Marriage Portals: Mere Money Machines? In Focus - Bharatmatrimony.com

What’s your idea of a marriage portal? Cool? Friendly? Pleasant? Have you ever wondered about these adjectives, rather? Marriage portals can be obnoxious, irresponsible and dangerous! The portal in focus: Bharatmatrimony.com.

The profile of Mr X in Tamilmatrimony.com, a unit of BharatMatrimony.com was copied word-to-word by another member, Mr. Spurious. Clearway has evidence to this in the form of e-mail interactions with Bharatmatrimony.com where Mr X represented the issue to the portal and expected a response and some action. The first of such interactions occurred in the first half of October 2006. As of today, no action has been taken to bar Mr Spurious or to cancel his account.

Well, what’s the big deal about copying a profile? To put things in perspective, Mr X says he loves taking risks and he conveys the implicit message that he is honest in what he says about himself. And Mr Spurious says the same, using the same set of words. Mr X loses nothing when some stupid copy-pastes his profile. The loser would be the girl who trusts the profile of Mr Spurious as true and her family who arrange for her marriage with a fraud who steals words to project himself as a candid enterprising individual. If you were a parent or a guardian of a loving daughter, would you want to see her married to a rogue?

Clearway’s charge-sheet: Parents trust Bharatmatrimony.com with the lives of their kids when they post and browse for profiles of prospective brides and grooms. It is Bharatmatrimony’s responsibility to screen through profiles and prevent the cheats from luring women into the vicious webs they weave. Now that they claim to have entered some record books for the number of marriages that they have arranged for, it is a question worth asking if they really are worried about the Quality of marriages that they facilitate, as much as they do about the quantity. Perhaps, they believe in revenue rather than in sincere service?

If Bharatmatrimony doesn’t wake up from its coma and realise what’s at stake, Clearway will take every step to make sure the portal sits up and listens. And this is a message to every other irresponsible website that wouldn’t care any less for its patrons. A link to this post will be sent to Bharatmatrimony.com for its reference. Clearway awaits a response.

Blame the System: Law Makers Vs Law Breakers

Blame the systems. Yes. Blame them square.

It is human tendency to jump the queue. And where else would this be more prominent than in the roads, where commuters are not ordinary people but racers carrying the nation’s pride on their shoulders. Even those bikers and riders who somehow had all the patience to wait for the count-down of the traffic signal feel restless and totally out of place waiting idly as the numbers keep falling alarmingly in the single digits. 10: Engine on (those who had switched their engines off, that is). 9. Raise throttle. 8. Clutch and first gear (at one go). 7. Raise throttle and release clutch partially and close again so that the front suspension rises up vigorously and falls, all set to smash world records. 6. Move an inch. 5. Move a foot. 4. Move a couple of feet more. 3. Feet on the foot rest, vehicle in motion. 2. Gone! Hey folks, don’t we have 1, zero, then amber for a couple of seconds and then comes green when the throttle is sup…. Ssshhhh…which world are you in? The stone ages?

Well, that was a played-down version – normally, no one waits till 2. The sequence starts from 20 and is over by the time it’s 10 more seconds for amber.

But who is the culprit here? The bikers? The racers? The drivers? I blame the system!

In this same scenario, in the presence of a traffic constable/ police man, the outcome is not any different. The police play the abettor here. In most traffic signals, traffic policemen are visibly lazy. Can’t blame them anyway – would you want to keep standing at a place all day amidst a flurry of dust and smoke, watching floods of people go past with blaring horns? I certainly wouldn’t fancy that. Why should there be a traffic constable at all, when traffic signals are working just fine, in the first place?

Never mind the white shirts and the khakis. Then what’s the problem? The problem is that, becoming so bored at having been stationed motionlessly at one place, they start waving to the already impatient commuters to move on – even when the signal is still red – when they find a reduced stream of vehicles from the other side! They abet this behaviour of skipping the red signal! And they are the faces of law. In effect, the law says, “If you find a stupid red signal when there’s not a soul on the other side of the signal, treat the red signal as green”.

So, having been “conditioned” to keep moving in red, and because of a poor memory, our riders treat red as green even when some pathetic souls find themselves on the other side of the signal, forgetting the clause in the “law of red turns green”. The signal turns obsolete, cultured human beings become dogs scrambling for the piece of bone.

Uniformed men at traffic beats do this at every signal. One would suppose the system would have put them through an induction course and a training period of considerable duration for them to be familiar with Traffic signals and what a red coloured traffic light meant. Whether the system failed to tell the guardians of law that “Traffic rules need to be obeyed – period.” or whether the policemen failed to learn the lessons right or they forgot what they learnt, it ultimately becomes the responsibility of the system for letting traffic signals fail miserably.

How to blame poor citizens for a faulty system?

General Musharraf - The "Crusader" who was 'Humiliated'

Our “Friendly Neighbourhood” – No, not Spiderman – General Musharraf has apparently expressed “Shock and Disbelief” (or something on similar lines) at something that our ex-Primo Vajpayee had said.

For one, according to the General, there is “Freedom Movement” in Kashmir, which is no where near the definitions of “Terrorism”. So, he would appreciate it if the world looked upon Pakistan as a country that actively encourages and supports a “Freedom Movement” in its neighbour’s territory, perhaps? If the International Community chose to call the slaughtering of people a Freedom Movement, Musharraf wouldn’t shy away from owning responsibility for all the “Martyr Camps” that operate from inside Pakistan. Musharraf only supports Freedom.

Talk of Freedom in Pakistan. When was the last time that there was any talk of elected Government in there? For someone who crept his way to the throne, who is a self-anointed “President”, and who keeps talking of “Free and Fair Elections” in Pakistan while clinging desperately to the chairs of Dictatorship, statements about “Freedom” are Blasphemy to the very concept!

But one has to admit – the General does have a weird sense of humour. “Musharraf in his book ‘In The Line Of Fire’ has also said that both he and Vajpayee had been "humiliated" at the Agra summit in 2001 "by someone above".” For someone who is such a hot seat, his sense of humour does deserve a huge round of applause. But it leaves one wondering, as to who could be “above” the “President” of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India! We were taught at school that these are the top most positions in a Nation. So, who could possibly be “above” the Chiefs of two countries? Could it be the Secretary General of the United Nations? Was he referring, by any chance, to the “Ultimate President” George Bush? Or, was he talking of “Lord Almighty” Himself?

Well, one possibility could be this: Musharraf and Vajpayee must have completed their talks at Agra and must have been waiting for their private aircraft to arrive. The Pilot of the plane, while about to land to pick them up, must have had problems landing and must have taken off and done a sortie just when Musharraf expected the plane to land. And the pilot must have landed a few minutes later, perhaps. Quite justifiably, the General must have seen this as an act of defiance and humiliation by the Pilot (and this could also have brought him some old memories flooding in). So, that’s it - both he and Vajpayee were humiliated at the Agra summit in 2001 “by someone above”, the Pilot! Yeah, this sounds plausible.

One wonders why this story was not reported in the media. Perhaps, the General, so used to suppressing the media in his home town, must have done something to prevent this piece from getting into the media glare. After all, he had every right to reserve some surprises for his “Line of Fire”. Who would buy a book, otherwise?

Chickenmania

Justice delayed has, after all, not been justice denied. For once, the culprit has been brought to book and will be meted out what what was to have been done earlier. However, punishments to such crimes need to be prohibitive. Human Rights activists may be up in arms against supposedly “Draconian” laws, but then, as I would like to remind to anyone willing to listen, Human Rights are meant only for humans!

In other news, Dengue and Chikungunya are the talk of the town, with the authorities struggling to contain the outbreak. So much so, that anyone and everyone down with fever claims to have been affected with Chikungunya. It has come to be seen as a Fashion Statement of sorts. “Hey, I had Dengue last week, what about you?” “Dengue? You out-dated freak! It’s CKG these days man, I’m just walking out of it”. CKG has become synonymous with any fever, any mild rise in temperature or any pain that deserves a balm. It’s become the “Since I am suffering from CKG for the past two days, please grant me . . .“ kind of frenzy. I met an acquaintance who was making a public announcement - “I couldn’t make it to the party folks, I was down with CKG yesterday!” – bubbling with pride. I walked up to him. “So, which type of CKG have you been treated for?” He gave me a “Look at this silly chilly” look and said, “What are the different types?” I said, “There is the Chikun65 gunya, then the Tandoori Chikun gunya, the Chikun Biryanya and a few others still evolving. Which strain of virus is yours?” I left him with a dumb look in his face.

Falter, Fumble, Fernandes.

President Kalam is the most popular youngster in India. There has not been, as much as one could immediately recall, a leader who has moved the youth as much as this simple man has; at least, in Free India. A man who could walk up to the child and smile, a President who would fill the garbage bin with protocols, a down-to-earth intellectual, a kind teacher, an inspiring father-figure . . . to this generation, he is just “Cool”.

Why did George Fernandes have to drag him into the mess that politics is? Why should someone try to taint an honest man? Why could the politicians not keep to themselves? That the entire art and science of politics has been filled with ranks and files of manipulators, egoists, and downright self-serving egomaniacs is no secret. The few Institutions of Supreme Court and the President’s Office that stand tall amidst the rubble are nothing less than sacrosanct. If the bigwigs of politics, in their enthusiasm to pass the buck as they are so used to, try to paint a dirty picture with their filthy brushes, would a Nation sit and watch the show?

If Contempt of Court is an offence, what should an attempt to taint the President himself be termed? Should someone be allowed to get away with such a deed that was nothing short of a blatant lie for the world to see? George Fernandes should be remembered for setting a new low in public service.

Independence Day 2006

Things have been happening fast – in India, abroad and in a few other aspects as well that would keep me occupied for the near future. That is the reason posts in Clearway have become fewer and far between.

Blogs are beginning to be heard and are becoming louder in the media these days. As is said, the success of an individual is measured in the changes that he manages to bring about in the lives of others. The billionaire or the baron is as good as the particle of dust floating around with the wind if all that he has thought about is his own self and his kin. So can be said of Blogs – what change this Compulsive Expressive Disorder brings about in the lives of people and how powerful it is in enhancing living standards of those in dire straits would determine the success of this medium.

Independence Day Celebrations and the accompanying inevitable terror threats have given fodder for channels to conduct Talk Shows and surveys – “How vulnerable do you feel this Independence Day?” Heck, if we really had Independence, why would we feel vulnerable at all? It’s only when you think your fate depends on some other mortal that you feel vulnerable! Well, you have as much chance of having your head blown off by the Human Bomb as you have of tripping on a stone and suffering a fatal head injury or slipping off the exit while you emerge out of the plane that has just safely landed! You were born, you are bound to die.

Wishing fellow Indians a Great India soon on this Independence Day, Clearway takes a few days off Blogging. But then, as you know, the dusk always has its dawn. Let’s all live to see India flourish – and Humanity wake up to the reality of Peaceful Co-existence. Clearway will be back.

The Have's and the Have Not's: Protect your Head - Use the Helmet!

Issued in the interest of the general public by Clearway!

Traffic Constable: Hey, Stop . . Stop!
Bike Rider pulls up - looks at the TC.
Bike Rider: Yeah dude, what's up? Why did you want me to stop?
TC: Where's your helmet?
BR: Why? I lost it a few years back while I was on a picnic. Don't know where it is now.
TC: A few years back? So, you never bought a helmet after that?
BR: No. My daddy bought one for me but strictly instructed me never to take it out. It was a very expensive helmet and he was afraid I might break it if I fell from my bike!
TC: Do you know the new helmet rule that's on from today?
BR: There's no helmet rule, I have withdrawn my order.
TC: Huh? Your order? What do you mean your order?
BR: My name is the same as that of the Chief Minister of the state. And all is in the name. So, Im the Chief Minister of the State.
TC: Hmm, okay. But even in that case, we have not got any papers revoking the order from you, Mr Chief Minister. We go by the original order. You need to cough up a fine.
BR: Heh? You wanna have a showdown with me, the Chief Minister?
TC: See young man, the helmet is meant only to protect your head.
BR: Big Deal! Don't you see that it's my own individual prerogative to decide when and where to break my head? What's your problem?
TC: I think you dont watch movies. John Abraham always wears a helmet and he asks others to wear one as well.
BR: Mr TC, I have two reasons not to use a helmet. One, I did not have sufficient time to purchase a helmet.
TC: No Time? But in your own words, you were the one who gave the orders in the first place! And it has been more than a couple of months since your order came. Are two months not enough to buy one helmet?
BR: Buying a helmet is a long procedure. We need to advertise in the news papers and call for tenders, the tenders would have to be opened in a transparent manner and a source decided and the order awarded. And the most important factor is that the helmet must suit the shape of my head.
TC: Okay, so what's the other reason that you did not buy a helmet for, Mr Chief Minister?
BR: Well, the other reason is that I don't have anything in my head that I may have to protect. So, I have nothing to lose. It's like, if you don't have anything in your house, would you lock it at all?
TC: Yeah, that was obvious, the moment you said you were the Chief Minister merely because your name is the same as his name.
BR: Yeah, you are right. So, why should I pay the fine?
TC: I concede. You do not have anything to protect and hence you don't have to wear a helmet. But those who have something in their heads, should they not be wearing their helmets? Is it not your responsibility, as a Chief Minister, to show the way by example? After all, medical bodies have come to this conclusion after studying so many fatal head injuries. Why all this debate at all?
BR: That's because, we are conducting a survey as to how many people have stuff in their heads and how many people of the state have empty heads. We could not design a perfect test for that. So, the best way is to let people decide by themselves whether their heads are filled or empty. Now we know - those who wear a helmet are the "Have's", and those who do not wear one are the "Have Not's".
TC: That's great. So, you are a proud "Have Not". Congratulations Mr..

Meet the Fockers: Ban on Blogs

Mr Home Minister,

As far as this Blog is concerned, you don't exist. Nor does your Government which has had the guts to put a lock on my home, seal it without notice and then open the doors sheepishly as if nothing ever happened.

Where were you when the bombs were placed in Mumbai rails? Were you cuddled in the comfort of your Air conditioned rooms when hundreds lost their lives and loved ones? What do you plan to do to stop the next attack in the city? Or perhaps, was it the divine intervention that prompted you to block blogs so that no further attacks were effected? Do you have to guts to come over to my place and look at me in the face at this very moment?

You better not! I would make you feel sorry if you did that! Browse the net and see if you can get some tips on National Security. Take a crash course if you please. But never ever think of laying hands on my Blog! India prides itself on its Democratic credentials and on being Super Power material, whether they are facts or myths. Don't blow the cover exposing your weak underbelly. If you can't do your job, resign!

Post for Victims of the Tata-VSNL Conspiracy

They are the latest swindlers in town - and they have made a fortune out of others' money. Tata and VSNL are the twin names that stand for anything evil. They swindle, they rob, they rape - they do anything for money.

As the growing list of victims supports a case for the Government's Black-listing the Tata group, Clearway lists the contact details of Tata group obtained from the web in this post. For those who missed the action, details of the modus operandi of Tata Indicom Broadband Dons can be found in some of the previous posts:

1. Red Alert: Escape from Tata Indicom

2. All that Glitters . . . Escape from Tata Indicom - Part 2

3. Don't even THINK of buying VSNL!: Escape from Tata Indicom Part 3

Contact details of some commanders of the 'yet-to-be-banned' organisation are available here:

CMCS. V. Ramanan, head (corporate communications)

Email: svr@corp.cmc.net.in

Indian Hotels, Raghunath Kale, director (internal communications)

Email: raghunath.kale@tajhotels.com

Rallis, Annahita Kapadia, manager (MD’s office)

Email: annahita@rallis.co.in

Tata Chemicals, Sujit Patil, manager (corporate communications)

Email: spatil@tatachemicals.com

Tata Coffee, C Jawahar

Email: cj@tatacoffee.com

Tata Consultancy Services, Pradipta Bagchi, general manager (corporate communications)Email: pradipta.bagchi@tcs.com

Tata Elxsi,

Email: info@tataelxsi.co.in

Tata International, Shernavaz Colah, corporate communicator

Email: scolah@tatainternational.com

Tata Motors, Debasis Ray, head (corporate communications)

Email: debasis.ray@tatamotors.com

Tata Power, Shalini Singh, assistant general manager

Email: shalinis@tpc.co.in

Tata Steel, Sanjay Choudhry, chief (corporate communications)

Email: sanjay.choudhry@tatasteel.com

Tata Tea, Rashmi Mehta

Email: rashmimehta@tatatea.co.in

Tata Teleservices, Suroor Hussain, manager (direct marketing)

Email: suroor.hussain@tatatel.co.in

Titan, Manoj Chakravarti, general manager (corporate communications)

Email: manojc@titan.co.in

Trent, Neeti Chopra, head (marketing)

Email: neeti-chopra@trent-tata.com

Voltas, B. N. Garudachar, general manager (corporate communications)

Email: bngarudachar@voltas.com

VSNL, G. C. Banik, chief general manager (public relations)

Email: banik@vsnl.com

As you would have noticed, the only e-mail id relevant to VSNL is that of G. C. Banik, Chief General Damager (Public Relations). However, efforts to mail him have been futile - his mail box is already full!

So, dear victims of the Tata-VSNL conspiracy, do not hesitate; just shoot mails to any of the e-mail id's (preferably, each one of them) available. They are all from the same gang anyway!

PS. If any of you could get some more e-mail id's of the gang, please leave comments here.

Militants pack up as Government Deregulates Terrorism

Mumbai is in the news again - and for the wrong reasons! Repercussions of the blast have made the US tighten up its security. That is vigilance, perhaps. Our Intelligence has been caught napping - snoring, in fact.

To be able to blast eight spots in a row, one after the other with the precision of a scientist in experimental conditions is no mean task. Whoever did that seem to have had all the time and freedom to plan, move and act at their leisure. I never knew planting bombs was child's play!

What followed was the lethargic act of convening of a high profile meeting by the Prime Minister, statements by DGP's confirming that the blasts were planned indeed and no act of accident, bodies piling up, relatives grieving, and Intelligence waking up trying to understand what hit them. Heck, I feel so bored to be typing this stuff that happens as if it were some dragging episode in a soap that has been running for years! To be precise, bomb blasts have lost their charm! I mean, they are not exciting anymore, are they?

I really feel anyone could walk up to our President with a bag of explosives and gift him the bag after a warm hug. And I dont think our President would object to that anyway; and our Intelligence folks would promptly put the pieces together as would our Government in declaring a mandatory mourning period. I mean, bombs are plain boring these days!

I would suggest terrorists wind up their business and try some other more profitable and glamorous avenues. And I personally would like to apply for a job where I would have no pressure whatsoever, relax at my will, read the news paper and speak to the media once in a while when some loud noises erupt in buses or trains or market places in the metros. Any idea where I could try my luck?

Mumbai, Delhi, Democracy and Dr Venugopal

Rains wreak havoc in Mumbai! Is that news? Well, definitely not! That's an annual event, much like the Summer Festival; just that this doesn't have much to do with anything Summer. One would be surprised if work doesn't grind to a halt once or more than once a year in India's commercial capital. And what can the administration and authorities do when Rain Gods work overtime? You don't expect the Government to sack the Rain Gods, do you?

Talk of 'Sacking'! If one were to believe media reports, that's something out government seems to be good at - along with ransacking. What would you do when you want to be constantly in the news and you run out of ideas? You sack someone of the stature of Dr Venugopal a day before his Birth Day and insist that he got what he deserved for not having performed his task.

Sack a Chief, will you? Nah, I did not mean a Chef at your home - a Chief. You conceive a meeting for a couple of hours, lodge your complaints, read them out, be your own justice and spell the verdict out - well, that's no Democratic stuff. So, there’s no way it could have happened in the biggest democracy; definitely not when Mumbai is let to go into hibernation every year as if it's nobody's business to do something about the infrastructure at all. Our governing authorities never budge even in the worst hours of crisis - they just let the system take its course. Don't tell me the AIIMS Director was sacked by some hooligans - not in India!

Nightmare Kills Aussie Dream!

None but the diehard Italian optimist would have hoped for Italy to join the elite club into the next stage of the World Cup knock out. And for the sarcastic pessimist of all the hype blown out of proportion surrounding the football gala, there must have been some reason to think twice in his next line of attacks on the millions of maniacs.

Beckam did the trick yesterday to justify the Indian 'International' movie's name; and what a slice it was indeed with the artistic touch of a master craftsman, sliding right past the goal post, squeezing through the gloves of the desperate goal keeper! The one free kick made all the difference yesterday. And today, it was a twist of fate from the Aussie stand point! And it was indeed ironical that the Yellow shirts, who went into this game as underdogs were actually quite aggressive and dominated over the favourites for most part of the game. Frustration was written all over the face of the Italian coach who had nothing to do but to gesture wildly in the air, wondering if he really deserved to be in his seat at all with such a meak show by the Italians. A ball possession ratio of 61 - 39 against the Blue men did not quite tell the whole story. The Italians looked dead on the field; they stood as if they were just out of a deep depression, struggling to find their true selves, doubting every cell of theirs before making a move. Most of the game was played in the Italian half. Well, the Aussies surely deserved a win today!

Just as the Italians struggled to avert conceding a goal and getting the game extended into the extra time came the horriffying act that stabbed, killed and burried their opponent for the next four long years. For a team that thoroughly dominated the opponents, conceding a penalty in the last 10 seconds of the game would be a nightmare that would haunt the Aussies for the rest of their lives. "Cruel" was the word the commentator used to describe the situation - and there couldnt have been a better adjective! The Aussies were aggressive, confident, dominant, valiant - and the most unfortunate!

"Clearway against Football": Critics Grill Clearway!

Critic: Is it true that Clearway is a headstrong blog?

Clearway: No idea what you mean by that. But if you are hinting at Head and Shoulders, Clearway doesn't advertise in its space.

Critic: I concede that might not have been the best way to start an interview.

Clearway: There are no defined paths to go about doing things. I never accused you; so you dont have to concede anything.

Critic: Well, the main purpose of this chat is to draw your attention to the way you are being perceived.

Clearway: I dont see what is to be achieved by that and how that would affect me.

Critic: Alright, let me get to the point. Why have you not reported the World Cup?

Clearway: I would have reported it if there was no other way people could have known that the World Cup had started. I did not report it because people already knew that the event was underway.

Critic: Is that a valid reason? I find it as more of an excuse.

Clearway: Well, that was a response; you may categorise it as you wish.

Critic: The point is, what do you plan to achieve by choosing not to report an event as big as the World Cup!

Clearway: Well, there is no point in reporting it. I told you that.

Critic: An event that draws all eyes to it, that has so much of History about it, the biggest entertainment of the world, a feast for every football lover, and you see no point in talking a word about that?

Clearway: So, what do you expect me to say? That the World Cup has started off in Germany? That is a mere news and makes no sense. I might report the event if the football got lost when the game was all set to begin and all the stores in Germany ran out of stock just then.

Critic: That's being cynical about something Historical.

Clearway: Im being neither cynical nor historical; Im just being practical.

Critic: Okay, what's your opinion about Brazil being the most favoured team?

Clearway: Everyone talks about Brazil because they do not know much about the other teams; and they can't imagine not talking about football in a World Cup season!

Critic: Does it mean that you discount Brazil and dismiss it's world renowned skills?

Clearway: Im not a Discounter nor am I an employer of the Brazilian team to dismiss them. I was talking about the froth in all the talk about Football.

Critic: The discussion is not about people; it's about football.

Clearway: Perhaps, that might have been a reason why I did not report the event?

Critic: Okay. Which country do you think would run away with the World Cup?

Clearway: It would definitely not be India. As for running away with the World Cup, anyone could do that. But winning it is different.

Critic: Ahemm . . . so who do you think would WIN the World Cup?

Clearway: I can easily predict that. But suppose my prediction turns right, the winning Team will have to give me the World Cup and walk back home.

Critic: Whatt???

Clearway: Don't worry; I have some other cups with me. I shall give one of those to them.

Critic: The whole discussion leads me to infer that you are not interested in the World Cup, or you are not a Football follower or you want to stand out from the crowd desperately.

Clearway: Whom do you refer to as the Crowd?

Critic: The Bloggers of course. You do not want to be associated with every other blog and you consider yourself superior.

Clearway: How sure are you about that?

Critic: Otherwise, a blog the reports News and Views from India should definitely have talked about Football in its space. And you have chosen not to do so.

Clearway: Getting back to your point about your inferences, Number 1. Yes, Im not interested in the World Cup. If I were, I would have played in it and tried to win the Cup all for myself. Number 2. Yes, Im not a follower of Football. The football gets kicked all around the ground and I can't keep following it to every corner and into the goal posts. Number 3. You yourself have termed the Bloggers, a "Crowd", a strongly objectionable term, considering the individuality of every Blog. I take strong exception to your usage of a term that was totally unwarranted.

Critic:

Clearway: And what I want to achieve by not reporting about the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, and why I'm hell bent on writing not a single word about the colourful event followed by mad people all around globe is entirely up to me. You never deserved an explanation about that.

Critic: So, finally, are you going to write about it or not . . . ?

Clearway: That's a Straight "NO"! And no reasons would be furnished, whatsoever. I have other important things to do than write something silly about Football!

Let there be some Space for News: Media

Alright, it was a tragedy! That Pramod Mahajan was fatally shot by his own brother, that he was such a young and promising leader, that the family had to go through the ordeal in the days that followed the incident till his demise and to cap it all, that his son kissed the doors of death and returned to life while his aide was not all that fortunate, all of these couldn't have been any worse for the family.

But why waste all the front page space on a family affair? And this seems to go on and on in the media that seems not to be getting enough news to fill its pages. The BJP leaders have visited Rahul Mahajan who is now in police custody - that is only to be expected of them and is an act of basic courtesy that they do so; the party ought to stand by the family of its senior member when the family has been torn apart. But again, that's a Party affair!

The sorry story of Rahul Mahajan is more of a human interest one than anything of National interest. There could be other important events happening around that may have a deeper impact on the lives of a typical reader. Let the media have its heart in place and think with its head.

Dr Wrong, think again!

Its Reservation Reservation everywhere! And no there's no reason why it shouldn't be. I winder if this protest against this R word would go down in history and into the History Books as one of the most vociferous expressions of disapproval of a Government Sponsored move by the public. So much so that even a casual talk of Railway "Reservation" or an airline "Seat Allocation" is making heads turn!

Whether this is justified or if the revolting voices would be pacified upon assurances of their own "Safety" remains to be seen. What is unsettling, however, is the way ordinary citizens are made to suffer for no faults of theirs, caught in the cross-fire. Why would an ailing woman or an old man remain unattended on the pavements of hospitals, while physicians are busy shouting slogans and holding placards? Does a senior Doctor have the same responsibility as that of a striking student? Would the same Life-saving magician ignore his patient and go along with the mob, if the patient were his own mother or father or sister?

Dear Doctors, whether you are right or wrong is decided not by your guts in shouting in the crowd - it has to be announced to the world by your actions backed by convictions. You have been brilliant enough to gain entry into the medical colleges beating every odd; you definitely shouldn't have problems conceiving novel ways of protests while protecting those who have surrendered their lives to you!

Don't even THINK of buying VSNL!: Escape from Tata Indicom Part 3

The woes from Tata Indicom continue, prompting a third post on the same issue at Clearway! Here goes the script of the next e-mail to Tata Indicom from out Tata victim!

Im tired of lodging complaints with you folks!

Tell me something, is this an ISP or a bunch of Jokers sitting out there, talking merrily to whoever speaks on phone and sending the same set of e-mails in response to every complaint, irrespective of what the matter is or who the sender is?

It's the same routinie these days:

I lodge complaint
You give me a complaint number
I wait for your call
I call you again
You assure me of the best of services and advertise about your dial up connections
I mail you and blast you
You reply coolly as if you have got an award from me
The service is up for a couple of hours
The service goes dead
Time for another complaint!

I need a solution. Or at least, give me an answer: Do you provide internet services at all? Or did you get the money from me to call me up and mail me? How many times do I have to complain in a day? Dont you get sick of giving the same dumb responses everytime I complain? Well, I certainly am getting sick at the way your company, or the bunch of folks that call themselves a company, works!

Your Service Enginieer poses as if he is the busiest person on the planet and asks me over phone if the net is on! And there is absolutely no use shooting mails to you folks! Because, I know that even if the net functions for a couple of hours, it's going to go dead again and I would have to "Complain" to you yet another time!

I understand you do not have any other job than sitting in front of PC's in Whitefield, and typing some stuff and dispatching them to inboxes. Lucky you! Unfortunately, we poor subscribers have other works and some of them happen to depend on something called the "Internet", a term which Im not sure if you are aware of!

The so-called Broadband connection that you advertise of is something more than a couple of green lights constantly blinking atop the modem!

The link that I have provided here is a free service for you:
http://www.google.co.in/blogsearch?hl=en&q=tata+indicom

As I told you in my last mail, I have already put the issue on-line and your High Level Service is getting popular on the same Internet that is your bread and butter. And this mail goes on-line as well, for prospective victims to Escape from Tata Indicom! This would continue till my Internet gets working continuously for at least a week, without going dead. Or, get me Mr Ratan Tata on phone - it's high time he knew of what he heads!

PS. I would definitely see if I could get this on Main Stream Media!

All that Glitters . . . Escape from Tata Indicom - Part 2

After all the struggle, the connection finally seems to have become alright at our customer's. He seems to have received calls in double digits from Tata Indicom on Monday morning (from different executives but) before someone ventured in to solve the issue.

Strangely enough, there wasnt any written commnication from Tata, responding to the strongly worded mails from our consumer. And the consumer himself had to make a few calls in the morning before the soldiers from Tata Indicom realised the problem.

It is disappointing that a premier business house of the country, which has been pioneering stuff for years, has not bothered to be moved till the consumer went all out for the services that he rightfully deserved! And it certainly is baffling that in this era when "Customer Service" is a basic tool, well established organisations that are supposed to be all ears to sense what the customer feels, have ignored him totally, merely minutes after the sale had been effected!

It definitely gets irritating when one has to brief scores of executives of the same problem over and over again! Where has organisational structure gone? Could someone imagine 20+ sales people visiting a corporate customer for a sale and convince the Purchase Manager of the quality of their company?

This tale sadly proves that all that is a "Brand" may not "Solid" - they may merely be "Myths"! Tata would definitely have to get back to its basics. Or, it would have to face such posts as these growing in numbers and echoing loudly in the market.

Red Alert: Escape from Tata Indicom!

The following is the communication between a consumer and a company, over e-mail. Clearway got access to this chain of e-mails, that shows the shabby work that ISP's do in this country.

9 May 2006, Tuesday

To: customerservice@vsnl.co.in

From: Consumer

Subject: Internet Connection not working

Hi,

My Log in Id is ******. My Application Number is ******.

My account was activated today by your service personnel. However, Im not able to access the net now. I logged off once after my account was activated. When I try to log on, I can see that the net is on (100 Mbps) but web pages are not opening up.

I spoke with one of your Customer Service Executives - she said there was some problem with the connection, though the net was on. However, the call got disconnected. Please check the problem and rectify it at the earliest.

Regards,
*****

11 May 2006, Thursday

From: Tata Indicom

Dear Mr ******,

We regret for delay in responding to your mail. Thank you for writing your concern regarding unable to login to our notice.

We understand and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in this regard.

With reference to your email, we would like to inform you that your concern has already been noticed to the network team and they are working on high priority basis. Our team will call you with the feedback at the earliest.

We need your valuable time and patience during this period which helps us to serve you better.

For any further assistance, please feel free to contact Customer Service http://www.tataindicombroadband.com/contactus.html (the link contains the location wise contact numbers) or mail us on http://us.f327.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=customerservice@vsnl.co.in. We will be delighted to assist you.

Warm Regards,

******,

Customer Service,

TATA Indicom Broadband.

11 May 2006, Thursday

From: Consumer

Hi,

Thanks for the mail.

But the problem is that there have been only problems since I registered with you. Initially, the connection was promised in 8 - 10 days after I paid through cheque - it took more than 3 weeks since then.

And in these 3 days since the connection is up, I have complained thrice - and the problem is still very much there, intact. I dont think I can stand this poor service from you any longer if you do not rectify the situation immediately.

This is a prepaid service and no life membership. I would opt to cancel my membership if I do not get my connections from tomorrow, Friday, 12 May. If you state that may not be possible, I can assure you I would never renew any of my services with anything associated with Tata. And be sure I would spread the word about your shabby services as much as I can.

I was promised that you would call me in 24 hours and it's been more than that now. I do not want any more calls. The problem gets rectified tomorrow or I walk out. Period! Customer servise is no lip service. Tata should have known better.

******.

12 May 2006, Friday.

From: Consumer

Hi,

Im disappointed that you have not cared to respond to a mail where I had virtually set a deadline for you to act. You have touched new low in Customer Service.

I cancel my subscription to your services. You may please send your personnel to pack the rolls of cables back into their bags from my residence. My association with you has been nothing more than complaints and headaches, not to mention the amount that I spent calling your Customer Support Executives.

I hope you wouldn't create problems at least when Im winding up my association with your esteemed organisation. Be sure, this is no way to do business.

******

13 May 2006, Saturday

From: Tata Indicom

Thank you for bringing your Broad band connection issue to our notice. With reference to your email, we trust the needful has been done and your concern regarding No Browsing of your Broadband connection has been resolved after the assistance provided by our Customer Service Executive. We hope everything is working fine. Should you require any further assistance, please feel free to write to us to serve you better. Thank you for your time and patience. For any further assistance, please feel free to contact Customer Service at http://www.tataindicombroadband.com/contactus.html (the link contains the location wise contact numbers ) or mail us on http://us.f327.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=customerservice@vsnl.co.in. We will be delighted to assist you.

Warm Regards,

******,

Customer Service,

TATA Indicom Broadband.

13 May 2006, Saturday

From: Consumer

You are unbelievable!

I wonder how you could "trust the needful has been done", when I, who lodged the complaint, havent expressed my satisfaction yet that the problem has been rectified!

And you have mailed me in such a cool tone as if everything has been working perfectly fine, not a word of apology, not a sign of efforts towards pacification!

I understand that your systems are not in line with the advances in Information Technology. I guess that's the reason you have not been able to rectify a problem that has been pestering me right from the day of inception of your services - if at all I could use the word "Services" to describe what you have been doing!

Be sure - I am not able to connect to the net still. Please do not sit in an ivory tower and dream that all your connections are working perfectly alright. Tata Indicom Broadband connections are a mess, as I have recently discovered.

I do not need a stereotypic mail from one of your customer services personnel; I need to know that the problems in the field have reached those at the top. And Im going public about all the sloppy "Services" that you have been providing. At this moment, this issue could have been published in any of the media or discussion forums, so that the world knows what you are and the consumers escape from the nightmare that your company has come to be!

That was the latest news about "Customer Service" in India. Stay tuned for more news about fresh action.

Breaking News - "Bribes are Perfectly Legal" and "Spineless Worms cast their Votes"

This election was different; they legalised Bribes. And the election commission condoned it; and the people watched it, actively participated in it and accepted it merrily.

Alright, this is a Democracy - but aren't these folks taking Democracy too far? Or, they are taking it too lightly, perhaps? Whichever way it is, Elections are no longer the results of a 5 year performance; they are a sham; they are a Shame! Just as a Food marketeer would sell a sack of rice and announce a pack of pickles "Free", just as an FMCG company would bundle a soap with a bottle of shampoo, so have the parties been announcing freebies - Colour Televisions, Gas stoves, Gold, Cows . . . the list seems endless and is ridiculous.

This election season brought to light, what was one of the dark realities of our society - that Bribe is in the texture of a Democracy. That the Vigilance Department, or whatever it is known as, is a farce. That the election commission is nothing but an "Event Management" organisation. That democracy is a system designed to make people crazy. That political parties are liars and rogues and would sell anything and anyone to get to power. That we, the people, are worms squirming haplessly in the filthy ditch that our society is!

Sad End of an Innocent Victim

It couldn't have been worse for the family of the Engineer who was abducted and beheaded by some brutal elements called the Taliban. What they achieved through this cowardly act is not clear. If the Taliban call themselves a force, they should have fought their enemies; to kidnap an unarmed civilian and murder him mercilessly and keep hiding like eunuchs makes them look the meanest of creatures on the planet.

Hope the bereaved family musters the strength to face the hell that its life has turned into!