">24News</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The timing of the controversy that has been deliberately
raked up, smacks heavily of political overtones. And as the countdown to 2019
general elections in India gets underway, the political game in India would
increasingly resort to fanning religious hatred, hurting religious sentiments,
creating and widening existing caste-based fault lines, pandering to minorities, and dividing the people,
particularly the majority community, in an unscrupulous quest for power.</div>
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The British laid down the rules of the divide-and-rule game,
and the Indian politicians have perfected it to a fine art. It is now up to the
Hindus to stand by Dharma and refuse to be taken for a free ride in the great Indian political
circus.</div>
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Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-66962952057895640282015-02-07T07:57:00.001+05:302015-02-07T08:05:49.836+05:30Delhi Polls: Fool me once, shame on Kejriwal . . . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZ_nbH1p2BU/VNV2tjnmYpI/AAAAAAAAARU/NAtrc6CUtW0/s1600/Arvind%2BKejriwal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZ_nbH1p2BU/VNV2tjnmYpI/AAAAAAAAARU/NAtrc6CUtW0/s1600/Arvind%2BKejriwal.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
It's time for Delhi to mean business, again. It was last year that Arvind Kejriwal, the famous revolutionary who came riding on the shoulders of Anna Hazare, took the Delhi electorate by storm and took to the reigns with much fanfare. There were new ministers, new MLAs, a new Chief Minister, and Delhi elections gave a new formula for politics that the world was fascinated with.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to the 50th day after the swearing in, and Kejriwal was gone - but not for good. After the cameo came another shot at governance - and this time, at the national level. And it was not too difficult to see the designs of "Aam Aadmi Party", the new kid on the political block that was powered by the disillusionment of the common man but was controlled and directed by hidden agenda and vested interests. Kejriwal took the gamble, and had not much to lose anyway - it was only a matter of time then before Congress found a reason to trip AAP down, and if he clicks, it could be a shot at the Prime Minister's Office.<br />
<br />
It is history that AAP could not ride the Modi Wave, and was virtually left with just a hollow structure, with many prominent faces revolting, some jumping ships, and many questioning Kejriwal's leadership style and capability.<br />
<br />
Back to the present, Delhi votes today. Many would have written the Aam Aadmi off, for the blunders that Arvid Kejriwal and his ad hoc team have done for self-serving purposes and to suit, obviously, personal ambitions and, not-so-obviously, vested interests. Could a political party and movement form, survive and sustain spontaneously unless it was deliberately and persistently directed? But then, here is AAP, apparently giving BJP a run for its money. The Aam Aadmi Party, after all, is the common man only in name - it is nether common nor honest when it comes to the sources of its power and the purpose of its promoters.<br />
<br />
And if AAP does snatch Delhi again from the reaches of BJP and returns the national capital to chaotic status quo, there is no point blaming Kejriwal now. Delhi, you have had one full year to judge this guy and know what he is. And if you still vote for AAP merely because Arvind Kejriwal has the gift of the gab to twist facts around and give them political shades, could turn the questions back and deflect them on to the questioner, justify every atrocious stance and all the turns that he takes with unscrupulous sleight, stick to the same rhetoric without offering solutions, resort to blame game and tap into popular dissent with reality, stay in the media limelight and subtly play the communal card, please do not blame him.<br />
<br />
There is one mistake that Kejriwal would not repeat this time if he does win the Delhi elections: you wouldn't see his back in 49 days, but you would have to live with his dramatics for five full years - and the cost that it would entail is anybody's guess! If that is what you want, that is what you would deserve. Fool me twice, shame on Delhi! </div>
Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-89777074505233606142014-12-30T20:14:00.000+05:302014-12-30T20:16:16.579+05:30Pick of the Month: Conversions and Re-conversions! #Gharwapsi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Of all the tweets, this guy has created a gem! And given the spectacular nature of the tweet, and going by the age-old wisdom that a picture is worth a thousand words, let me keep this post to the minimum, and leave the rest to the reader's good judgement.<br />
<br />
When the Indian parliament has been <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Conversion-issue-rocks-Parliament-once-again/articleshow/45600170.cms" target="_blank">stalled</a> by <strike>hopeless</strike> hapless <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nitish-kumar-narendra-modi-ghar-wapsi-nathuram-godse-bjp/1/407893.html" target="_blank">opposition</a>, raking up the spectre of "Ghar Wapsi", little did they know that Twitter is faster than mainstream media, or that social media, unlike its traditional counterpart, could not be bought.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRmbYkfyDoo/VKK45OJSXaI/AAAAAAAAARA/G48-MKnCpWA/s1600/PastorKeiths%2BConversion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRmbYkfyDoo/VKK45OJSXaI/AAAAAAAAARA/G48-MKnCpWA/s1600/PastorKeiths%2BConversion.png" height="328" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For a country that has been a fertile hunting ground and an evergreen pasture for religious zealots from the world over, there is at least one honest "soul" that has announced to the world, what has been happening for well over a few centuries.<br />
<br />
Keith Stevens, Pray for our Pastures, indeed!</div>
Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-23765061107882274602014-12-29T17:35:00.000+05:302014-12-29T18:40:20.627+05:30The PK Controversy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My posts have been dwindling in number these days, and I hardly have time to blog about movies. But this movie did it - PK!<br />
<br />
To begin with, let me make it clear - this is not a PK movie review. That the movie has had rave reviews is no news any more; nor is it anything strange that Aamir Khan's movie has been raking in the money for its producers. And it would be utterly unremarkable to state that Rajkumar Hirani has again succeeding in tickling the funny bone in an absolutely subtle way.<br />
<br />
But is that the only feat that he has achieved subtly? Here are a few questions to ponder when you have come out happily after watching the latest Aamir Khan starrer.<br />
<br />
<br />
The movie is named PK. Can you think of any country that is associated with the letters PK?<br />
<br />
There are many instances featured in the movie ridiculing Hindu religious practices. The movie is supposed to be driving sense into people, against superstition and the negative tenets of religion. If this is a secular movie as it is projected to be, why have all religions not been equally depicted? Why is Hinduism being meted out special treatment in a movie that parodies religion per se?<br />
<br />
We all know how neutral, genuine, secular and impeccable NDTV's reporting is. So, why would NDTV rate PK 5 stars?<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeevxqwGdr8/VKE8f_IjD_I/AAAAAAAAAQk/KNnUzciS3tA/s1600/PK%2BNDTV.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeevxqwGdr8/VKE8f_IjD_I/AAAAAAAAAQk/KNnUzciS3tA/s1600/PK%2BNDTV.png" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Is every situation in the movie justified? One of the scenes that has stirred up controversies, for instance, features an artiste posing as Lord Shiva, getting caught up with the alien Aamir Khan in the loo, and trying to escape the menacing alien by running away from him, desperately seeking help. Would Rajkumar Hirani have had the guts to depict the divine messengers from other religions in this fashion?<br />
<br />
The movie plot exposes a Hindu religious leader's chicanery. The movie also proclaims that not every Pakistani is a defaulter. So, why does it not take the pain to clarify that not every Hindu preacher is a conman? And how about preachers of other religions?<br />
<br />
PK asks for answers from every Hindu idol and finds no response. Could he have also prayed to every other religious place and displayed his despair? Could he have also posted pictures of missing Gods other religions? Was that so difficult to depict in a self-professed secular, rational movie?<br />
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Yes, there are mentions of "building the temple", there are references to terrorism, conversion, etc. But they are fleeting, superficial, and lacking in depth. Of course, the entire story-line of PK lacks depth, with a simple agenda of maligning and ridiculing one cultural group, while seemingly embracing the message of love against separatism. But why has the message not been equitably distributed across all cultural / religious groups?<br />
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Is it because the reactions to such misadventures would be so enormous that the very release of the movie could be jeapordised if other religious practices were ridiculed to the extent that Hinduism has been taken on in this movie? Is it because Hinduism has become a soft target that could take any amount of beating and thrashing, or is it because of some ulterior motive?<br />
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There are many better ways of spreading the message of religious harmony than this increasing trend of Hindu-bashing. And it may not just end there. There is a depiction of an elderly Sikh man who lies for the sake of his wife's luxury, a scene that is complete out of context and unwarranted.<br />
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PK, when he discovers that not every Mahatma Gandhi's picture would get him the barter, throws Gandhi's pictures on the ground, littering it around one by one. Could there have been a better way of doing that than in a way that could be seen as desecrating the Mahatma?<br />
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While everyone in India has been portrayed in a bad light (apart from Anushka Sharma, who happens to be the only person to give money to PK the alien than take money), the embassy officials in Pakistan have been shown to be one lovely lot, peaceful and harmonious, sweet and jubilant.<br />
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So, that brings us back to the first question: The movie is named PK. Can you think of any country that is associated with the letters PK?<br />
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That makes us think further - who is funding Bollywood? After all, a director would want to thank his producer. Subramanian Swamy's <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/549500620118319104" target="_blank">tweet</a> aptly questions the funding part of this controversial PK.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ9ooldZmIM/VKE-kJmfbWI/AAAAAAAAAQw/phLjJQJcisA/s1600/PK%2BSwamy%2BTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ9ooldZmIM/VKE-kJmfbWI/AAAAAAAAAQw/phLjJQJcisA/s1600/PK%2BSwamy%2BTweet.png" height="215" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
PK, the movie, is not just satire. It is not just cheeky in its stated message. It is not just subtle in spreading the message of peace and harmony. To the contrary, it has only stirred up religious sentiments, particularly among the Hindu and Sikh communities. PK is one more of those cunning narratives that camouflages as harmless expression of art, delivering a vicious stab at a culture and belief system, with a knife coated in humour and innocence.<br />
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So, Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, and the crew involved in producing PK, here is the bottom line: Spread the love, be equitable and stay positive. The world deserves better.</div>
Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-13630707390870043582014-05-21T16:57:00.003+05:302014-05-26T15:24:40.173+05:30Prime Minister Narendra Modi - The Moment of Truth!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnj-HFCEJTY/U3yDQ7KUPQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1EXrH6ZmF2w/s1600/Modi+Parliament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnj-HFCEJTY/U3yDQ7KUPQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1EXrH6ZmF2w/s1600/Modi+Parliament.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: http://loksabha-2014.com/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">After ages of stagnation</span> that was creating an atmosphere of suffocating toxicity, there is one ground breaking phenomenon that has taken the Indian political, and quite possibly its socio-economic, landscape by storm. Narendra Modi has been invited to be <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/election-2014/narendra-modi-to-be-sworn-in-as-india-s-14th-prime-minister-on-may-26-527449?pfrom=home-lateststories" target="_blank">sworn in the 15th Prime Minister of this ancient nation</a>. And the results of the Indian elections could not have been better for a country that has been entangled in the web of a seemingly irreversible route to coalition politics.<br />
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Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, holds much more importance in the larger scheme of things, to the way India has taken shape over its recent history. While a vast section of vested interests may want to hijack the turn of events by painting a picture of uncertainty, and possible gloom and even devastation, for the minority, it is questionable if squinted views and deliberate vilification could be justified by having such a narrow perspective of what the event signifies.<br />
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Well, let the world have its own view - here is what the turn of events mean for India, from the rather superficial vision of <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Clearway</a>!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp3QWvK-L2M/U3yEjauldhI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Q1mO35o99n8/s1600/the-gandhi_family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp3QWvK-L2M/U3yEjauldhI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Q1mO35o99n8/s1600/the-gandhi_family.jpg" height="132" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: http://ridingtheelephant.wordpress.com/</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
1. It is the beginning of the end of <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/president-pranab-2g-spectrum-scam.html" target="_blank">Dynasty Politics</a> in India.</h4>
Would someone remind our lawmakers that India is not a monarchy and that it is supposed to be a democracy? If Narendra Modi can deliver on the promised and beyond, this could well be the beginning of end of one of the most nauseating features that could haunt a democracy - the dynasty. Nothing could be more unfortunate than a country of over a billion not being able to find its leader beyond one family.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
2. India would now have a Prime Minister!</h4>
For the uninitiated, we have had a care-taker Prime Minister for an extended period of 10 years before Mr Narendra Modi fills the gap. Dr Manmohan Singh is an economist; what on earth did he have to do with leading a nation? Having said that, it is fortunate that India remained safe from external aggression for the two terms that India remained without a full-time Prime Minister at its helm!<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
3. India would now have a leader who could decide - and talk!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzQgfI3u62U/U3yIQ5tFdEI/AAAAAAAAAPc/_J-vjelSA0I/s1600/Modi+Manmohan+Singh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzQgfI3u62U/U3yIQ5tFdEI/AAAAAAAAAPc/_J-vjelSA0I/s1600/Modi+Manmohan+Singh.jpg" height="242" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/</td></tr>
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</h4>
Since we did not have a Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh did not have permissions from the High Command to give detailed press conferences or statements. He occasionally broke his silence using terse comments such as "<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/mind-your-negativity-from-bofors-to.html" target="_blank">Mind your Negativity</a>" when he sensed adversity in public mood. Modi, on the other hand, has been willing to take the bull by its horns. It is his humble beginnings, the hardships that made him rise to prominence, and the way he has had to counter criticism and bullying by vested interests, that perhaps give him the edge - he does not have to learn to be tough.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
4. Vilification has its limits.</h4>
After all, since Ram Mandir is no longer the core agenda for BJP, everyone else had to group around, and latch on to, the massacre in Gujarat. It did not matter that the courts found Modi not culpable; the negative campaign in the country coupled with the United States of America, along with other nations, <a href="http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/05/u-s-evangelicals-indian-expats-teamed-up-to-push-through-modi-visa-ban/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0" target="_blank">virtually boycotting</a> him. It is a different issue now as to how the US could <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=RSS&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=1oZ8U6fOD4bskAWf_4CICA&ved=0CAUQ_AUoAA&biw=1366&bih=600&dpr=1#q=modi+visa+ban&tbm=nws" target="_blank">extend its invitation</a> to a person who was banned from its territories, while nothing else has changed apart from the fact that Narendra Modi is no longer the Chief Minister of a State but would shortly be declared the Prime Minister of a powerful nation. But then, when did the United States hold principles above political, economic and strategic benefits?<br />
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But the case in point is, vilification is not without limits. And there is only so far that propaganda could go.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvdDup_CBlc/U3yIdK9uDnI/AAAAAAAAAPg/RgItWFO8JJ8/s1600/Narendra+Modi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvdDup_CBlc/U3yIdK9uDnI/AAAAAAAAAPg/RgItWFO8JJ8/s1600/Narendra+Modi.jpg" height="320" width="263" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
So, is it all pleasure and no pain? Is there a flip side to the golden coin?</h3>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
1. For the BJP, the enemy lies within:</h4>
It is now that Modi's real test begins. For a party that has been deprived of power at the centre for so long, and for an ideology that is made to look criminal by vested interests, it is easy to be carried away and be swayed by the force of the tide in its favour. The first job for Modi as Prime Minister would be to rein in his own cadre and restrain the over-zealous from needless adventurism. It is good to be vociferous while in the opposition, but governance is responsibility.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
2. The country is different from a state:</h4>
What worked in Gujarat, or the way it has been featured and projected, would invariably be difficult to replicate in a large, diverse, and difficult country like India. If Modi has stood for development in his state, he would have to prove that it was not by chance, but by good intent and design. He has been blessed with an unparalleled advantage this time - not many leaders would have the freedom of absolute majority, without having to play to the coalition gallery. But then, the very nature of expectation is that it comes with massive scope for disappointments - and portraying larger-than-life images is much easier than living up to it.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
3. A leader has to be inclusive:</h4>
And Modi can be no different, especially in an era of information technology and communication, where a new generation of voters is claimed to have powered the <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/content/407389/modi-storms-power-gets-absolute.html" target="_blank">BJP to an absolute majority</a> in the parliament. From the looks of it, the electorate has changed - and suppression would no longer be tolerated. It is important for a leader to demonstrate that he stands for equality, and any form of discrimination has to be off-limits. Will Modi demonstrate an undeterred willingness to be inclusive?<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
4. Calling the shots:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_7gI74zl2ZI/U3yU7VKFcmI/AAAAAAAAAP8/o7ZCD280jGw/s1600/RSS+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_7gI74zl2ZI/U3yU7VKFcmI/AAAAAAAAAP8/o7ZCD280jGw/s1600/RSS+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, Narendra Modi is able to make decisions, he could be inclusive, he would foster economic development, create jobs, appeal to the youth, rein in the rogue elements within, keep enemies at bay, and develop international relations. All good. But how independent would he be in calling the shots, despite the absolute majority? How <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rss-teaching-is-in-our-blood-and-we-are-rss-uma-bharti-1989854" target="_blank">much influence would the RSS have</a> with time in issues of governance? <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It clearly needs not just decisive action</span> on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but also a fine balancing act to deliver what has been asked of him. Modi has certainly hit the ground running and set off in style by <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/election-2014/for-narendra-modi-s-swearing-in-invites-sent-to-leaders-of-south-asian-neighbours-528002?curl=1400667470" target="_blank">this extra-ordinary gesture</a> of inviting foreign heads of states for his swearing-in on May 26th. If you are to set the ball rolling in the right direction in the external affairs arena, this is the way to go!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/di24VWM0ACI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
And if at all there was something that was evident from Narendra Modi's emotional speech in the BJP's parliamentary party meet, it was his sincerity of intent and earnestness towards his job.<br />
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Is governance much more than emotional speeches? Yes, of course it is. But here we have someone who has a track record to show, one who has had humble beginnings and not from the dynasty, has risen through the ranks, and promises to show earnestness in intent and decisiveness in action.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PD3GlOhcd3k/U3yD3UqY-9I/AAAAAAAAAO8/TGOGPshgzOM/s1600/Modi+Parliament+Steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PD3GlOhcd3k/U3yD3UqY-9I/AAAAAAAAAO8/TGOGPshgzOM/s1600/Modi+Parliament+Steps.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/</td></tr>
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This is not even day one, and he has a full five years to deliver consistently and try to beat the sky-high expectations. Given the controversies that have mired his past with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/06/world/asia/modi-gujarat-riots-timeline.html#/#time287_8514" target="_blank">views</a> and <a href="http://www.gujaratriots.com/" target="_blank">counter views</a>, given the mixed signals that RSS has managed to emanate over the years, considering the sizeable and complex challenges that lie ahead, and given the fact that there are more detractors hoping he would falter than any of the other recent Prime Ministers of India have had, Modi has to walk a long distance, and a tight rope in that!<br />
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But then, if you would not bet on this guy, who else would you bet on?<br />
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Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-61686609894177343452012-10-14T01:56:00.000+05:302012-10-14T01:56:41.279+05:30Mind Your Negativity: From Bofors to Robert Vadra, All is Well!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dbG__XtLElk/UHnBfpb1zXI/AAAAAAAAANI/9fp0c7I1vW8/s1600/Manmohan+Singh+Mindless+Negativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dbG__XtLElk/UHnBfpb1zXI/AAAAAAAAANI/9fp0c7I1vW8/s320/Manmohan+Singh+Mindless+Negativity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Sorry Prime Minister, it's our selfishness to blame, not your incapacity!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The national mood</span></b> has not slumped to such negativity in recent memories. Clouds of gloom have descended on the sensitive citizen who is aware, on the responsible person who cares. When the Prime Minister talks of <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mindless-negativity-over-graft-damages-nations-image-manmohan-singh/299809-37-64.html" target="_blank">mindless negativity</a>, he does have a point. </div>
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<a href="http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/" target="_blank">India against corruption</a> has become larger than life. And the nation is beleaguered, if the Government were deemed to represent the nation. But then, it's been a long while since the government assumed responsibility for the nation. At least, that's the popular belief, and the message that goes out to the common man. Corruption in India has long been an issue, with publications accounting for corruption in British India. But that was perhaps because the state was in a state of flux, with changes rampant and things transient at their best - the British rule was challenged by Indian patriots who were determined at winning freedom at any cost. Friction creates room for negativity. When the rule of autocracy is established, there would be forces that undermine the rule, and there would be insiders who would indulge in profiteering from the resultant friction.</div>
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But it's been 65 years since India got its freedom from colonialism. And democracy is no autocracy. It is supposed to be representative of every citizen, give shape to every dream, and provide a common vision for progress. Did the Indian state achieve such lofty ideals in a period of over six decades? Forget lofty ideals, now it is a question of mere ideas. Does the state have ideas? Does the government have a plan? Is the system functional at all?</div>
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To be able to run a government and manage a country is not a joke. It becomes an even more serious affair, when the country in question is India, with its tremendous population and population density, enormous languages, diverse religions, various philosophies, and intense politics. Any issue that is discussed in the parliament has the potential of turning into a sensitive issue. And any party that dreams of forming power at the centre has to be 'mindful' of this reality. Is the government mindful of it, or is it mindless?</div>
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While it is difficult to manage a coalition of partners who have their own individual agendas, and their own personalities, what could be said of a government that is relegated to a minority and is literally held to ransom by its allies? With the queen from West Bengal, a former ally, having <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/news/west-bengal/mamata-banerjee-asks-upa-partners-to-quit-manmohan-government_803745.html" target="_blank">openly declared war against the ruling coalition</a>, you would expect a skilful politician at the helm to manage the deteriorating state of affairs. Is there any hope left at all?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsgF-GpdYxc/UHnCBGBSZHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/F0B86scapRU/s1600/Underachiever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsgF-GpdYxc/UHnCBGBSZHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/F0B86scapRU/s400/Underachiever.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Updatednews.ca</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Surprise!</span></b> The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was <a href="http://www.time.com/time/covers/asia/0,16641,20120716,00.html" target="_blank">branded an underachiever</a>, well before things turned this bad. "How does it matter?" ask the Congress. "We would brand <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18920112" target="_blank">Obama an underachiever</a>", retaliates the Indian media. The immediate question that arises is, "Does it really matter? Why this mindless negativity?"</div>
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Dr Manmohan Singh is an academician, a bureaucrat, but not a politician by any stretch of imagination; and far less is he a leader by any standards. Are we a leaderless country?</div>
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"That's fine", some may say. "There are advisers to the Prime Minister, who would guide him through". An article refers to the <a href="http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2011/02/3849" target="_blank">"Chanakya"</a>, Ahmed Patel, personal adviser to the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi. When a country is whacked badly from all sides, eaten by the pests within, rotten by the "mindless negativity", and well in the process of going to the dogs, who is on the lookout for a Chanakya who could help the politicians cover their back sides? We need a warrior who could fight for the nation, not for the politicians. It's War!</div>
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And that's what Arvind Kejriwal and Company are up to. When the system is corrupt to the core, when the leadership is drained of its intellect and resolve, when the allies have all but deserted, when the government has been a victim of its own making, all that we could look up to are people like Arvind Kejriwal and his "India against corruption" movement to become the saviour - somehow. This is not the time to measure Mr Kejriwal, to study his personal ambitions, to <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/politics/where-is-kejriwals-party-getting-funds-from-asks-congress-484964.html" target="_blank">reflect on his credentials</a>. Salman Khurshid may be more interested in knowing what <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/salman-khurshid-warns-arvind-kejriwal-read-entire-transcript-278174" target="_blank">Arvind Kejriwal's background is</a>, and how he gets his funding. However, that, in reality, would be "mindless negativity".</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eecMaAZFLkM/UHnEOUQnD8I/AAAAAAAAANY/1V6zuJrXqqk/s1600/Quattrochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eecMaAZFLkM/UHnEOUQnD8I/AAAAAAAAANY/1V6zuJrXqqk/s400/Quattrochi.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Indian-scams.com</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The ruling coalition</span></b> once looked like a pack of buffoons. Now, they look like ominous forces in sheep's garb. The list of corruption cases never seems to end, making even Bofors look dwarfed. (By the way, does anyone know <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottavio_Quattrocchi#Interpol_removes_the_red_corner_notice" target="_blank">Ottavio Quattrochi's whereabouts</a>?) One scam after the other keeps pouring out of the closet. If 2G Scam was huge, the mining scam was monumental, the alleged nexus between Robert Vadra and DLF is phenomenal, the entire "<a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/robert-vadraharyanadlf-nexus-exists-arvind-kejriwal/1014250/" target="_blank">politician-bureaucrat-real estate industry" network</a> that seems to be unravelling in Haryana is only picking up steam, and the <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/kejriwal-vs-khurshid-battle-heats-up-government-backs-its-minister-279335?pfrom=home-lateststories" target="_blank">alleged wrongdoings of the law minister</a>, Salman Khurshid, is out of this world! Kejriwal did pull a coup in the Robert Vadra episode, what with "<a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-08/india/34321662_1_robert-vadra-banana-republic-iac" target="_blank">Mango People Banana Republic</a>" having become iconic. Would the Congress use the slogan for its election campaign? But then, hey, are we not verging on mindless negativity again? </div>
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Sorry, Prime Minister, but looks like we have been conditioned into negativity. It's not your fault; it's just that we have not been fortunate enough to have a strong leader who could reign in the negative forces. We have not been savvy enough to elect an honest government. We have not been educated enough to read the differences among the good, the bad and the ugly. We have not been responsible enough to say no to corruption. And we have been too busy with our own lives, being so naive to believe that elected representatives would look to our interests, not theirs! It's our selfishness to blame, not your incapacity.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Amarjit.info</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, the Robert</span></b> Vadra saga seems to have taken a back seat for now, with Salman Khurshid's scandal coming into the limelight. But hey, wait! Is it indeed a scandal, or it is a spectacular display of Salman Khurshid's loyalty to Congress and its President? The law minister has said he was <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/topic/place/bangalore-we-are-ready-to-die-for-sonia-gandhi-says-salman-khurshid-video-YBToZSrjGeI-3826-6.html" target="_blank">ready to die for the Congress President</a>. So, perhaps, Salman Khurshid and his wife decided to distract attention from the on-going all-out attack on the Sonia family by manufacturing irregularities in their NGO accounts so that the media could take its eyes off Robert Vadra! Should the CAG focus his investigation from such an angle and probe if the irregularities were intentional? Bravo, Salman Khurshid, you have passed the test of loyalty, and your services to Congress would stand the test of time. </div>
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For once, Mr Prime Minister, we have been able to see the positive side of a scandal, and get done with our mindless negativity!</div>
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Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-31232655032995260272012-09-04T01:50:00.002+05:302012-09-04T02:03:21.277+05:30Molestation of a Woman - You are your Weapon!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Genderacrossborders.com</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Have you ever thought of pepper spray? Has it ever occurred to you that your kitchen knife may prove another useful purpose away from home? Have you given a simple piece of blade, a good, hard look?</span></b></div>
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What would you do when you <a href="http://urbangypsy1.blogspot.in/2012/09/i-was-molested.html" target="_blank">decide to walk through a jungle</a>, leaving the safety of a Safari ride, out in the open? Well, that is a question that should follow a decision to walk through the jungle in the first place. After all, when you are on a Safari to watch the wild in its home turf, why would you leave the comfort and the protection behind and put yourself in harm's way?</div>
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Reality, however, was never designed to be safe. The society that we live in is a jungle, where the laws of the land are only a farce. The rule of the jungle prevails, and the rulebooks are nothing but an academic pursuit.</div>
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It was hardly a couple of months back that a <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2012/07/young-girl-molested-in-in-guwahati.html" target="_blank">girl was molested in Assam</a>. The incident was caught on camera and it was good fodder for the news bugs for a while - and the culprits were caught. But, how many cameras could present themselves at every such juncture? How many such incidents get reported as and when they happen? What justice do girls like <a href="http://urbangypsy1.blogspot.in/2012/09/i-was-molested.html" target="_blank">Ritika Rupali have when they </a><a href="http://urbangypsy1.blogspot.in/2012/09/i-was-molested.html" target="_blank">decide to walk into the wild</a>, unprotected, ill-equipped, and caught completely off-guard? How many of the girls who get molested in the so-called civilised society would dare to come out in the open like she has? And how would you, your sister, your mother, your wife, your daughter, your girlfriend or your friend react when they find themselves being groped and raped in public by unknown beasts who know they can get away? </div>
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You are part of this society - and you are not insured against risks. You do have a choice to make, however. You can hide away from the dark and pretend to be safe, or you could afford to stray into the wild, armed and protected.</div>
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Being forewarned is being forearmed. If you lived in an illusionary world that made you believe that all was well, do a reality check. The world is bad. Period. It's good to be optimistic, but it is wise to be realistic. And it is even better to have your armoury ready, for you would never know when you may need it badly.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">You do not get into a battlefield without protective gear.</span> </b>Even sportsmen do not enter the arena unless they are covered for their risks. How covered are you when you walk through lecherous arms and lustful eyes?</div>
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Have you ever thought of pepper spray? Has it ever occurred to you that your kitchen knife may prove another useful purpose away from home? Have you given a simple piece of blade a good, hard look?</div>
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What could you do with these when you get caught in a crowded train as the girl was caught in? Well, pierce the skin of the hand that touches you. Wield your knife to cause a little friction when dirty arms look for a smooth pass. Spray some pepper in the air to show them there are bad things in life even for bad souls. Let there be some blood!</div>
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Yes, you would hurt the wrong guy too when you use your weapons indiscriminately in a crowded place. But that's the cost the society has to bear. That's the lesson that the society has to learn. Why should the victim bear all the cost? Why should the loopholes loom larger than the laws themselves? </div>
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Girls, be gentle and kind to those who understand your language. For those who would listen only to action, do not waste your words. You do not have to scream your lungs off or beg for mercy. Swear words have no meaning for those who know they deserve them. Go on the offensive, and you would have space around you. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And walk away.</b></span> Do not stay on to confront those whom you have just fought. This is a jungle - and your safety is never secured unless you are out of it. If it were you on the train, you ought to have wielded your weapon, demanded your space, and walked away at the next opportunity when the doors opened, through the space that your armoury created. Let the beasts fend for themselves after they realise what hit them.</div>
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But then, you cannot fight to perfection unless you have thought over it. You cannot win unless your mind has prepared for the battle. When you step out of your comfort, realise that you are never too far from danger. You cannot have the system protect you wherever you go. There is no Super Hero out there waiting to launch himself into action, take on the villain and protect the vulnerable. </div>
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<b>You are your Weapon!</b></div>
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Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-22253347567238358312012-07-29T00:38:00.000+05:302012-07-29T00:55:27.582+05:30President Pranab, 2G Spectrum Scam, Dynasty Politics and Democracy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">It is not about scams, it is not about corruption, it is not about Dynasty Politics - it is about the system - a system where the few privileged can have their way and rise above the majority. </span></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">And in a country with more than a billion people, you could easily wade through the few brains that raise uneasy questions. The rest are mere heads that have been conditioned to nod.</span> </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> </span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Pranab Sworn In. Image: Economic Times</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">President Pranab Mukherjee</span> has taken office. As an Indian citizen, I am expected to respect the post of the President of India, the first citizen of the Republic. And why wouldn't I? The Commender in Chief of the Armed Forces of the mighty institution that a country is, naturally deserves respect. President Pranab has been chosen by the legislators who have, in turn, been chosen by the people of India. When I, as a citizen, have chosen my legislators, who have chosen the President, it turns out to be my own choice. Shouldn't the respect and regard be spontaneous?</div>
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Despite all the effort to be convinced of the grounds to respect the President, despite the expectations surrounding an average citizen to hold the post in high esteem, something seems skewed. I wonder why there is no spontaneity in the way I look upon the <a href="https://www.google.co.in/#q=13th+president+of+india&hl=en&prmd=imvnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&psj=1&ei=iyMUUIzGL8KJrAftxYDoCg&ved=0CBcQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=996cf7f5e6ff7f57&biw=1366&bih=667" target="_blank">13th President of India</a> for inspiration. And I find that there could be many reasons why something seems to be out of place.</div>
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Mr Pranab Mukherjee's experience as a politician cannot be taken lightly, by any stretch of imagination. As a seasoned politician, Pranab has been a key player in the political landscape <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/who-is-pranab-mukherjee-246310" target="_blank">for decades</a>, having served in ministerial capacity under different leaders over the years. But, when the question is that of the highest office - though the role is <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2012/06/president-common-man-and-perspective.html" target="_blank">more of a figurehead</a> than that involving actual leadership of the nation - the need is not for a politician but for a statesman.</div>
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So, the question is if President Pranab is a statesman of stature worthy of the post of the President of India. And, if the President is someone who can inspire young minds to unite under the institution of a Nation by his sheer presence and personal charisma.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pranab Chidambaran 2G Note Joint Statement. Image: The Hindu</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 2G spectrum scam</span>, one of </span>gigantic proportions, rocked the country last year. In what was known as the 2G note controversy, the note from the Prime Minister's Office was more of a document implicating the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, of his tacit approval of the way the 2G spectrum was auctioned off ,than anything else. And it is this 2G scam that led to the scapegoat called A Raja, the Telecom Minister, being arrested and jailed for months together, among others, before being released on bail.</div>
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The 2G note controversy was '<a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/2g-note-controversy-pm-meets-chidambaram-pranab-137270" target="_blank">resolved</a>', if the verb actually translates into how the ugly situation was handled, after a string of emergency meetings and clandestine discussions led to the trouble-shooting exercise of a <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sonia-gandhi-helps-pranab-chidambaram-patch-up/1/153131.html" target="_blank">joint statement</a> by Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram, stating all was well in the Government. Following the statement, Mr Chidambaram seemed to have patched up with Mr Pranab Mukherjee, with a <a href="http://www.domain-b.com/industry/telecom/20110929_pranab_mukherjee.html" target="_blank">terse response</a> saying "I am happy with the statement made by my senior and distinguished colleague" </div>
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It is tough to believe, from the perspective of an average citizen that I am, that a scam that rocked the nation, which saw heads rolling, which threatened the very sustenance and survival of the Government, and which led to the uproar that translated into the movement led by <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2011/12/anna-hazare-indians-and-political-class.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare</a> and his team, has fizzled out into nothingness in a year's span. Some of the influential names who were seen behind bars are now out in the society, on bail. Mr Chidambaram, who was literally living on the edge, with activists like Subramanian Swamy <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/justice-saini-may-be-wrong-swamy-on-2g-order/227200-37-64.html" target="_blank">falling just short</a> of going for the jugular, is back to work as usual. And Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who was at the centre of the 2G note issue, has been sworn in as the President of India. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Political Families - Nehru Family. Image: Listverse.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Questions remain.</span> </span><span style="background-color: white;">The 2G scam is the mere functional part of the equation. </span>The questions lie deeper, at the systemic level. </span><span style="background-color: white;">There is ample proof, over the years, that the system called democracy can be held to ransom if you are powerful enough to reach the top echelons of the political and social circles. Fortunately, the positive aspect about democracy is that you wouldn't be held to account and penalised for criticising the system - if democracy is a farce, I could call it so. </span></div>
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But that doesn't make it fun to be part of a joke. It was never mentioned, in any of the books that taught me as I grew up, that Dynasty Politics was part of the democratic system of running a nation. Rabri Devi, wife of Lalu Prasad Yadav, would rank high in Dynasty Politics, when she had to morph from being a petite home maker into being the Chief Minister of a State, overnight - and she is all set to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2140012/Rabri-Devi-sees-wrong-dynasty-politics.html" target="_blank">introduce her children</a> into politics. But then, Rabri Devi is by no means the exception. Every corner of the society smacks of politics having turned into family business. </div>
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So, it's no wonder that Sonia Gandhi wields all the influence that she can in the Indian political arena. What would Sonia have been, had she not been wedded to Rajiv Gandhi - Son of Indira Gandhi - Daughter of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India? </div>
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Well, there is no point asking hypothetical questions, when the reality is that she can <a href="http://m.ibnlive.com/news/pranab-nominated-after-mulayamsonia-secret-meet/266362-37.html" target="_blank">manufacture Presidents</a> and Prime Ministers. And Pranab Mukherjee is yet another manifestation of her absolute powers. </div>
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That brings me back to the original aspect of Pranab Mukherjee, the politician turned President, who was the insider to the 2G scam, who was party to some of the crucial details about the scam being pushed under the carpet, and who has been hand-picked by Sonia Gandhi, the King-maker of India, the largest democracy in the world. Dynasty politics has implications that go deeper than just the dynasties in question.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fWlwERrIVMA/UBQuUgB2UWI/AAAAAAAAAMY/H_OWMEwHCWU/s1600/Sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fWlwERrIVMA/UBQuUgB2UWI/AAAAAAAAAMY/H_OWMEwHCWU/s400/Sheep.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We the People - Sheep. Image: Theprevailingethos.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I look back</span>, I realise that there is much more to it than just a lack of spontaneous regard for the highest office in the Republic of India. There is much more to it than what <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2011/12/anna-hazare-indians-and-political-class.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare</a> sees as things that ail the nation. It is not about scams, it is not about corruption, it is not about Dynasty Politics - it is about the system - a system where the few privileged can have their way and rise above the majority. </div>
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The kind of games people play depends on who the people are. When you have risen above the threshold, beyond the political atmosphere, you would no longer be under the cloud. You could manipulate what the satellites pick up and reflect the distorted image that you would want the people down below to see. And in a country with more than a billion people, you could easily wade through the few brains that raise uneasy questions. The rest are mere heads that have been conditioned to nod. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Olympics 2012. Image: 1080hdwallpaper.com</td></tr>
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And yes, in other news, the London Olympics 2012 have kicked off in style. </div>
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</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-79786151098538237692012-07-13T09:57:00.000+05:302012-07-13T10:02:10.010+05:30Young Girl Molested in Guwahati, Assam: No Country for Young Women<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Welcome to India, the land of Goons and Thugs, where young girls are molested in highways and city centres!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uH1N_YeD6Dw/T_-eOOTe1yI/AAAAAAAAALU/hX14CCbliyM/s1600/Girl+Molested+India+TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uH1N_YeD6Dw/T_-eOOTe1yI/AAAAAAAAALU/hX14CCbliyM/s320/Girl+Molested+India+TV.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: India TV</td></tr>
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You would be considered our special guest if you came with your young wife, sister or girl friend, because we like you that way. And you would be treated even better if you chose a night out along some of the busiest areas of the city, say, along a pub.</div>
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And if you are a woman who has dared to come to the country without any male escort around, we would be delighted. You could feel the elation that we feel for you, if you chose to go for a walk alone at night. No, you would not have to walk through some of the shady areas of some remote corners of the city - we would just be fine as long as you strode along some of the busiest areas of the city, and particularly so, if we guys are present in a gang then.</div>
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We tease, we ogle, we glare and try to make you feel at home in the first place. Once you are comfortable with us around, we try to grab you as gently as a bunch of hungry dogs would get to a helpless chicken caught alone in their midst. Yes, we would try not to hurt you as much as we could as we first grope you by your shoulders, but then, when it's at night, when we are high, and when you are alone, you see, things may just be off the mark. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-IiboVS3Cc/T_-dZ_RQd5I/AAAAAAAAAK8/wUxCgiQJDWE/s1600/Girl+Molested+FirstPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-IiboVS3Cc/T_-dZ_RQd5I/AAAAAAAAAK8/wUxCgiQJDWE/s320/Girl+Molested+FirstPost.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: FirstPost</td></tr>
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If you are minor and are yet to be officially labelled an adult, we would be pleased at it. Yes, we do realise that you may be a bit tensed up seeing all of us, well set to hit the mark. But do not worry, we do not indulge in gang rape - at least, not yet. And we only help to ease you into the process. If we strip you when we touch you all over, it's just to let some fresh breeze in when you may already be stressed up. But at the end of it, we would make sure you have been blessed by all of our filthy hands. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ooS-OuLC4EU/T_-doGUQfeI/AAAAAAAAALE/Mei-21PdejE/s1600/Girl+Molested+India+Today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ooS-OuLC4EU/T_-doGUQfeI/AAAAAAAAALE/Mei-21PdejE/s1600/Girl+Molested+India+Today.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: India Today</td></tr>
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If you thought you would receive this treatment only in Guwahati, rest assured, we are everywhere. Every city is the same for us and every girl that we see is a treat for us. We encourage you to step out alone at nights, but if you would prefer the day instead, we might just consider your request and cooperate.</div>
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Do not worry about the cops. They would have been bribed already and arranged to stay away from the bash till we have all had a taste of you. And they would most definitely arrive late, but you know the kind of cops we have, don't you? If you are still in doubts, you may want to check out an illustration of the way women are handled, safely and securely, by our dutiful policemen in the picture below.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PTFkuWjUUrA/T_-dzcMaP0I/AAAAAAAAALM/n1dYPowKERc/s1600/Pinki+Pramanik+Police.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PTFkuWjUUrA/T_-dzcMaP0I/AAAAAAAAALM/n1dYPowKERc/s640/Pinki+Pramanik+Police.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: The Australian</td></tr>
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That was Pinki Pramanik, one of our athletes, who was being escorted by the policeman with all the responsibility that a father would have towards his daughter. They can't get gentler or more sophisticated than that, could they? </div>
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And to add to the cops' credit, of the 30 plus male predators who descended down heavily on the hapless woman in this news post on Monday night, four days later, just <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/guwahati-s-shame-30-men-seen-molesting-girl-just-four-arrested-242840" target="_blank">four have been arrested</a>. Isn't that encouraging enough? After all, the police have long been our friends, and they let us act the way we wanted. Money speaks, honey!</div>
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The media may call it 'Girl Molested'. Let them be whatever they want. But we are just proud volunteers of this Great Nation that has traditionally worshipped women in the names of Goddesses. We are the representatives of Indian culture, in a nation all geared up to take a shot at the G8 and label itself a Super Power very shortly.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zLJ8dTZNdro/T_-ffh3t_NI/AAAAAAAAALc/Pd889qjHc4A/s1600/Girl+Molested+NDTV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zLJ8dTZNdro/T_-ffh3t_NI/AAAAAAAAALc/Pd889qjHc4A/s640/Girl+Molested+NDTV.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: NDTV</td></tr>
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Keep watching this space for further updates on how India unveils itself in all its glory on the global stage. </div>
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</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-10974696039011522692012-06-22T01:35:00.001+05:302012-06-22T01:54:46.816+05:30The President of India, The Common Man and The Perspective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's confusion all over - <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/three-die-in-mantralaya-fire-blaze-surges-again-at-mumbai-secretariat-234492?pfrom=home-lateststories" target="_blank">fire in Mantralaya</a> at Mumbai, the way the <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/presidential-poll-bjp-picks-pa-sangma-hopes-to-bring-mamata-on-board-234231?pfrom=home-lateststories" target="_blank">Presidential Polls</a> are poised with differences among political parties, the in-fighting among UPA and NDA cadres with regard to Presidential nominees . . . things do seem to be heating up, aren't they? </div>
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<i>Clearway</i> has not yet got into the serious mode that it is used to - after the <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2012/06/back-from-ashes.html" target="_blank">break</a>, that is. Is that a reflection of some strategic re-think, or a new-born realisation of the futility of being serious about serious issues? After all, how has the office of the current President of India, for instance, under the able leadership of Prathibha Patil, affected the life of the common man? And how would the growing ranks of the middle class and the lower strata of the economic society respond to withdrawal from the Presidential contest by Dr Abdul Kalam, or to the choice between PA Sangma and Pranab Mukherjee? The common man may, perhaps, even be reluctant to invest his thinking faculties into the fate of the Prime Minister's chair, leave alone the President. Is this disenchantment with governance going to turn on its head with the arrival of the new President on to the arena? "Hope"! The essence of life that costs nothing!</div>
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Well, I never wanted <i>Clearway</i> to get this serious right away. Isn't it time to warm up and stay cool, taking a leisurely stroll in the early morning breeze with a cup of steaming hot coffee? It takes a different perspective of things to appreciate what goes on in the backdrop of what is normally on public display. That brings me to the lighter note of what it looks like to be <i>behind</i> the model. We are all so used to looking at the ladies through the lenses that it makes one wonder, 'is it time to look at the lenses through the lady'? This picture of Katherine Jenkins caught my attention, though its appropriateness to the post is definitely questionable. In any case, this post was supposed to be a different take on serious issues - and that allows for anomalies to be the norm! And she does look more graceful than all the men in blue and grey put together . . . </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Different Perspective</td></tr>
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</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-16619722950484713192012-06-21T01:23:00.000+05:302012-06-21T09:40:07.936+05:30Privacy in the Virtual World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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To what extent would these online advertisement folks go?</div>
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I was working on a writing project that had to do with Finance and Insurance, more specifically, health insurance and investments. Content writing takes research and references, from books, journals and from the web. And when I had opened a page for my references, I found a couple of advertisements, one of them static on the left and the other, flashing across the monitor before it settled in its allotted spaces, one at the top and the other at the side of the page that I was visiting.</div>
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The surprising aspect was that one of the advertisements was about an investment plan, while the other was about 'health insurance'. Apparently, the advertising folks have been at work. Talk of the bull's eye! However, as an individual, I had reasons to be bothered about, with the kind of precision that on-line advertising has been able to achieve.</div>
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It would have, perhaps, been fine had the page I opened had something to do with finance, investments or insurance. But that was nothing but a humble, harmless dictionary, where I was checking out one of the correct forms of phrases to be used. To find two advertisements, one on Finance and the other on Health Insurance, when I was writing an article on Health Insurance and Investment, obviously could not be brushed aside as mere coincidence.</div>
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I could understand if it were one of Google's Advertisements within my GMail inbox, or perhaps one of them among search results, or even one of the associated advertisements in a finance journal, producing advertising messages relevant to the webpage content. But how about the exact advertisements related to the stories that I was working on, in a webpage unrelated to the subject and where the search term was not related to finance or insurance?</div>
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Yes, I would like to have related content suggested, but how would you feel if you had just been walking down a street, discussing your favourite food with your pal, and being served exactly that the very moment you enter a restaurant even before you had considered what to order?</div>
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Hello virtual world, would I have any privacy at all?</div>
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</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-2646243039683889952012-06-08T01:48:00.001+05:302012-06-08T01:54:05.510+05:30Back from the Ashes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It would have had to wait till the 26th of June, 2012, if my idea was to make it a '6-month' hibernation. But I have never been fussy about such intricacies, so decided to break free earlier than the scheduled resumption after the break.</div>
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So much water has passed under the bridge in a span of over 150 days. And nothing has changed because <i><a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Clearway</a></i> refused to record the flow of events during the course of the break. What a shame! </div>
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This post is not to recall every event that went unnoticed by <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Clearway</a>, starting with New Year 2012 through Sachin's 100th century, Baba Ramdev, Mayawati, Dravid's retirement, recession, more bad news, Viswanathan Anand, petrol price hike, IPL 5, down till growth in Australia and Spain's bailout. These events shall be revisited as and when deemed fit in the posts to come.</div>
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This post is sort of an appetiser, so to speak. And a brief re-introduction, not on the lines of "<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2005/12/new-year.html" target="_blank">Clearway Defined</a>" and "<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.in/2006/02/spotlight-on-clearway.html" target="_blank">Clearway Explained</a>", though. Those were, I should say, looking back, days when the idealists were marching forward, with their engines firing on all cylinders. So, what transpired between now and then? Well, the sun beamed across the horizon.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have three remarks to make in this post:</span></div>
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1. To do justice to my remark about a 'brief re-introduction', I have become an acknowledged '<b>Freelance Business Writer</b>' these days. So, what do I do? Well, management Guru's invented theories - I re-invent them! Will post some of my stories in this space, or elsewhere, when I find them fit.</div>
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2. The second remark in this post is sort of worldly wisdom. <b>For people who are searching for Justice in this bad world - Good Luck! </b></div>
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3. And my final remark in this 'Re-born - Yet Again' post: Thanks to '<a href="http://cvlakshmi.blogspot.in/2012/01/i-resolve.html" target="_blank">Lak</a>' and her prodding me to <a href="http://cvlakshmi.blogspot.in/2012/01/i-resolve.html" target="_blank">swear publicly</a>, I resolved to write16 posts in the year 2012. Well, that was one of them. And I waited till there was another comment to the post (how logical!) - and here I am! (If anyone is really out of work and is interested to know if I lived up to my own words, please do the math when it's 31 Dec 2012.)</div>
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And they changed my url from clearway.blogspot.com to clearway.blogspot.in? Bloody Bloggers!</div>
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So, let's catch up! </div>
</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-59254916815802225712011-12-26T06:21:00.004+05:302011-12-27T15:14:06.379+05:30Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Anna Hazare's <strike>Fast against Corruption</strike> Fight against Corruption may not be an earth-shattering change in the political landscape, but is a milestone nevertheless. </span><br />
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The <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/anna-to-discuss-fast-strategy-poll-campaign/214854-3.html" target="_blank">much anticipated week</a> is on. Anna Hazare has had his destiny written in red, and is all set to fast, again. Anna hazare's fasting has been getting so regular that some may wonder if it may not make news any more - just like corruption was accepted as a way of life in the ancient, culturally rich country, before Anna Hazare decided to take on the bad guys. 'Ancient' alright, but 'culturally rich' may get a few eyebrows raised, especially among those caught among the many different 'cultural' forces that are in operation in India these days. But then, that's beside the point. It's time for Anna Hazare to <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/content/214387/hazares-fast-screened-live.html" target="_blank">steal the limelight</a> again, by occupying centre stage and foregoing his meals.</div>
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Of course, it is much more than just a matter of foregoing his meals. Of late, the youth have had the opportunity to get a glimpse of history, with some of the terms traditionally referred to, recorded, and read about only in history books, coming to life. "Quit India" and "Jail Bharo" were the bastions of Mahatma Gandhi, weapons in his armoury of non-violence, which he wielded strategically to get the huge country together, mobilise their strength and channelise the public anger towards a common cause - to gain Independence from the British Rule. Till a few years back, the country had largely relegated these historic events to the libraries and the public archives, with the terms having gone out of common usage and having been accorded 'cultural heritage' status. </div>
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The youth, who were deluded with a whole lot of inputs, claims and perspectives from diverse channels and had been verging on disillusionment, getting caught in the run of the mill, searching for a career and an identity, and caring a damn about whatever happened in the dirty sphere of politics, got a shot in their arm. Till a few months back, if anyone had asked what united the diverse lot of Indians, separated by States, languages, cultures, traditions, castes and religions and a whole lot of geographic and demographic factors, the unanimous answers would have been 'Cricket' and 'Bollywood'. That changed with a series of terrorist attacks, blood baths, security lapses, gory visuals, and profuse losses of lives, when terrorism came into the agenda and started to touch a raw nerve in the Indian psyche. But there has not been anything as electrifying as Anna Hazare and his 'India Against Corruption' movement that redefined protests and made heads turn. </div>
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There is no dearth of intelligentsia in the country, nor is there a leadership vacuum. In fact, there has been a problem of abundance when it comes to leadership and cult figures. The issue, however, was that there was no figurehead who could mobilise the intensity and the heat that the youth were capable of generating. The energy was frittering away in non-productive or purely economic pursuits, when the politicians had a jolly good time, abusing their powers and making hay while the sun was still shining. Getting back to the initial claim that Anna Hazare's role has been much more than just that of foregoing his meals, what he has done is to show the way forward to the youth who were getting increasingly disillusioned with the status quo and were growing increasingly indifferent to the gross abuse of power and the deteriorating standards of living of the middle class and those who struggled below the poverty line. They almost started believing it when the Government promised through its propaganda machinery that India was actually shining!</div>
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So much for what Anna Hazare and Team Anna has achieved. What about the team's original objectives? 'Eliminating scope for and eradicating corruption through Legislation' - that would be like pumping out the bad blood and filling the system up with good blood. That is an ideal motive beyond any scope for argument. The question is about feasibility. To quote from a <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-beginning-anna-hazare-india-against.html" target="_blank">previous rant on the same subject</a>, <b>"Without the last citizen in the queue educated, informed and empowered to deal with their life on their own terms, the political machinery, with its artificial intelligence that it has now got used to, would take every opportunity to strike back - with vengeance."</b> </div>
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The keywords here are "Political Machinery" - and it is no ordinary structure that Anna Hazare and his team are dealing with. The Indian political system is a beast, and a wild one in that, which has been having its way for decades now - and has got deeply addicted to power and all the goodies that come with it. Team Anna has been out to tame the beast. Unfortunately for the team and for the old man, however, they have set out to tame the beast with a leash and a cage that the beast itself has to provide them. In effect, Anna Hazare and company are fighting to get a legislation through by the political bosses, which would sanction the design and formation a cage to get the political bosses locked themselves up in. He could as well have asked them to file FIR's against themselves, try themselves in the courts of justice, line up behind bars, and hang themselves! And they are talking of the mere act of getting a legislation passed. Getting the system up to speed to the new reality, cleaning up the system, clearing the filth, and getting in the 'good blood' are in the distant horizon. It makes one wonder, how many times Anna Hazare might have to fast before he sees that day when corruption is actually eliminated and eradicated by the force of a piece of legislation!</div>
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Well, Anna Hazare will fast on the 27th of December, while the political bosses would debate the Lokpal Bill. And debates are nothing new to the power mongers who have made their way to the top through bickering, quarrelling, clambering, plotting, and cutting their teeth in the system using every trick in the book. And the show will go on. Anna Hazare may have had his dream and his objectives, But in <i>Clearway's </i>view, <b>it is the by-product that is more important. Someone had to channelise the youth and orient their powers towards a tangible, credible objective, to make them get genuinely interested in the political process and in the state of affairs, and more importantly, to make them <i>think</i>. </b>Team Anna has achieved the objective with flying colours. Discounting the lack of coordination that an ad hoc team is naturally expected to experience, and the negative publicity that some events involving the team have generated, Anna Hazare has done what no one else has managed to do ever since Mahatma Gandhi was shot. The only exception would, perhaps, be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIY_MPLmuYM" target="_blank">Kamal Hassan in Shankar's 'Indian</a>'.</div>
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It's unfair to ask much else out of the patriot who has put his life on the line for the greater good. His destiny was to keep fighting and to light the fire in the hearts of the youth. Change had to begin somewhere - and it has begun in all flamboyance, from a spark in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralegan_Siddhi" target="_blank">Ralegan Siddhi</a>. As for the political class, the fighting has just begun for them too. But they would do what they do best - to <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/walk-the-talk/walk-the-talk-with-lalu-yadav/219341?pfrom=home-lateststories" target="_blank">play politics and stay afloat</a>. And yes, they would definitely succeed in that. <b>Anna Hazare is not the first challenge they have faced in their political career - nor would he be the last.</b> But at least, they now have something to take serious note of, in an otherwise one-sided game, where the system has been the defending champion and its people, decidedly underdog. People would still remain so for the foreseeable future - what they have now is a ray of hope, an awareness that corruption could indeed be a dirty word, and some sense of direction in the dark world defined by the ruthless political class.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Related Posts:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/corruption-in-india-lok-pal-bill-and.html" target="_blank">Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare: Lokpall Bill and Beyond</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-beginning-anna-hazare-india-against.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning</a></div>
</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-73404695375144786372011-10-08T02:00:00.000+05:302011-10-08T02:00:52.357+05:30Life . . . and Death<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">The contrast was jarring. Two pictures that were shared, the same day, on Facebook, and they couldn't be farther away from each other. Unfortunately, they both belong to the same planet, and they constitute our world!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8bPF_-cH0dE/To9gmn_ZiFI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/CmezSY_6UIw/s1600/Glittering+Wealth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8bPF_-cH0dE/To9gmn_ZiFI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/CmezSY_6UIw/s1600/Glittering+Wealth.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold, Glitter and Wealth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mV4XJNSH1PI/To9gxmP-uWI/AAAAAAAAAKU/wI1CPz9aXxU/s1600/Famine+and+Death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mV4XJNSH1PI/To9gxmP-uWI/AAAAAAAAAKU/wI1CPz9aXxU/s1600/Famine+and+Death.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famine and Death</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-88671863794108189822011-09-07T01:18:00.001+05:302011-09-07T01:23:34.864+05:30Mayawati Interview: WikiLeaks and Julian Assange<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PtZNnl-jpr4/TmZ53xlDN0I/AAAAAAAAAKI/xSYx4vT18mA/s1600/Mayawati+WikiLeaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PtZNnl-jpr4/TmZ53xlDN0I/AAAAAAAAAKI/xSYx4vT18mA/s320/Mayawati+WikiLeaks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: http://bit.ly/pZNduQ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mayawati is back in the news - and how! This time, having run out of chasing the same people over and over again, she has sought to go for a target of a different breed - Julian Assange! Assange is her privileged, chosen opponent for now. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was in March, 2010, that Mayawati had <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2010/03/mayawati-interview-see-it-first-on.html">given her exclusive interview to this reporter</a>, when she made news with her garland made of currency notes. Now, the reporter had to get back to her for another exclusive from Mayawati, in the light of the current not-so-happy relationship that she has developed overnight with Mr Julian Assange. Here we go:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Reporter:</b> Hello Mayawati Ji, Thank you for agreeing for this exclusive interview.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> My Pressure! Er . . . I mean, my pleasure. What do you want to ask? Ask me quick, I'm in a hurry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Sure Mayawati Ji, I understand you would be busy with meeting so many people. To start off with, I hope your garland is safe?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> I am not in a mood to comment on the garland now. I am busy using Google to read what this Juliet Assault is talking about me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> You mean, Mr Julian Assange?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Yes yes, the same person. Do you think I don't know him? I know both him and his lover. Romeo. But I cannot understand why he is talking of me now. I'm sure he is mentally retarded and needs asylum. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well Mayawati Ji, let's get to that. But is it true that you sent a Private Jet, empty, to Mumbai to buy sandals?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Ridiculous! I was supposed to go to Mumbai to complete a sandalwood deal. And at the last moment, I forgot to wear my sandals. So, I got down from the flight. But the pilot did not know that, and he left me and went to Mumbai alone. And the press people twisted the story, and the US people tilted it again!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Oh! Alright. But, how did the pilot leave without you?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> That's what I'm saying! The rear view mirror in the plane had broken, so the pilot did not see when I got down, and he went up without lifting me!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Ahem! That sounds logical. By the way, you mentioned of some Sandalwood deal. What is that Mayawati Ji?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Sandalwood deal? When did I mention about that? That Juliet Assault is mentally retarded, and you are physically retarded! You hear things that I never said!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, possibly so. Anyway, so, the pilot returned empty again?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati: </b>Then what? He went empty, so, if he had to transport me back from Mumbai, I should take another flight to Mumbai and come in his plane. But then, my second plane will come empty, will it not? That's why, I asked him to bring a pair of sandals instead of me. If you know Ramayana, Bharath worshipped Rama's sandals in Rama's absence. Similarly, my pilot took my sandals instead of me. What's wrong in it?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> But you said you had forgotten your sandals before you left for Mumbai, that's why you did not go to Mumbai and the plane went empty. How did the pilot get your sandals from Mumbai then?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Exactly! That's the reason I asked the pilot to get a new pair of sandals from Mumbai, because both me and my sandals did not board the plane!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Perfect! Anyway, WikiLeaks reports that you have 9 cooks and two tasters . . . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati: </b>That's again ridiculous! The 9 people are not my cooks. I ask them to cook for the entire Uttar Pradesh State, and send food to all my party workers in the State. The USA and WikiLeaks have misinterpreted my generosity and have said they are my cooks alone! Anyway, how can I eat what 9 people cook? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> How generous! And what about the two tasters?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> They are wasters, not tasters! They were my cooks who wasted a lot of food when they cooked. So, I dismissed them and called them "Food Wasters". The media, again, they twisted and the USA tilted the story!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> So, you had 11 cooks earlier, not 9!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Is 9 plus 2 equal to 11? Then 11 means 1 +1 = 2. So, I had only 2 cooks, not eleven. And even those two cooks were food tasters, I mean wasters. So, I had no cooks at all. It is all media hype and creativity!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> You had no cooks? But you said you cooked for the entire State using those 9 cooks . . . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> I don't have time. Finish the interview fast. Next question please . . . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Did you ask some politician to do sit-ups because you were not happy with his behaviour?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Yes, that is true!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Wow! So, you accept that?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Of course! See, this guy was putting on a lot of weight. And he never worked, always sat and became lazy. So, I asked him to do sit-ups to reduce weight, because I was not happy with his behaviour of putting on weight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Hmm. Wonderful. WikiLeaks has also claimed that you are a 'paranoid dictator'. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> First of all, let me clarify, I don't have paranoid or any other disease. And I used to dictate letters to my secretary. So, I was a dictator, but I was not paranoid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> But Mayawati Ji, Paranoid does not refer to any disease. Paranoid means . . . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> How many questions more?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, almost over. Mr Julian Assange has said that he would be happy to come to India if you send him a plane, and he has also said he would get you 'a range of finest British footwear'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Did he say that? But, I did not find it in WikiLeaks . . .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, Mayawati Ji, you can't find these things in WikiLeaks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> See, this exposes that Juliet Assault. His own website will not publish what he says. If I say something, even Google will publish it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, Actually, Google does not publish anything. It only . . . </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> You don't know anything my Reporter. Google publishes whatever I say. Even before I came here, I checked with Google, and it had published every word of mine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, as you say, Mayawati Ji. But, what do you have to say about his offer?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati: </b>Well, if he wants to buy me some British footwear, why would I oppose it? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> But he says you have to send your private jet for that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> To UK? Why not? First, let him tell me what kind of sandals he has bought for me, then I will send my jet to bring them here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> And how about Julian Assange? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> I can bring him here only if he comes with another garland. And he has to delete all my details from his website and publish good news about me in WikiLeaks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> But that is not what WikiLeaks is about.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Then it's fine. I can manage with my Mumbai sandals. And I will keep publishing news about me in Google. And I will make room for both Juliet and Romeo in a mental asylum here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>RP:</b> Well, I can't take it any more. Will come again when Google publishes about you. Thank you Mayawati Ji.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mayawati:</b> Good bye. It's time for me to go to Mumbai again. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-39164187741110429432011-08-29T05:09:00.003+05:302011-12-26T14:50:30.025+05:30Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption, and the Political System: A New Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VGY6yWARTic/TlrNF2HZUQI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Fs0k1bluzAo/s1600/Anna+Hazare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VGY6yWARTic/TlrNF2HZUQI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Fs0k1bluzAo/s320/Anna+Hazare.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: BBC</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, it has happened. The most eagerly awaited, the most dreaded and the most unexpected, have all happened in a flash. It was just when nothing remained but a glimmer of hope, when all was forgotten but a few annual rituals and public holidays, when the constitutional system, the reckless youth and the rotting middle class were all written off, when the status quo came to be taken as the perpetual reality, and when democracy verged on the anarchy, the history of non-violence and the culture of Satyagraha that were relegated to museums and history books, were brought back to life by a movement in all its prowess, in a show of strength of dimensions beyond imagination.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a long forgotten folklore that the Parliament existed for its people. It was as if the systems invented to serve the humans, developed their own 'Artificial Intelligence' and started enslaving their masters. And the masters were beaten to believe that they were the slaves, and that the machines were designed to rule over them. It was the stuff that Matrix and the Terminator are made of. The political class assumed supremacy, and the citizens became their subservient servants. While the ruling class enjoyed their lives, the people were kept in the dark, blind-folded. And the bureaucrats were able to get away with it all. The machines made the rules in their own favour - and broke them at their own will. And it became the way of life, and the way things worked in here. And, as is typical, the youth were reckless, the elite were careless, and the middle class, hopeless. When corruption began to rule, the people were left searching for a leader. As corruption spread far, deep and wide from within, the system was left with a hollow core - and the vacuum was felt all around. People knew Mahatma Gandhi was History - and accepted that the modern age was all about frustration and desperation. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">APJ Abdul Kalam was a ray of hope in a dark cloud with no silver lining. But he was in a system that showed no mercy to the exceptional. When Mumbai came under attack, it was as if the nerves had transmitted a weak signal in a monster in deep slumber. Some sparks here and there, and a few days later, it was business as usual. When <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-and-beyond.html">Anna Hazare</a> was in the news initially, the news channels found it an opportunity to flash something short of a sensation. And no pundit, back then, would have predicted him, an ageing, worthless man with nothing to lose, to become a brand to reckon with, and to weave a dream in every Indian's eyes. But what has transpired when a simple man put himself on the line and threatened to give his life - virtually his only possession - away, for a cause that he believed in, was unbelievable. The Parliament was forced to do its duty. The law makers were forced to draft the rules. The politicians were forced to go to work. Every bureaucrat was forced to turn back, sit up and take notice - with alarming concern, noting that this time, people were putting him under the scanner. For the first time in a long while, corruption started seeming to be a dirty word!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are many signals that the unprecedented event in Free India has sent across to all quarters of the social and political scheme. And every actor in the play would be taking home their own lessons from the famed Ramlila Maidan, or Ramlila grounds, which the poor patriot, Anna Hazare, had made his home of late. And he did have more than his share of visitors to his new home. Hectic parleys, discussions and debates, heated altercations, arguments, accusations, they all had to give way when a protest turned into a movement like never before. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some may call it revolutionary, some may baulk at it as setting a dangerous precedent in arm-twisting the big brother into action, and some may hate Anna Hazare with all of their lives' assets and properties. This is the success of an impeccable person with his heart full of willpower and literally nothing to lose in life, and of branding a campaign and coordinating it to precision, aimed at making the system take notice and respond. However, there is virtually anything that Team Anna could make of what is nothing but its initial break through. The nation may be filled with Euphoria, celebrating what they may see as their victory over the oppressors. But what the team makes out of the very beginnings of a movement, is entirely up to the team that made this happen. With Anna mentioning of Electoral Reforms even as the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had just initiated the debate on Lokpal Bill, the bureaucrats may have a hard time going to sleep peacefully, for the first time in a long while. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The reality, however, is that the problem has just got its share of attention. And the problem runs much deeper than what it may ever seem from the outside. The celebrations mark the beginning of a new phase in the Indian political history, but change is still at a distant horizon. It would be naive to think that what flew out of the Pandora's box would creep back grudgingly into it with the stroke of a legislation or with the coming of age of an apolitical system called the civil society. The common man, about whom this has all been about, is still out there in the fields and along the vast country side, reading about and discussing Anna Hazare, and counting his hard earned daily wages, as he gets ready to cast his vote to the political party that would pay him the most or would gift him the goodies. To him or her, New Delhi is a different world, and Anna Hazare could well end up to be someone who adamantly refused to eat for two weeks while sitting in the open grounds. Without the last citizen in the queue educated, informed and empowered to deal with their life on their own terms, the political machinery, with its artificial intelligence that it has now got used to, would take every opportunity to strike back - with vengeance.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Related Posts: </u></b><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/corruption-in-india-lok-pal-bill-and.html" target="_blank">Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi </a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/12/anna-hazare-indians-and-political-class.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check</a></div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-74288516726032257132011-07-14T00:21:00.001+05:302011-07-14T00:25:05.265+05:30Mumbai Blasts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RyYX2Pw3Mik/Th3p_KFG-kI/AAAAAAAAAKA/n9qfrk-sapQ/s1600/Mumbai.blasts.cnn..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RyYX2Pw3Mik/Th3p_KFG-kI/AAAAAAAAAKA/n9qfrk-sapQ/s320/Mumbai.blasts.cnn..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"</span>We will get to the bottom of this<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>This was a pre-meditated terrorist attack<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>We will not tolerate this kind of violence<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>This is a terrorist attack and cold-blooded murder<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Mumbaikars have always stood up to this kind of attack<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>We strongly condemn the attacks<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>I am proud of the people of Mumbai<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>I appeal to the people of Mumbai to remain calm and united<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>I have asked the Home Minister to provide all possible assistance to the State<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>The perpetrators of this horrendous attack will be brought to book<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"</span>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-48406890801638980582011-04-08T04:22:00.002+05:302011-12-26T14:57:41.919+05:30Anna Hazare - Lokpal Bill and Beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5jCnwqm7YY/TZ45i4Ex0TI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Z7HHUVPKveI/s1600/Anna-Hazare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5jCnwqm7YY/TZ45i4Ex0TI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Z7HHUVPKveI/s1600/Anna-Hazare.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Ummid.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind? </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hope was all but lost. Then came along <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/corruption-in-india-lok-pal-bill-and.html">Anna Hazare</a>! For a nation that has shown the world, the way forward with Non-violence, Anna Hazare was just the face that the youth were searching for. In a country where <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/corruption-in-india-lok-pal-bill-and.html">rampant corruption</a> has been spreading its tentacles far, wide and deep, where the toiling section at the bottom of the hierarchy, grumbling middle class and the indifferent elite would get together only when Mumbai is bombed, the Taj is held to ransom or when Team India lifts the World Cup, it is moving to find people uniting for a common cause, under a leader who dares the bad guys with virtually nothing to lose!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whenever the Lokpal Bill has been discussed, it has been shoved under the carpet under one pretext or the other for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokpal">decades together</a>. So, when the <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill-why-its-important-96600">Jan Lokpal Bill was crafted</a> by the civil society that has been growing increasingly impatient with the status quo tainted with corruption in various facets of public life, it was path breaking in its own right. It's as good as tossing the question straight in legislature's face: If you could not enact a bill for four decades in the face of burgeoning corruption that has taken giant proportions over the years since Independence, why shouldn't we draft one for you without charging a penny for our services? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ruling class and the bureaucrats can only be expected to get jittery with the voice that has started resonating across India. And the reverberating force of the newly unified voice has already taken its first casualty, with Sharad Pawar <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sharad-pawar-quits-gom-on-corruption/148466-37-64.html">deciding to go into oblivion</a> with regard to GoM on Lokpal bill, rather than face the music and have his stained image tarnished further. That is more than convincing an evidence that when people speak as one, the public servants have to listen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJDZNZGcTmg/TZ47bOk7wuI/AAAAAAAAAJI/q40Mbz82JPU/s1600/Lokpal+Bill+Anti-corruption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJDZNZGcTmg/TZ47bOk7wuI/AAAAAAAAAJI/q40Mbz82JPU/s320/Lokpal+Bill+Anti-corruption.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Deccan Chronicle</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">With the Nation having sensed its lost identity, the question is, how far should the United Front of Anna Hazare, staunchly supported by other prominent faces like Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Santosh Hegde, push this forward? The Government has been <a href="http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/08/stories/2011040864231400.htm">striking notes of conciliation</a>, indicating the grave concern and the urgency underlying the thinking in the corridors of power. Is this a movement that has reached a critical mass, rocking the foundations and the core of the nerve centre of the politics of corruption? Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What this agitation would have reminded those who have been clinging to their chairs by their sheer lust for power than anything else, is that they are, ultimately, accountable for their actions. But there is more to this issue than what meets the naked eye. The breed that we have let grow all over the country is not something that can be corrected or eradicated with the stroke of a single bill or legislation. All said and done, they are the system, and they are the ones who would have to enact and enforce a draft of any kind that is legislated. What Anna Hazare has achieved with his agitation is something to reckon with, and the Government would not risk its stakes in such a tricky situation. However, let us be reminded that it takes strategy, than sheer force, to leverage the situation and engage the government in dialogue with the civil society. Anna Hazare and his team would have to use this opportunity to make the Government get into discussion mode with the people. Threat of action is more powerful than action itself. And tactical pressure has to be maintained over a period, constantly reminding the bureaucrats and the politicians that they have been elected by the people to serve the people. This is the time, not to go full throttle and all out for the jugular, but to check the pace and cruise along with measured control.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As has been rightly <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Anna-Hazare-gives-govt-a-poll-fright/articleshow/7908621.cms">pointed out by Anna Hazare</a>, he has to stay out of any position of responsibility and should remain a strategist, a consultant, and more importantly, a figurehead who would be perceived as a constant threat to those who are willing to cross the line. We have not reached the critical mass yet. But we do have sufficient force to start nudging the system in the right direction. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Related Posts:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/corruption-in-india-lok-pal-bill-and.html" target="_blank">Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-beginning-anna-hazare-india-against.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, India against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/12/anna-hazare-indians-and-political-class.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check</a></div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-71131104877434211222011-04-06T17:35:00.003+05:302011-12-26T15:01:19.919+05:30Corruption in India, Lok Pal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDD1DZ5DuOE/TZxRtZN3H6I/AAAAAAAAAI8/4k6Dkcue4fM/s1600/1000+Rupee+Note.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDD1DZ5DuOE/TZxRtZN3H6I/AAAAAAAAAI8/4k6Dkcue4fM/s1600/1000+Rupee+Note.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This topic needs no introduction. With the <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/india-wins-world-cup-2011-we-are.html">Cricket World Cup</a> fever settling down after <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/india-wins-world-cup-2011-we-are.html">India won the World Cup 2011</a> in style, now is the time for some earnest stock-taking, not in sports but in other, more important, walks of life. The <a href="http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-corruption-a-bigger-threat-to-india-than-pakistan-says-anna-hazare/20110406.htm">Lok Pal Bill</a> has been living on the edge for decades now, bouncing from the walls of the Parliament back to the drawing board like a tennis ball - this is one place in India where tennis is preferred over cricket - as the cricket ball would wear down when made to bounce off the walls as many times as the Lok Pal bill has been made to. The Bill that was first introduced in 1969 has been walking back and forth along the corridors of power for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokpal_Bill">over 40 years now</a>, but has still not seen the light of the day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It should come as no surprise to those who are in the know, that politicians are still found debating the bill that could have serious implications for their own breed. Voices from the civil society, led from the front by Anna Hazare and other prominent faces like Santosh Hegde and Kiran Bedi, are out to make a difference to the way things are handled by those in power, calling for a strict (caustic?) version of the Bill rather than the watered-down version that is preferred, and currently being proposed by the Government of India. They also demand that members of the civil society be made part of the anti-corruption panel. Another issue is the proposed inclusion of people in the panel, who have had tarnished images. Anna Hazare has been vocal and direct in his attack on Sharad Pawar, the Union Minister of Agriculture, whom the Government has proposed to lead the Panel against corruption. The irony is stark, says Anna Hazare - <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/antigraft-fight-anna-hazare-takes-on-pawar/148413-3.html?from=hp">how could we have the corrupt leading the panel against the corrupt?</a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--e1RymiMKfc/TZxUmovdM_I/AAAAAAAAAJA/jP76UXBeO4E/s1600/India+Against+Corruption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--e1RymiMKfc/TZxUmovdM_I/AAAAAAAAAJA/jP76UXBeO4E/s320/India+Against+Corruption.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy: <a href="http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-faq-what-is-lok-pal-bill/20110405.htm">Rediff.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anna Hazare has entered the second day of his <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/india-against-corruption-annas-fast-unto-death-enters-day-two/articleshow/7882803.cms">fast unto death</a> if the bill is not accepted in the form as drafted by 'India against Corruption', the movement by the Civil Society that has come up with terms of the draft that really matter. It remains to be seen as to what effect the 'Gandhian style' fast would have on politicians, in these days of high-flying corruption, where millions and billions in kick-backs are the order of the day. Talking of Mahatma Gandhi and the way the Indian currency is losing its value, both monetarily and morally, the issue should be sparking another debate off, if Mahatma Gandhi should still feature in the Indian Rupee note, which has increasingly become the "symbol of corruption". When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale? Anna Hazare should perhaps be starting off with his demand to either eliminate corruption from the country, or replace Mahatma Gandhi with someone else's face on the Indian Rupee. And given the mood of agitation that he is in right now, he may even nominate Sharad Pawar as the 'Figurehead' for the role. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Related Posts:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-beginning-anna-hazare-india-against.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning</a><br />
<a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/12/anna-hazare-indians-and-political-class.html" target="_blank">Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check</a></div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-22478349629999013272011-04-04T17:52:00.000+05:302011-04-04T17:52:28.733+05:30Burning the Koran, Pastor Terry Jones and Barack Obama: Time to Act Tough<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9m3_UhpZvIo/TZm0UhdM8QI/AAAAAAAAAI0/0YXjRM1boL8/s1600/Burning+the+Quran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9m3_UhpZvIo/TZm0UhdM8QI/AAAAAAAAAI0/0YXjRM1boL8/s320/Burning+the+Quran.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy: Daily Mail, UK</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Ever since Pastor Terry Jones first announced his <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7995451/911-Koran-burning-Pastor-Terry-Jones-gives-imam-two-hour-deadline.html">outrageous intention</a> to burn the Koran, in a bonfire coinciding with 9/11 anniversary, religious intolerance seems to be hitting a new low with every passing day. Tension has always been in the air, all around the world, where such incendiary action is only expected to lead to widespread demonstrations, protests and inevitable violence. And when he finally made good on his intentions and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12940596">burnt the Koran</a> after a mock trial, there were outbursts of anger and emotions in places that have anyway been sensitive spots with a fragile state of affairs, finally culminating in the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12949302">slaughter of UN officials</a> at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While such violent reactions were predicted as a direct result of burning of Quran, there can be no justification of either action. The difference between the despicable act of burning a sacred religious text and a savage reaction to the act in Afghanistan lies not in the scale of hatred involved, but only in accountability for the actions. Pastor Terry Jones is responsible for spreading hatred through incendiary remarks and deeds, while none can be held responsible for mob action of violence. What both the incidents do achieve, is to widen the gap and increase the divide between two communities. Each one could blame the other and hold the each other responsible for the violence that ensued, resulting in meaningless loss of lives and fuelling growing enmity, forming further grounds for fresh negative acts. But, where does the cycle end?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">To quote an old adage, 'With great power comes great responsibility'; there can not be many doubts as to where the power in this equation lies. If the US considers it its duty to get involved in international affairs, as it did in <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2005/12/assembly-suspends-suicide-victim.html">Iraq</a>, <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2008/11/barack-historical-obama.html">Afghanistan</a> and <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/03/allies-pound-libya-war-and-objective.html">Libya</a>, and if it wants to enforce global peace, the responsibility for the current unrest lies squarely with the United States of America. It is never easy to run a democracy, and there would always be conflicting elements that stoke hatred among religions and communities that form the very basis of democracy. However, such provocative actions as the one done by Terry Jones need to be condemned and controlled with utmost urgency, to send a message that would be in line with the signals that the US wants to send across the world, to the international community. With its forces still at work in the Middle East, and with the region being more fragile than ever, given the scale of social uprising that the monarchs of the regions are having to deal with, there is more than ethical and moral responsibility that should make the US take decisive measures to stop the likes of Pastor Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Centre. There are <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11209738">practical reasons</a> for the US to take the initiative and make such people pay for, and realise the gravity of their deeds. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">President Obama has tried to bring in the much desired 'Change' and is <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/">seeking re-election</a> in 2012. One important facet of the 'Change' has to be the way the US is perceived around the world. If someone can do it, Obama can do it. If it has to be done, now is the time!</div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-17189650963098788142011-04-03T06:23:00.001+05:302011-04-03T06:31:59.302+05:30India Wins World Cup 2011 - "We Are The Champions!"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yv8H--tlMvc/TZfAyaAwmsI/AAAAAAAAAIo/dklhNSvMeyo/s1600/India_wins_World_Cup_2011.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yv8H--tlMvc/TZfAyaAwmsI/AAAAAAAAAIo/dklhNSvMeyo/s320/India_wins_World_Cup_2011.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the first time, in almost 6 years of existence of Clearway, that I have felt compelled to write three consecutive posts on Cricket. So, at the outset, let me emphasise that this is <i>not</i> a Cricket Blog. But, the occasion is such that 2nd April 2011 is to be etched in Indian minds forever! India winning the World Cup was never a serious prospect, perhaps, till a few weeks back. And I, personally, did not pay focussed attention to World Cup 2011, even as the Flagship event of world cricket kicked off in February. And now, here is the Indian team, beaming across the world with the prestigious Trophy in its hand, pride and joy writ all over its face! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3FgsbQ9b_4/TZfA1H97l7I/AAAAAAAAAIs/X2DQblJX1Vc/s1600/wc83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3FgsbQ9b_4/TZfA1H97l7I/AAAAAAAAAIs/X2DQblJX1Vc/s320/wc83.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">People of my generation have grown up listening to stories of the Indian Cricket team winning its first ever prized treasure, way back in 1983. And given the swift pace of the modern world, 1983 would have semblances of the pre-historic era, especially to the cricket-loving current generation of the country. "Cricket-loving" is an under-statement. In a buzzing nation coloured with splashes of boisterous celebrations and emotional festivities, cricket has occupied unrivalled centre-stage, not just in the sporting arena, but in the entire gamut of entertainment and beyond. Cricket is an inevitable part of life for the hundreds of millions, who have grown up listening intensely to radio commentaries, watching matches in black-and white television sets, and playing the game in its numerous forms at schools, in the neighbourhood playgrounds, along roadsides and by the beaches and street corners. For those of us who have vague memories associated with India winning the 1983 World Cup, the ultimate possession that we could dream of, as a nation, is the symbol of unrivalled global superiority in the world of cricket, in an event that is celebrated once in four years. And last night was, by no means, just another night. It was History! A day that, going by the records, happens only once in 28 years! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2008/03/mutation-of-powerful-species-indian.html">MS Dhoni</a> and his team have achieved, by that standard, is phenomenal! They have not just won a competition. It's not just about emerging victorious in a tournament. It is not a matter of achieving the first place in international rankings. The deal is not about India beating <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2006/01/tale-of-two-tonnes.html">Australia</a>, <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/03/india-pakistan-world-cup-semi-finals.html">Pakistan</a> and <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2005/11/india-brushes-lanka-aside.html">Sri Lanka</a> on the trot. Team India have pierced the senses, made their way through innumerable Indian minds and have filled a void that has constantly existed in the subconscious. They have made the zealous followers of the sport, who have had cricket ingrained in their elements, realise themselves and their burning desire for something intangible and unexplainable - "Yes, this is what we have wanted all the while!" The fanatics of Indian cricket may well take a few days to realise the depths of what occurred at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on a Saturday that they have been waiting for in what seems an eternity. It's the feeling of parched land, riddled with self-doubts and inconsistencies, and only powered by a faint ray of hope for some divine mercy, suddenly being flooded with a torrent of celestial bliss by the Gods. And those who grace this religion that cuts across human divides, reign supreme as Demigods! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cidyH9gxW4/TZfBdJPAyuI/AAAAAAAAAIw/5z0rqtNDitU/s1600/Sachin-Tendulkar.-India-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cidyH9gxW4/TZfBdJPAyuI/AAAAAAAAAIw/5z0rqtNDitU/s320/Sachin-Tendulkar.-India-007.jpg" width="320" /></a>Immense in his stature as portrayed by mortals like us, stands tall a man, clad in blue, his heart buoyant with child-like enthusiasm, his face bubbling with charm, his name radiating the charisma of his personality and worshipped by his followers as the supreme among the Demigods. Still, a mortal that he in reality is, he has been part of as many as six of the teams that have set out on a hunt to bring the famed cup back to the country, ever since it slipped out of the Nation in 1987. The 2nd of April, 2011 was, again, destined to be the day that his thirst for the one recognition has remained elusive for more than two decades of his dominance of Indian, and world cricket, was finally quenched. Today, the dream of <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2011/04/sachin-tendulkar-grumbling-detractors.html">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, a sportsman with an astounding array of records, with a deep passion for the sport and a quest for the ultimate prize, stands fulfilled. It was a fitting tribute paid by the next generation in the squad to the Little Master, the young battalion who would have grown up motivated by, watching and learning from him on Television and in person, to carry him around the stadium on their shoulders and parading their pride and devotion to their Living legend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What <a href="http://clearway.blogspot.com/2007/09/management-lessons-for-life-from-twenty.html">Dhoni</a>, guided by Gary Kirsten, has infused in the team is immense confidence in their ability to perform as one unit. That new-born self-belief would make them question history - why should it be an event that happens only once in 28 years? Is that an unwritten rule, or have they been deprived of the World Cup for almost three decades by their own oblivious disorientation? Well, that is something that the Indian cricket team would work out in the coming days. For now, they have treated their followers and fans like never before. The next few days would be spent by the common man in hazed disbelief of the intensity of what has just hit him unannounced, before unabashed pride kicks in, and he declares to the world: "We are the Champions!" </div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17768348.post-72767650750707013682011-04-01T03:58:00.001+05:302011-04-01T04:13:03.967+05:30Sachin Tendulkar - Grumbling Detractors, Dropped Catches and the Crowning Glory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dIeDdbg94xA/TZT_xqB3bUI/AAAAAAAAAIg/zrHHuVI-v8c/s1600/Sachin_Tendulkar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dIeDdbg94xA/TZT_xqB3bUI/AAAAAAAAAIg/zrHHuVI-v8c/s320/Sachin_Tendulkar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sachin Tendulkar has always played like a King, growing from a gifted prodigy to a seasoned run-machine, deciding the pace of countless games with a master’s touch and adapting seamlessly to changing situations. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Apart from the remarkable victory that India scored against arch rivals Pakistan at the World Cup Semi-finals, marked by jubilant celebrations all over the country (which has already been discussed threadbare and analysed to its elements at numerous news reports and blog posts), a significant aspect of the match was that Sachin Tendulkar, the Superman of Indian cricket, stopped short of marking his one-hundredth Century in cricket. And this is significant in more ways than one. For one, it was a burning desire by the legions of cricket fans in the country, that India outplay Pakistan in the all-important Semi-final match and cruise along to the Finals, to meet Sri Lanka at Mumbai on Saturday. More than the lure of the World Cup was the lust for victory against India’s neighbour with a long, shared history of international relations that blew hot and cold. Then, there is the nagging accusation, which people have hurled at the Master while drawing a rather sadistic pleasure, that Sachin fails invariably to perform in high-pressure games and crisis situations – it eludes logic if he is expected to cease being a mere mortal and start brandishing celestial powers, if he has not done so yet on his opponents, to be able to silence his relentless critics – and he doesn’t have many records left to break anyway! Further, there is this superstitious belief in the canons of India’s national religion that the team would somehow fail at the expense of Tendulkar’s ton – “whenever Sachin has scored a century, India has struggled or lost the game”!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Leaving the host of projections of the human mind indulging in an endless streak of analytical adventures aside, perhaps the most significant aspect about the way Sachin left the creases without disturbing the record books yesterday at Mohali, is in his not creating history punctuated with a dubious record. There has never been such a miracle in the History of the game that someone has been so ruthless and dealt so many opponents mercilessly, to score a hundred hundreds! And it is only once that Sachin Tendulkar would be crowned with such a glory in the arena of International Cricket, with a record that had not even been fancied by anyone before he steadily approached the daunting landmark, never slogging but crafting his path with strokes of elegance and grace. Given the grandeur of the occasion that the entire world would not have an option but to stop and applaud, why would he want to strain his own record books, by creating history with as many as four dropped catches and a couple of referrals (which were not lives anyway)? Tendulkar’s “lives” are already among the most talked about topics since yesterday, something that the Master Blaster has seldom been associated with. And his detractors would have already smelt blood, even as the Pakistani team was busy, inexplicably spilling rather straight forward catches at regular intervals. The commentators would refuse to admit that they had misread the wicket even as the much-awaited (and media-hyped) game began, calling it a batsman’s paradise, as the ball kept crawling inches above the ground and stopping in its track, falling well short of the keeper's gloves on many an occasion, as if the leather had been drenched and soaked in a tank full of water. As batsmen of both the teams fell helplessly, without a clue, deceived by the wily nature of a deceptively lifeless track, the wise men with microphones would rather blame the travails on pressure and the situation, shovelling it all under the convenient label of “nerves”, sticking to their guns rather than acknowledging the appalling nature of the cricket pitch. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And it is not just in such difficult terrain as in the semi-final match alone that Sachin has topped the scorecard, and eventually making the difference between an Indian victory and defeat. Sachin has always played like a King, growing from a gifted prodigy to a seasoned run-machine, deciding the pace of countless games with a master’s touch and adapting seamlessly to changing situations. The crowning jewel in his collection of records deserves to be sublime, free from the strains of dropped catches and revoked decisions. For someone who has made India proud with his sparkling class, we could all wait for his moment of virtually insurmountable glory!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </div></div>Krishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274726335266587754noreply@blogger.com0