Mayawati Interview - See it First on Clearway!

Following the news about Mayawati's Multi-Crore Garland, Clearway, as usual, sent its Reporter to have an Exclusive Interview with the Iron Lady of India, Ms Mayawati. Since any news about Mayawati's Garland means a lot of currency, Clearway wanted to be the first website to publish an Interview with the "Queen of Garlands", the simple woman who fights for India's freedom from corruption and ignorance. The excerpts from the interview are presented here.

Reporter: Hello Mayawati ji, first of all, we wish you a very Happy Birthday.

Maya: But today is not my Birthday. Why do you ask wrong questions?

RP: But they presented you a garland made of money in the stage. So, I thought it was your Birthday.

Maya: Arrey, they give me money garlands daily. That was just one more occasion.

RP: Oh, sorry about that. But Mayawati ji, I have heard that you love your garlands so much?

Maya: Yes, this is just a way to make our workers work and at the same time, make their work easy. Two garlands in one neck!

RP: How is that?

Maya: You see, I give them targets for number of currency notes. So, they should first collect the amount. Then, whatever is short, they will print. And then, they have to make garland with money. So, this is work for party workers.

RP: Oh, ok. But how do you make their work easy?

Maya: Normally, workers have to go to the market to buy garland with money. Now, with money garland, they don’t have to waste time buying garland, they can simply make garland with money!

RP: Oh, Alright. But, you said your workers also print the money, is that true?

Maya: Ah! When did I say that? It was printing mistake . . . er, spelling mistake . . . whatever, slip of the tongue. And how dare you print what I never said? I never said workers print money. Don’t print wrong news about me!

RP: I’m sorry, Mayawati ji. I won’t print again . . . I mean, I won’t say that again. How did you collect all that money?

Maya: Good question. But a silly one that! See, we have supporters all over India. And our symbol is elephant. We erect elephant statues in all places, and people drop their donations in the elephant's mouth. Mostly, our party followers are villagers and they donate generously. So, we get donations and make garlands.

RP: But, during election, you said you would give good life for your voters. Now you say your voters give you money. How is that?

Maya: This is just a gift. How can I not accept gifts from villagers who give with so much of love?

RP: But what did you give them in return?

Maya: They give me love. Love is priceless. How can I give them something in return? It would be insult to love.

RP: There are many cases of amassing wealth in your name.

Maya: See, you can give only if you have it. Just now you asked me, what I have given them in return for love. How can I give them if I do not have it? That is why I amass wealth, so that I can give them.

RP: Where is that money garland now?

Maya: That is safe in a safe. I will use it for public welfare.

RP: When will you use it for public welfare?

Maya: I will use the money for fighting the next elections. When I get elected again, I will use the money for public welfare.

RP: But, why don’t you use it now?

Maya: I told you I have already used it. I bought a new safe with the money to keep the next money garland. So, both the garlands will be safe. The first one will be the safe, and the second one will be safe.

RP: Okay, got it. Why do you like elephants and have it as your symbol?

Maya: See, elephants have large mouths. Big mouths are good for elephants and for people. With large mouths, elephants eat whatever is available very fast. And with large mouths, people can keep talking. Big mouths eat and talk. So, I like elephants.

RP: Are you the next prime ministerial candidate?

Maya: Yes, of course. The elephant has already started walking towards New Delhi. And this time, I have ordered a medium size garland for Sonia ji also.

RP: Are you not afraid to take such big money garlands in public?

Maya: I am never afraid to serve the society. And if someone objects, I will send them a garland.

RP: One last question. That was a very expensive garland, may be a few Crores of rupees. How will you explain to the Income Tax people?

Maya: Simple. I earned the money and purchased the garland. Whatever money I had, I invested in the garland, because it was a very expensive garland – you yourself said that now. After I spend so much money in buying the garland, I have no money now. And the garland is safe, because, as I said, the garland is the safe. I bought the garland with the money, and then, I bought the safe with the garland. Now, the safe is safe, but I have no money. Without money, why should I be afraid of income tax people? And I have the next garland ready for Sonia Ji. So, I invest only in garlands. And it is not my money at all. I accept donations, but I donate garlands. Do you understand?

RP: Well, I think I have understood one thing. I will definitely vote for elephants in the next elections.

Maya: Good, So, why don’t you donate a thousand rupee note for my next garland? You can also write your name in the note so that I will always remember you, and serve you when I become elected again.

The Reporter Disappears!

Update: Read the second "Mayawati Interview" on the WikiLeaks / Julian Assange Revelations here 

Terrorism, Zero-Tolerance and the Iron Hand

I was confused to begin with, then, as I grew up listening to it, I got used to it. Nowadays, I find it rather funny. What exactly is this “Dealing Terrorism with an Iron Hand” or “Having Zero-tolerance for Terrorism”?

I was confused because I did not know, when I was young, what terrorism exactly was, except that it was bad and we should not tolerate. I got used to it later, because I found these statements following every terror attack in the country – the next time terror strikes, I used to think, I would hear this statement from the President or the Prime Minister of India. Now, I find it plain funny. What I would feel about it in the future? Irritating? Disgusting? Or would I find it too commonplace that I stop giving terrorism a damn thing?

A present, however, it is funny because it carries no meaning in the first place – I normally laugh when someone says anything that doesn’t mean anything at all! Then, the people who say this do not actually mean it – they just read it out of a written script. I find it funny because the script-writers have run out of imagination and creativity that they repeat the same words after every terrorist strike. Then, I find it funny, as everyone seems to say the same thing – that they have zero tolerance for terror. The Prime Minister, the president, the Home Minister, the Quasi-Prime Minister, and every other politician in this holy country of non-violence, make it abundantly clear that they will never tolerate terrorism, but they keep tolerating it, just as the buffalo would tolerate the vultures that feed on its wounds. Well, not that I compare anyone with buffaloes here, anyway – that was just an analogy that came to my mind.

But then, to think of it, what should the Government actually do, if its policy really is zero-tolerance to terrorism? It should beef up security, make its border security fool proof, be ultra-smart in intelligence gathering and sharing, never acknowledge anyone who Indulges in terrorist acts, and refuse to negotiate with any organization or institution or country that abets terrorism, as part of its overt or covert agenda. And a country that has zero-tolerance for terrorism should be prepared to face the consequences of terrorism with a brave heart and a drawn out sword, willing to sacrifice for what it believes in, without flinching or stepping back from what it stands for.

Terrorism is war declared by the terrorists on a nation – and when it is war, there will be pain. A country that has no backbone to bear the pains will never be able to deal with terrorism with an iron hand. And a country that has zero-tolerance for terrorism would not have let terrorists walk out of a hijacked airplane that was landed at Kandahar! If terrorists hijacked the plane, an uncompromising nation would have ordered blowing up of the plane along with all the innocent lives, whose fates were badly intertwined with that of the doomed terrorists. If terrorists want to negotiate holding a bunch of ill-fated passengers for ransom, the Government should refuse to acknowledge the terrorists – and challenge them to blow the plane into pieces themselves, or offer to do it for them!

Now, that would be dealing with terrorism with an iron hand; that would be zero-tolerance for terrorism. And if the Government had done that, there would not have been a 26/11 master-mind, who merely shifted the battleground – and its cannon fodder – from one place to the other, from Indian Airlines flight IC 814 to the Taj at Mumbai.

Terrorism cannot be fought against with zero casualties. When we have a dangerous neighbour, there is something better than living in fear – and that is to be ready to die with courage. Somehow, there has not been a single Government at power in the Centre in all these years of Indian Independence, which has shown the courage and the conviction to deal with terrorism with an iron hand, to have zero-tolerance for terrorism. And even as I write this piece, I find that it is not funny anymore – it is only pathetic. It is a pity that of all the people in power, over all these years, of the thousands of people who have only grown fat in politics, there has not been a single man who had the balls to deal with terrorism with an iron hand!

So, my dear terrorist, you may feel free to bomb the living daylights out of our country. Our politicians have all the tolerance you may expect from them for your terrorist deeds – and they would only deal with you with a feather touch, never with an iron hand.

Carlton Tower Tragedy - We Need No Terrorists!

The Carlton Towers tragedy demonstrates the level of preparedness that our emergency response services are in. If fire services are ill-equipped in a city like Bangalore, that states enough of the state of affairs! - Facebook

To

The Home Minister

We hear politicians talking of deterrents against terrorism. Mr P Chidambaram, Honorable Home Minister, you say India is only as vulnerable as any other nation in the world! Sounds good to hear, Sir, but to think that our emergency services are planning to bring in state of the art equipment only after a group of people jumped to their deaths from atop a multi-storied building in the IT City of Bangalore doesn't talk of vulnerability in the system. This is a gaping hole that is broadly termed complacence, where we are not yet ready to meet a contingency that may arise in the heart of the city.

There is a problem with the basics, at a very fundamental level where things are taken for granted. So, you may not yet pat your own back for having averted terror strikes, citing the number of bombs that did no go off. The fact is that there are no bombs needed to kill people en masse' in India. All it takes is a short circuit in a high rise building, and our emergency crew would turn into mute spectators with no proper equipment at their disposal to watch people drop dead, live and exclusive!

We need an overhaul, a shake up of the system and we need our politicians and bureaucrats to wake up from their slumberous delusions. Mr Chidambaram, could you please make that happen?

A Different Format - One More Step

I am guilty as charged - I have not been regular at my blogs. But then, what do I state of a country that is buried deep in a mess of its own creation? And what's the point in lamenting on and on, if we have nothing to do about it? Is blogging going to change the world?

Nevertheless, since these are questions that should have been asked before I decided to blog, let me not ask them now, a good few years since I posted my views at Clearway.

Clearway was not meant to be stopped - so, it shall go on. But there would be changes. Since everyone talks of social media these days, Clearway would heed to the trend that rocks the cyberspace hard! Clearway would, from now on, feature what I have to say about what I see around me, in two other places on the World Wide Web - Twitter and Facebook.

In effects, there may be posts as per the regular standards that Clearway has featured till date, but the majority of the posts in here would be extracts from my Twitter account and from my Facebook page. Why so? Well, it basically is much easier to be on Twitter and Facebook - and I feel there is much more to be done to the state of affairs than just posting on blogs and boasting of verbal skills (is there anything more to blogs than words?)

Well, as someone said, "Words are worthless - because, actions speak, anyway!". But if words can bring about some action in the long run, may be, words are not all that worthless after all!

Welcome to the first post of the New Year on Clearway - and there will be more!

Vande Mataram, Fatwa and the Power of Positivism

There is a power in positivism. Life is progress, life is growth. The human mind loves anything positive. It has more to do with the sense of the self, the ego. Since ego is born along with the person, whatever the person looks at is being filtered through the ego. The dominance that Ego exerts over the human mind is what puts the self over everything else. And that is why a baby would want to grow, be the first and crave for attention and importance.

This natural urge to be positive about life gets subdued by external influences so much, that the mind gets entrapped into its negative groove. With time, negativity tends to suppress the natural affinity towards positivism. It would then take deliberate, conscious effort to undo the damage done by the mind and impose positive thinking over mind's influence. This "Unlearning" to return to positive thinking takes time and maturity.

There is an anecdote about Mother Teresa that she was once approached by activists to auspice the occasion of a protest march that was planned against War and Destruction. And Mother Teresa declined the invitation. When questioned, her response was this: "March FOR Peace, not AGAINST war. When you do that, I would happily preside over."

The Fatwa issued by Darul Uloom against the singing of Vande Mataram, claiming that the National Song of India is "Unislamic" has raised quite a few eyebrows, including some from the Islamic community. There is this English Daily from Pakistan, for instance, the Daily Mail, that questions the motives behind the Fatwa, the decree, that has been ratified and upheld by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, after all these decades of silence. Predictably, the resolution has raised reactions of the extreme sorts from expected sectors in India.

Getting back to the issue that we were talking about, Positivism, the strength of being positive is that it begets positivism. When the mind is positive, thoughts are positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions. Consistent positive action leads to positive habits, which, over time, results in positive behaviour and a positive personality. What starts positive and stays positive has the strength to spread positivity all over. Does the power of a simple smile need explanations?

Why, then, does the Muslim body, be it the Darul Uloom or the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, have to resort to negative actions? Why should any Fatwa be negative at all? Islam, with its deep culture and long history, could not have survived if it were not positive in its outlook. Why do Islamic bodies have to be negative then in their decrees? If the blame is passed over to the BJP or the RSS or any other body that embraces Hindutva, for having created the situation in the first place, where Muslims were "forced" to recite the National Song, still, do Islamic organisations and institutions have to "react" rather than "respond"? If this is really a "response", it had all the reasons in the world to be Positive.

Being Negative is not going to serve any purpose other than create negativity in people's minds, be they Muslims or Hindus or of any religion. This is a land that has proven evidence of Non-Violence and Peaceful means being the most powerful weapons against the mightiest of forces. No religion resorts to negativism - all that religions do is to help people evolve, physically, mentally, spiritually. All religions are Positive. Why should Fatwas be Negative then?

Public bodies that take up causes of the common man and stand for social causes need to exemplify the spirit of positivism in whatever they do. It is the responsibility of intellectual bodies and groups to stay positive and spread the bliss of positivism. For a change, let the influential religious bodies of Islam issue positive Fatwas and see their influences by themselves. After all, India has been blessed with one more legend, Mother Teresa, as testimony for the effectiveness of Positive Energy. Nothing needs to be discovered afresh - all we need to do is to take the right lessons and follow the proven path.

It Was Midnight Alright - But Was it Freedom?

When The Taj was taken control of, besieged by militants who fought round the clock slaughtering civilians, when there was bloody carnage at CST where passengers commuting and waiting for trains were shot down like flies and trampled upon like worms, left to soak in their own blood on the platforms, as those armed men fired at random and at will at anyone who was destined to stray in their paths, all we could do, the majority of Indians who were shell shocked as we stayed glued to our television sets, was to watch. Then, our shock gave way to grief and anger – anger that was directed towards our elected representatives who had left us all crying and dying, as they stay protected in the safety of tight security.

There was outrage, there were public outcries that questioned leaders in their faces, celebrities hit out at the administration and the government and people gathered at city centres, at the marine drive, at clubs and associations to discuss and debate what had just hit them out of nowhere. There were commentaries that India had awakened yet again, this time from parliamentary squabbles and dirty politics and cross border terrorisms that had come to be its lullabies.

All of that, is now history. And it’s business as usual again. The status quo stays where it always stood. While everything in the world is supposed to change every moment, some things never seem to change at all. Such things, as the nonchalant chores of the middleclass Indian, as the television channels that are as busy as ever making reality shows, as filmmakers who keep up their entertainment values, as writers who advocate everything under the sun, as scamsters who are busy inventing new ways to mint money, as cricketers who are never tired of defeats and endorsements, as businessmen who are always on the move, strategising, and as politicians who pay their ritualistic homage to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the lawyer who set us all free.

Or, are we free yet?

"Slumdog Millionaire" is One in a Million!

Those were the days when I, as a kid, like most others of my age, used to be fascinated about a few things that were clearly larger than life; so much larger, that they were dreams, not a part of life at all. It was a protected India then, and what we folks got to taste and relish were homegrown produce. The rest of them were only 'hearsay'.

Like the "Fastest" bike, Yamaha; like the sleak, trendy, powerful BMW; like that mystic fabled drink, Coca-Cola; like those awards they used to give to amazing films beyond imagination, the Oscars!

As we grew up, we thought it was okay to have expectations of Indian movies winning at the Oscars. The first movie that I could recall having associated with Oscar dreams was by the Legendary Mani Ratnam, starring none other than the versatile genius, Kamal Hassan, "Nayagan". "Hey, did you know that they are going to "send" Nayagan for the Oscars?" That should be way back in the mid 80's.

Then, there was serious talk about our own Aamir's "Lagaan". And boy, did it not deserve a Universal Acclaim as the Academy Awards! By then, Oscar was very much within reach. Still, it was eluding.

Fast forward to Aamir Khan, again. With "Taare Zameen Par", we made a convincing case for the most Prestigious awards in the industry. With such delicate handling of the subject, we did have a right to expect the best in the world.

Then, History was made! One movie about the slums and shit holes of Mumbai was seen winning the Golden Globe. Then, it was again in the news for BAFTA. By now, there were 10 nominations for the Oscars! There were celebrations all around. Channels and news papers were beaming with hope.

And here has it arrived like a bolt, storming across nations, cultures and audiences, with people across India identifying so emotionally with their long cherished dream. Amidst mixed reactions, disbelief, debates, editorials, analyses, "Slumdog Millionaire" has literally smashed all expectation levels, with a sweeping 8 awards at the Global arena!

The kids are on stage now, stealing the limelight among the most watched, talked about and enormously paid international stars. For them, Oscar is not a dream beyond imagination.

The Nation adores AR Rahman, now more than ever before. The audience that has been mesmerised by his intriguing notes, thrilled by his technically sound beats, enthralled by his voice that goes weaved along the finest blend of instrumental magic, now has a new Face of the Nation to be proud of.

Oscar is no yardstick for Indian cinema. For the average Indian, "Slumdog Millionaire" may not be as good a movie as, say, a Masterpiece like "Roja" by Mani Ratnam. For a hardcore AR Rahman fan, "Jai Ho!" may not even be in the top ten compositions by the magician.

What "Sumdog Millionaire" has done, is to project Indian cinema, its technicians like Resul Pookutty and Indian Music to movie lovers the world over. It may not be the best of Indian movies ever made, but it has gone a long way in making the world take notice of "Bollywood". The incidents narrated through the movie, its characters, the backdrop, they may all be mostly negative, painting a bleak picture of what the fabled Indian shine and glory is, for the curious foreigner who wants to take a sneak peek of this historical nation; but we are not here to seek certificates on our standards and culture on world stage. This is cinema and the immensely talented pool of artists have got abundant world-wide recognition today, which not many other creations of this medium have succeeded in as yet.

For those who are really worried about an exposed underbelly, let's work to clear the filth out there in the real world. For the average Indian movie lover who celebrates the celluloid dearer than the things he loves in life, let's rejoice this moment with no guilt or remorse. This is an Indian movie, a sound Indian technician and an Indian music Ace that have glittered all the way through the Red Carpet on that big arena. There haven't been many moments that would parallel this glorious occasion!

"Bollywood" has got itself coined after "Hollywood". It's time we created our own unique identity and a powerful brand out of Indian Cinema. "Slumdog Millionaire" may very well have come to define that new era!

"Jai Ho!"

Taliban and the Valentine

At last, Valentine's Day is gone past. Phew.

I'm not sure of the other news papers, but the Times of India made it look as if Velantine's day was the only activity that occurred in India in the first half of February 2009. The Buzziest Brand went all out for lover boys and girls, women's liberation, individual freedom, 'Pub Bharo' "Movement", Pink Chaddi's and sarees, Indian culture, Pub Culture and anything that one would never have even remotely associated with the V-Day Celebration! Well, the media only reflects the society. Just that, sometimes, it uses a magnifying glass in front of the mirror and the mirror's angle too, perhaps, gets a bit skewed. Well, it's all in the game, anyway.

Now that the V-Day demonsrations are over, with people pondering over what to protest against now, Pakistan is back in the news. But the picture is really cluttered with too many microcosms within our friendly neighbourhood - Fidayeen, Mujahideen, Deccan Mujahideen, Al Qaeda, Taliban, Afghanistan, Sharia, AQ Khan, Dawood, Drone fighters, Geo News . . . the list, or rather, the mixture is whopping! There are too many stake holders in the Sub-continent, so many voices and noises being raised, so many diplomatic and multilateral dialogues and statements being exchanged, so much chaos that the picture is rather murky, with a lot of dust in the air refusing to settle down any time soon.

To be candid, I did give it a cursory thought if I should be really be mentioning all those names that I just did in the previous paragraph and fall in the radars and scanners that keep scourging through the information on the internet for any misguided connotations. For the record, I love peace and I am staunchly against terror, in any form!

But what really was special about this V-Day in India was that, people from all walks of life became aware of such a significant festival. So much so that I wished my elderly uncle, "Happy Valentine's Day to you!". He was bemused and was at a loss for words: "How do you think I should respond to THAT? This is the first time in my life that someone has wished me on a Valentine's Day!"

That apart, V-Day drew parallels between the movement to "protect Indian Culture" and "Talibanisation". The pink Underwear campaign gathered pace, much beyond expectations, not because of the abundant supply of the commodity in question: Underwears are available in most households. The reason, I would say, was that it was a right campaign that appealed to the right audience, who were already perturbed by the developments after 26/11. Let's not get lost in silly questions about who gained, go drew mileage, who shot to popularity or what was achieved in the entire episode that marked the 2009 V-Day miles apart from its predecessors. Questions like these seldom matter in a democracy!

Finally, though all attempts are made not to ask silly questions at this juncture, I have to ask this before I sign this piece off:

• What is Indian Culture?
• What is Western Culture?
• Is it the duty of every citizen to play a part in preserving one's unique culture?
• Do people of other cultures try to protect their cultures?

That's it. Four questions are too many to ask at a stretch. Not that anyone is going to be even slightly bothered about them. Still, whether asked or not, whether answered or not, questions remain questions.

Project Change - a step closer to Dream India - 1

ONE

How is "Change" going to be effected?

There is no disagreement on whether Change is needed or not. Given the fact that even in the best of circumstances, change may not only be inevitable but also be highly desirable, the current state of affairs dictates that a change prevail now, more than ever.

This is not a discourse on the need for change. This is Clearway's take on what it takes to effect Change.

At the moment, the problem is vast, rooted deep and is an accepted part of culture. Optimists would like to hope that things are changing for the better. "Today's younger generation has been brought up on the internet; they spread cheers over sms; and they are increasingly getting frustrated with the status quo . . "

The pessimists wouldnt bother to take note of developments inching forward. And the older generation is aghast with the whims and fancies of the youth today, at their speed bordering on rashness, at their tendancy to "Live Life before it melts away".

It is another issue that the present age older generation has spent its productive years talking its heart out and doing little to change the course of the inevitable. If responsibility is to be fixed on someone who has let this rot, where will the buck stop?

Yet another conflict is the "Comparison Syndrome" of the veterans and the "When's the next dose of advice please?" attitude of "Youngistan". "If we, at this age are this, why are you, at such an age, so bla bla bla . . . ?", countered by "Why is this space around me shrinking into suffocation?"

Getting back to the point: Who's going to fix what matters? Remember: We are not discussing the problems here. Problems are obvious, omniscient and an accepted part of tradition. We are no longer concerned with the "What" of it. It's only "How?"

This series will discuss precisely these questions: "How"? "Who"? "When"?

"Why" is redundant. "What" is obvious.

As we step into this series, a word of caution. This is no thesis or research paper. This is not fiction. This is not a fad. And, this is not the Solution.

The Solution lies out there, in the real world. The solution lies amidst the problem, lurking dangerously to pounce on the problem. The problem is at peril. But the solution will lie dormant as long as it is not whipped into self-realisation.

Who's responsibility is the whip? How to wield it? And when would it be unleashed?

For those who are looking for a solution here, you may be disappointed. If you want to be part of it, this series may strike a chord. Because, you lie in the solution; and the solution lies amidst the problems.

Let's see how close we can get to it.

Clearway World Watch - Certainly, it's Uncertain

Eventful may not be the right word. At best, it would be an understatement.

Gladly, the surgery on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's heart has been successful. Amdist controversies about Asian Heart Institute over AIIMS, the Nation does heave a sigh of relief at the development.

One does wonder if it takes more than a brave heart to be at the helm during these testing times, though. The heart, minimally, has to be a functional one, of course, as has been ensured by Dr Panda and Co. Now, Dr Singh would wake up, hoping he doesn't get a shocker for the immediate future, till the docs declare him fit for office. Inflation, Recession, Pakistan, Politics, Elections and last but by no means the least, our own dear Mr Raju . . . there seem to have been more than one reason that drove Dr Singh to AIIMS at short notice. Perhaps, he would rather spend a few more days in peace than rush back to his unenviable seat.

Talk of Raju! Man! This guy has got real guts - not one to be complaining of a chest pain or a blocked artery anytime soon. The Damage Control folks have a lot of ground to dig out of the Satyam mess. Ramalinga Raju doesnt seem to have dumped his skeletons in a hurry. What started off as one innocuous mis-handled and ill-conceived acquisition bid goes into a never ending maze. And I would bet our interrogators are wasting their time trying to question Raju. Quite possibly, he himself would have lost track of what he has been doing over the past few years. One leading to the other and to yet another . . . SEBI and the Serious Fraud Investigators would rather find out what is and what is not first, without getting into the "How" part of it, as of now.

One sure thing is, when the judge pronounces his verdict on the number of years awarded to the Satyam bosses, we would have to listen to it twice. We are getting so used to hyped up or understated numbers from Satyam of late, that any figure emanating seems distorted like a badly scratched prize card.

The world is not all that bad, after all. While the Satyam boss got himself sucked into the siphon he designed, the Americans have a new ray of hope in Obama. And the ray shines spreading light and cheers the world over - not to mention some shivers to Pakistan as well. Fidel Castro seems a happy man in Cuba, blessing the President's intentions regarding Guantanamo Bay and the changed American outlook. That's not a sight you would see every other day! Obama is moving, is moving fast and is moving steady. Early days to judge? Well, he gets the benefit of doubt.

So, while the new Administration in the US gets moving firmly on its agenda, lip reading experts have already spotted the new team pronuncing "Pakistan" and "Afghanistan" at quite regular intervals, and pronouncing them together. Ms Clinton has already had a word with Mr Zardari. Zardari might have been more fortunate and happy to have had Sarah Paulin in for Joe Biden; now that he has Clinton giving him a hard look, he'd better get down to business than run for China's moral support.

Notwithstanding the series of economic stimuli that make Uncle Sam look more like Santa, the highly inter-connected world economies have been spiralling out, not stopping on its downward spree yet. Britain too has joined the Big League of recessionary economics.

Put them all together, our Prime Minister is definitely better off in the safe confines of hospitals, without access to news channels or papers, for a while now. He has high voltage political games awaiting him anyway, with elections round the corner.

But a casual look at the polical and economic scenario is enough to scare the Indian layman. With Pranab Mukherjee calling the shots at PMO and Finance for Dr Singh, Mr Chidambaram learning the ropes of Home affairs instead of his Finance Forte, the Finance expert in the hospital beds with juices and sugar-free horlicks by his side, SEBI still trying to figure out what hit them and fighting it out with Court orders for Raju's possession, the inverted Satyam - MAYTAS - having its hands laid in more than one Metro Project, World bodies projecting more terror seeping in from across the Indian border and a global recession with no end in sight, who is handling what in India?

Well, the economy is still running, and more importantly, still growing. And no new scams have been unearthed; and terror hasn't risen its head again after 26/11, yet. That's good enough for the Indian citizen. We have not grown all that sophisticated to be asking for more than that!

This is NOT Enough!

If this is a reaction to the Wednesday when hell broke loose, this is not enough.

If this is a display of insecurity for the ordinary neighbourhood Indian, this is not enough.

If we consider this congregation of anger an "Achievement", this is not enough.

If we really want change at the core of the Indian Establishment and at the grass roots, this is not enough.

If this is the way we will vent our anger on failed systems, this is not enough.

What needs to be changed is not what we see. It is the unseen that we have to deal with.

Indians, Protest! Stand for your rights. Stand against dirty politics. Make them feel your presence. Make them take note of your unity.

But do not vent it out. This is not the time; NOT YET!

This is just the beginning; the tip of the mighty iceberg. This is not the occassion to sprint; save your energies for the long haul.

Do not get carried away. Do not be satisfied with the numbers that turned out this Wednesday. The magnitude of the real issues are tremendous. Last Wednesday's attacks are just the symptoms; the real problem lies beneath.

This is the right beginning. But reactions are not enough. We need concerted action.

This is the waking up. This is NOT Enough!

A Call for Rationalism amidst Rashness: Mumbai Terror Attacks

Most reactions to the Mumbai attacks that were seen on the Television had two sets of people to blame: 1. Politicians; 2. Pakistanis.

Mumbaikars were angry, felt let down and were frustrated to the core. A Mumbai politician announced that the captured militant was a "Pakistani", his voice simmering with anger. Famous personalities said they were tired at the relentless expectation of "Resilience" on the part of Mumbaikars. Reporters were visibly emotional and shaken, having covered the episode from close range all through. Some feared a "Rash" reaction within India, with one set of people pitted against the other.

Understandably, it was "Emotions" everywhere. To attack the heart of a country in broad daylight, to spray bullets on by-standers using a police patrol vehicle, to slay unrelated travellers in a busy Railway station, to hold foreign guests to ransom and slaughter, to cut loose and run amock with loads of ammunitions in a Heritage Hotel that many fondly associate their growing up and their pasts with - one would need to be a saint not to be "Emotional".

The NSG operation has been steady, measured and systematic. But would it undo the losses of lives? Would it restore the tarnished image of the Nation? Would it wipe those tears and bring smiles? Could it bring back the same parents to the child that was rendered an orphan with a single finger on the trigger? Would the ATS have the same Chief again? To be "sane" and not to get "emotional" with these nagging questions may just be too much to ask for. With every cry, with every sigh, with every drop of blood on the floor, with every slain corpse that is carried out of the hotels, with every anxious moment of wait by the hapless relatives and friends, there is this "WHY???", soaked in "Emotions".

However, extra-ordinary situations demand "Rationale" to take the upper hand over "emotions".

If "Thinkers" like Shobha De lose it and challenge the politicians on TV in an emotional outburst, it is not just herself, but a lot of others that she is going to influence with emotions. To reinforce general opinion and shape popular feelings in an emotional mould is not the best of acts in an emergency as this. If everyone is to get bogged down by the scale of the horror and get overpowered by their own emotions, who would get to the "Root" of the larger issue?

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The need of the hour is, more than reactions, more than "Responses", the willingness to face reality, the resolve to change and the ability to preempt and take steps towards the "Solution"!

Any form of "Reaction" or "Hatred" will only complicate the already complex puzzle of senseless acts of terrorism. Hatred will only fuel the fire - and fire does not care which side of it you are in. It burns the perpetrator, the affected and the one who inflicts, all the same. Blame, hatred, taking sides, vowing revenge, any extreme "Emotion" is bound to be counter-productive, no matter what your stance is. What is required is restraint, responsible response and a sense of collective responsibility towards one cause: Peace!

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Pakistan: It has to take a real hard look at its side of the fence. It will take time. But it needs to have the resolve to see its face as it is, in the mirror. Pakistan has not been flourishing by any stretch of imagination. Dictatorial rules have been ruining its economy. It's high time it reorganised its priorities.

How long could "Kashmir" be its single-point agenda? How long would it let itself be taken for a ride by its own factions? How long would it want to hold its own progress?

Every nation has the right to thrive; and terrorism is that fire that knows no difference between its target and its starter. The nation that actually takes the toll of its own terrorism is Pakistan.

Not that the Government sponsors terrorists; but it definitely needs to take a very very tough stance against any form of militancy within its borders.

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Indian Politics: It needs to behave as one Nation, not an accumulation of states or a congregation of parties. It needs to rise above petty politics. And it needs to reassure every citizen, including the Minorities, that India stands for the very essence of Secularism and that every loyal citizen has the right for safety and feeling of security.

Indian politicians must realise that they are not in power to play games. Political parties must win on policies, deliverables and real productive action; they must play an active part in educating the public of what's going on and must be willing to relinquish power if their low levels of performance and the people who elected them, demand so. They must know that politics is not a business venture without any ethical strings attached but is a noble service that demands dedication.

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Indian Systems: There is no such thing as an "Indian System" till date. In the Mumbai episode, a simple first step of cardoning off the disturbed area, securing it and preventing people from getting on to the scene of action was not practised, before the prestigious Commandoes planned their moves. To have herds of people all over as if they are watching a Tamasha is ample demonstration of a society that is devoid of any semblance of a "System".

The system has to encompass every aspect of governance. Intelligence, for one, has been non-existant in this case. Post-mortems would anyway reveal how and from where the terrorists checked in at the Hotels with guns, bombs and ammunition for their baggage. But to let this planned and co-ordinated crime happen in the Heart of Mumbai is display of abysmally low levels if Intelligence. How could such a system be endowed with the responsibility of running the governance of a Nation with a billion souls? Why were not the coast lines secured? We were talking of preparedness for the next Tsunami a few years back. How prepared are we to monitor the seemingly innocuous boats that sail into our shores?

Systems! India lacks dangerously on them. If the Government does not realise how dangerously it has been living, the next attack could destabilise the economy and even the military.

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The Indian Judiciary: Let's not discuss the obvious Anti-Terrorism Laws. What about the right to Equality and Justice? How tough are the laws against any form of Inflammatory remarks or ideologies? Of what levels of significance are the laws that prevent attrocities on minorities by the armed forces and other forces in power? How balanced is the Judiciary in dealing with Justice to everyone, irrespective of one's religion?

The Judiciary needs to make a strong statement of sorts that Justice, indeed, has its eyes blind-folded when weighing the scales. Justice should not only be given, but also seem to be given.

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The Hindutva Forces: They have no necessity to feel insecure in the first place; nor do they have to feel their homelands being taken away or their religious sentiments eroded by other religions. They are the majority in this vast nation; they ought to take responsibility towards the minorities.

How good it would be if Nation stood ahead of sentiments? To protect one's ground does not mean attacking the other. To make people believe in a religion is not accomplished by force. And the Hindu Religion needs no testimony to its variety and strength of resources that has taken it forward over the centuries. The Hindutva forces have every reason to act in a mature manner in guiding the Nation forwad.

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The Muslim Intelligentia: They have their responsibilities spelt out more clearly and louder than ever before. Religions are no ordinary statements; they are full of wisdom. The only difference among religions is the way this age-old treasure of wisdom is personified. The paths towards spirituality are many; but the destination is one.

The Muslim Intelligentia and religious Heads need to walk that extra mile in propogating their own religion to the new generation in a way that is appealing to them in all its essence. And what better place and time to start such a Movement of Educating the children and youth about the real values of the Religion, than here and now?

It would be extremely unfortunate if precious life is wasted away in strife towards false ideologies. It is criminal to allow vested interests man-handle the Holy Scriptures for their own personal gains. It would be weakness to allow the well meaning books of religion to be misinterpreted towards vengeance and retaliation. No one can ever Kill in the name of God!

The religious heads can easily mould public and young opinions in the right way. It is their responsibility.

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The Government and the Society: It is tragic to allow Terrorism to hijack the daily lives of a Nation. Years of efforts, miles of progress, life-times of growth and dreams would be shattered in a moment of rashness.

The focus is on weeding out Terrorism. But to weed out is not to storm; it more than definitely, requires calm. Yes, let the commandoes root out the terrorists and restore peace. But restoring can never be as good as Cultivating! The emphasis has to be on Cultivating Peace. That requires a healthy soil, the best of seeds, fine nurturing, right irrigation, proper fencing, consistent care and attention, and the highest levels of dedication towards the long term objectives.

If Terror strikes humanity at a drop of a hat, let's set ourselves a step or two back to see WHY it strikes so frequently, so regularly. More than a sect, more than a state, more than a religion, more than a Nation, Humanity matters. After years of progress, why would we want to be canon fodder? After centuries of evolution, why return to the stone ages?

It would not be too high an asking to have "Peace" as the Theme for the next one year, the world over. All it requires is resolve and a moment of reflection as to where we have progressed with regard to human beings treating fellow human beings. What does a Terrorist feel? Why does he find himself forced into Terrorism or induced and propelled into flames of hatred? What makes his view of the world so negative? Why is he convinced every other citizen or nation or religion targets him and his society?

All of these take one step: Come out of your "Emotions"! With every screen of emotion, the picture seems flawed and distorted. And the first step forward is the responsibility of people who can Influence others' thought processes. It requires voluntary initiative with involvement and a sense of purpose. It's all about injecting positivism into evolving minds!

If this can be done with focus, we can start thinking of stability.

Clearway World Watch: Indian Evolution, World Economy and Darwinism

India has won in style. And to lose a series this way is not something that the Aussies are much used to. So much so, they were forced to make some face saving comments by diverting the issue and venting out their frustrations. One wonders why such comments are taken nicely by the ICC. Perhaps, because, it is not about cricket and ICC knows nothing but cricket!

But it was not one Hayden who sought to relieve his frustrations. The Aussie captain, gentleman Ponting, decided to have a go at Sunny Gavaskar, rather unnecessarily. Well, as Gavaskar said, the Aussies seem to be rattled, indeed.

The rise of India in world news was evident not just on land but in the waters as well. It would have been fun for our navy bro's chasing the pirates out of their ship and sinking it. The UN has recognised the Indian Navy's brave effort and even seems to have granted it the "License to Kill" on the pirate homelands.

This winning streak on land and on water actually, started from Space! The perfect launch and the touch down on moon by our Chandrayaan showcases India's capabilities - and the efforts of all those dedicated souls at ISRO. Forget the debate that sprouts up as always when anything significant happens - there seems to be no second opinion, now that ISRO has taken a page out of Abhinav Bindra's books on how to aim for and hit the target!

This clearly is Indian Evolution, if not a Revolution. As if land, water and space were not fuel enough, the American Intelligence has started taking serious note of India, among the other rising powers, as having a distinct possibility of capturing the lion's share of global dominance from the defending champions, the United States. Perhaps, the recession that started off with the Housing sector and the Financial sector debacle in the US underlines the vulnerability of the United States. Afterall, not many would have imagined that the stalwarts of manufacturing, the Big 3 Automobiles from Detroit would eventually have to chalk up a Business Plan and submit it to the Congress, to have a lease of life! That's not much of a pretty scene for a global giant. But then, reality is harsh - and the economy is even harsher!

The economy was, in fact, so harsh that it demanded a congregation of the Group of 20 Heads of Nations to assemble at Washington D C and chart the future path out. It was a quick reaction by the global leaders who promptly made it a point to do their bit about managing the intricately inter-connected world trade. Media reports have not talked lightly of the time and effort that the heavy weights have invested. There was this distinct sense of urgency in the high profile summit that is set to go on in a phased out manner. And not many such conferences would have yielded such a consensus so soon and so smoothly as this on has. Luckily for the world, this one wouldn't drag on for months and years like other political summits would.

Talking of urgency and consensus, the dark brown dust couldn't be all that transparent not to be seen at all! The layers of dust that could filter out the intensity of the sun as it reaches the earth should be quite a phenomenon. And a survey says how Governments around the world have been lethargic in protecting the oceans, falling far short of their own projections and promises. News items such as these warning of catastrophic rise in sea levels have appealed more to Film Makers in the Hollywoods than Governments.

One question strikes the casual eye: Why have these issues not been classified as being "Urgent"? If the dark clouds are such a serious threat that would affect rainfalls, visibility and health, if oceans are so precious to protect as would some endangered species be and if sea levels are rising alarmingly indeed, why doesn't the G20 or the G80 meet up in some serene place to read and understand the issues at least, even for discussion at a later date? If we are eventually to adapt ourselves to a waterworld, where would we play cricket and win matches against Ponting's men, where would we launch our rockets from and where would Wall Street be then?

Not to worry about the Indian Navy though. They could very well be close to home, chasing pirates away from the ocean above Madhya Pradesh and driving them onto the limited stretches of lands on the Himalayan Plains. We could have a G 20 summit with leaders fashioning Swim Suits. Or perhaps, by then, man would have evolved further with fins and gills. What's Darwin's take on this?

Barack "Historical" Obama

It was not yet another sensationalist hyperbole when the media described the United States Elections as "History in the Making". For once, should I say, in living memory, the media was spot on. Barack H Obama did make History. In fact, he has done more than just that - he has, perceptibly, changed the course History was taking. This was a moment that the Americans could rightly be proud of.

Forget his biography for a moment; the guy seems good by his very looks; by his measured speech and choice of words; by his conscious humility; by the depth of his eyes - and what goes beneath those eyes; by the determination in his voice; even his lanky structure and the way he held himself as he walked down the stage, his poise . . . they all speak something of his character. It says, "Hey Americans, this is the best that you could have got!"

His mixed race parentage is, obviously, what would make the world sit up and watch - and listen. But more than that, the United States has, over the past eight long years, dug itself in a pit in its Foreign Affairs Department. Arrogance is not the best way forward in a growingly seamless world. And ignorance is even worse. To think that there was only one Nation in the Universe would'nt make much political or economic or whatever sense. Obama offered a hope from a deteriorating and an even increasingly humiliating situation.

This development, if handled carefully, diligently, with sense and serenity, is capable of changing the perception of a whole lot of nations about the "Super Power". Israel has already started worrying about the strategies of its patron. Obama would, hopefully, know better than that.

The President-Elect has had many a thing going for him. President Bush himself has done him a lot of favour by forcing the president's approval ratings to a Historical Low. He was high-handed in dealing with a fragile planet. He was quick to formulate the "Axis of Evil" theory. He invented tall claims about "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and the inevitable link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. He couldnt manage to plant those WMD's in Iraq in time, before the IAEA Inspection panel's aircraft touched base at Baghdad. He fulfilled his dad's dream of a world without Saddam Hussein. He showered weapons of "mass destruction" over civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. He threatened North Korea; he accoasted Iran. And in all the drama, he forgot his own home and his economy!

Put these all in perspective, Obama would have anyway been a silver streak if he had just said he was "not George W Bush"!

He would have definitely rejoiced to have his Grand mother by his side when he created History. But then, politics is all about points scored. And as commentators famously say, "Runs are runs, no matter how they come".

"For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century," Barack Obama said in his Acceptance Speech.

If he is really what he has projected of himself all the way, if he is really strong enough to dare to walk the rope, he has to double up even before the word "Go". He has no choice but to hit the ground running. And if he does that and if he walks the distance, the world would certainly be a better place.

Change Starts Here!

Clearway was Reborn on the 22nd of May, 2008 as the "Renaissance". And there was just one promise: Change!

Change is going to be the Future. Change is Positive. Change is Realistic. Change is constant. Change takes Time!

Let's not talk of how bad we are. We all know we need to change. We all see how things we see are. We do not see mere fumes, we see the fire as it is - raging! What's the point in describing the fire? What's the fun in predicting its course, or analysing its history, or fuming about it? It's in a rage, and any amount of talking is irrelevant. Those who describe become commentators; those who predict become wizards; those who analyse become historians. The fire keeps raging, lashing out on all that it touches, creating ash out of the already rotten. To talk is cowardice, blatant escapism.

To do is not easy. It could have been, if we were dealing with a spark. It might have been, if we all saw the future together. To do something to undo the damage is to stop the boulder rolling down the hill. To deal with the present as it is will only crush the brave heart. The need of the hour is more than a mere 'brave heart'!

I am here to talk. I know irony announces its presence there. But the fact is, I am here only to talk. Because, the future has not yet arrived. The boulder has not travelled the distance yet. And I'm not a 'brave heart' to get crushed under the unrelenting force. I would rather not be one.

Undoing the past carnage and rectifying the present mistake can happen only in the future. So, I'm not bothered about the past. I'm not going to talk of the present. I'm going to talk of what it would take to make the future! So that when the future becomes our present, we have what it takes to tackle the bull - by its horns. And I wouldn't mind getting curshed or being torn apart then. At least, I would not have the repentance of having been a mere "Brave Heart"!

Let's wait for the future. Till then, Let's Talk!

The "Small Bang", the Big Bang and the "Bigger Bang"

Will the world be consumed? Will the Galaxy be sucked into the black hole? Can the World survive this Wednesday?

We all like to be fascinated with science and fiction. Science is fascinated with imagination unlimited. Fiction has always loved science. Lethal combination - science and fiction. But lethal is attraction. Not that every attraction is lethal.

Cut the crap. Not just in the blog, but in science as well. Hey folks, you seem to have come of age! All set to find out the origins of the Universe, eh? Very clever. But you chose the wrong place, boys! Origins of the Uinverse in a, ahem, laboratory? (Officially, this set of experiments has been dubbed the "Small Bang"!). And that too dug up in a hole! Seriously, give me a buzz when you have found out your origins. Nah, Im not interested in the origins. But your discoveries and theories and theses running into reams will sure catch the press. Press people are hungry for news anyway. Whatever you may come up with, you sure would have given them fodder.

And here come the next set of entertainers- the Doomsday Theorists. And they predict that one black hole will swallow the world and bellow so loudly that a new Universe will have formed from the sound waves that emanate from the just formed black hole! Good for scientists. They can then conduct new experiments in the old world about how the new world formed and where it is located. Im sure the next set of experiments (Dubbed the "Small Bang 2") would be conducted in space of the old world. Ofcourse man, scientists too grow up the learning curve. How long do you think they would keep themselves dug up in a chamber shooting particles against the walls and playing with them?

But we were talking of the Doomsday Theorists now! They are one real bunch of jokers who forgot to wear their brains the day they started predicting. Cant blame them either. They are jokers and their roles are to entertain. So, every other day, they predict the end of the Universe - sometimes through some catastrophe, some times inside some black holes. Poor chaps. But even if the world got consumed in a black hole, we could still make a living there. I wonder if there would be sunlight there. But who knows, perhaps the black hole appears black only from the outside, but from the inside, it could be one nice paradise with 3 moons and lots of rainbows and half the sun at double the distance from the earth! Trust me, even laymen like me have imagination. Perhaps, not as much as the scientists who are trying to replicate the split second after the Big Bang though.

But what I say, people, why dont you start from the very beginning? Why start from the Big Bang? There must have been a "Bigger Bang" a few more billion years earlier that gave birth to the creators of the present Universe. I suggest you go to the previous episodes before you discuss the Big Bang. Try recreating the "Bigger Bang". To be safe, dig yourselves a few more hundred metres deeper into the earth and seal your ways up. With the replica of the Bigger Bang, so much energy would be produced that you would either be propelled up to the surface at the completion of your games or you may never have to come up at all - a new world may be created right inside our own world! Anything is a possibility, you see?

If You are a TERRORIST, You are LOSING your War!

This clearly turns out to be different from what I have expressed in the Bangalore Rockz post: "Blast Me if You Can"! They are Blasting India. 16 blasts in a day in one city! And that too close on the heals of Bangalore. Reports indicate targetting of BJP-ruled states.

People dying is not unfortunate. People are born to die. But the ideology that drives the killings is disturbing. This is sheer desperation; and I pity those who are weak. Weakness is Living Death. Death is Natural; "Living death" is a Curse!

I would become desperate if I lose all my strength and conviction; if I fail to find a way out with my own will and action. I would never want to be reduced to an insignificant living being that has given up all hope and resorted to terrorism or suicide.

To resort to terroirism and to commit suicide are the same. Both are extreme measures when every source of hope has dried away, every ounce of strength has got drained away. One commits suicide when one does not see even a remote possibility of a distant hope. The same is the case with terrorism; one resorts to it if one has anger but not a way to channelise it. Anger without a way out will lead either to suicide or to homicide. Any such act is the height of desperation, sign of one's being reduced to lifelessness.

If you have anger, if you have seen injustice, if you have found the system a heap of shit, if you have always been on the receiving end, FIGHT IT! Get yourself together, channelise your anger. That would be the power that brings about change. It is this focussed anger that is needed to being about the much-needed Revolution.

Die for a cause! But to waste one's life away in desperation, to kill unrelated people just for a base for dialogue or to make people listen to your stories and miseries makes you look mean and weak and starved and debilitated.

I am not bothered about the death tolls. I am bothered about the weakness in the minds. It doesn't take a series of blasts to rattle the weak; and making people feel insecure serves no purpose of yours, that drives your deeds of violence. It takes tough minds to change the world. Terrorism buries your ideologies beneath the heaps of corpses that have already perished to terror. You get lost among the tonnes of bones and blood and flesh that have already spilled all over the place.

Terrorism is a losing battle. You waste your vital energy when you give in to it. Your purpose becomes self-defeating and you can never win. Fight it - with sense, focus and determination. Wars have never been won in a rage!

Where Anarchy is better than Democracy!

We all know of how bad the boys behaved out there in the Parliament. And if they could put up such a show to be telecast live, one could imagine how much of an activity must have gone on behind the scenes. Discussions, disagreements, conspiracies, bribes, body shopping, mind games, barter exchanges . . . so much planning, so many suitcases of currencies, so many thugs involved . . . intricacies, intimidations, bargains . . . whewww . . . must have been quite a hectic period for all our neighbourhood politicians.

But coming to think of these guys who claim to be representing us, the humble law-abiding and law-breaking citizens and netizens, it makes one exclaim how truly they live up to the term "Elected Representatives"! I mean, do they really represent the sentiments of the senseless voters who made them Kings? Talk of this whole worthless, stupid, obnoxious episode of "No Trust" motion. I, as a citizen who plays a role in putting these mindless vacuum's amidst the power centres, ask my representatives one simple question: When did I ask you to move such a motion against a Government that I elected? Did I ask for instability in governance at this point in time?

If I appoint my representative to present my organisation to my client, I would kick his backside if he misbehaves in the client's place. And what have these guys done? They have been indulging in "Insider Trading", "Horse Trading", "Ass Trading"and what not! I would want to dismiss my whole organisation at one go! I can run my show without any of them. I would rather be a "One Man Show" than hiring goonda's for my team!

And what's with those numbers, my revered writers of the Constitution? Were your minds out of place when you put those clauses there? One number up, he wins; one number down, he loses. Two guys abstain, the nation's history reads something else. Heck! Is this some Play school that you were running before you were delegated with this unenviable chore of drafting the sacrosanct collection of letters and words called the "Constitution"?

In these days of hectic parlays, how many minutes would our representatives really have thought about the country, the roads, the infrastructure, the poor, the down-trodden . . . about anything that would constitute the very purpose of their being where they are? I wouldn't know, our people wouldn't know, none of our representatives would know either.

Coming to think of our country as one huge organisation, I can't help wondering what it would be like to have my own organisation filled with all sorts of people at the top, who never knew what "peaceful co-existence" is! Imagine my company chairman, its CEO, Board of Directors, Chief Operating Officer, Techincal Director, Finance Director, Purchase Manager and HR Chief trying to emulate what our Kingpins have been doing! Blaming, fighting, bargaining, buying out, selling out, having no Trust, taking no responsibility, being reckless, childish, stupid, arrogant, self-serving . . . I would definitely want my company closed down NOW!

In short, I want my Representatives to be sacked! I want my office to be closed. Hang the Parliament - and anyone else who is adamant on staying in it. And I'm sure that will not be the end of life. Being without rulers is better than being ruled by self-serving, conniving foxes. And ultimately, a rule will emerge. We can fight it out and can come up with a game plan. We dont need representatives to do the fighting for us!

Blast Me If You Can - Bangalore ROCKZ!

I welcome the new kids on the Block. And congrats on your new attempt.

You were always epected here. But I actually thought you would be less amateurish and more professional. Not amateurish, it was childish. No, perhaps, it was stupid. Or, rather, it was ridiculous. Yes, you are not kids, but are fools. Fools to the extent of being labelled demented.

Do you seriously think all that you could plan was a few crackers along roadsides? A few months late, folks would have mistaken you for some Diwali celebrations!

The next time, plan something solid. Make it big. Taste blood.

If you cant, climb up one of the towers in UB City and jump. You would make better news then!

Be What you Want!

How is it that you are able to type those mails out to your pal? How do you manage to drive or ride in this maddening crowd? How are you able to pick that grain from the plate and direct it straight to your mouth that you never see while eating?

Simple things, straight forward stuff. No big deal.

But so it in case of everything else. "No Big Deal".

Whether it's about planning an event or organising a rally or bringing about a change or a Revolution, the idea is simple. "How" is always preceded by "Want". "How" has never been a problem. The mighty Empire was brought down by dhoti-clad village lads more than half a century ago. For them, "How" was not the word. They "Wanted" to regain their land. They decided that it was going to be their destiny. They were determined to do that. And they did just that.

To start a thinking process with "How" is Negative attitude. How just does not matter. It's only whether you want it or not. The difference between what happens and what never happens is the will to make it happen. "How" merely follows the will, like a petite dog that follows a school-going girl.

Let me not beat it round. I want to change the society. I want to bring about some fresh air that would drive all this stench away. I want to make a difference to the ordinary, weak roadside old man who has given up all hope in life. I want this country to regain its place in History. I want the politician to morph into the statesman that he once was. I want the mind to be untiring, the muscles to be toned. I want change; I want peace.

I know I can get them. "How" doesn't matter.