Have To Say

RelianceIndiaCall vs AirtelCallHome

2007-01-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

Some times back Airtel launched a service called "Airtel Call home" at https://www.airtelcallhome.com/. This service was there to give some competition to similar service from Reliance at http://www.relianceindiacall.com/. The calling rate at Reliance were somewhere close to 12.9 Cents per minutes, which was a huge, but was accepted as the call quality and availability was excellent. In addition there were no hidden charges. Well once Airtel came into market, its introductory offer was 7.9 Cents per minutes and double talk time which made a lot of user to shift from Reliance to Airtel. But it looks like Airtel was never ready for that no of users in such a small time and they faced a lot of problem and criticism from many users. e.g. There website crashed, there toll free no was virtually unavailable, users credit card got charged more than once and so on.

This indicates that upper management at Airtel has a very low foresight. Also tech team even dint do enough testing of website before launching it. It does not take a Rocket Science to have website up and running, just need to have proper resources and infrastructure. On the other hand Reliance was quick in responding to it, and introduced the new rates which were close to what Airtel got.

It seemed like the fate of Airtel was closed, and Reliance will be able to retain her monopoly, but in recent past (from mid of Jan) I got some positive response about Airtel and thinking of registering with them as there offer is quite impressive provided they live to the expectation. No matter how is the quality of Airtel but for sure they gave a second thought to Reliance and forced them to get the rates down. Though still Reliance suffers the absence of Double Talk (appropriate one) time offer from Airtel, but it will survive as the quality and service is still better at Reliance, but the case is not going to be the same always. I can see that Airtel is here to survive and give some tough time to Reliance. Who wins this Price war only time can tell but for now consumer is the one who is getting the benefit of it.

Is Israel done with his job in Lebanon?

2006-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

The recent cease-fire between the Hezbollah and Israel, has given relief to hundreds of thousands of civilians of both the side of borders. Both the parties involved in the conflict are declaring victorious to themselves, but it looks like the Hezbollah has upper hand compared to Israel. If you want to look at from Hezbollah side the conclusion is that even after almost 30 days of conflict with one of the worlds highly powerful defense service, hezbollah is surviving and the Israel could not make any major damage to Hezbollah in terms of its popularity in Lebanon and among other Arab countries. In fact its has grown up. Hezbllah will continue to enjoy the support of locals in Lebanon and in other Muslims countries.

On the other hand if we look at the situation from Israel's side, they have done significant damage to Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon. Also Lebanon is completely being destroyed. The progress made by the Lebanon in last 6 years is now being wiped out. Now Lebanese have to go back 6 years and rebuild the city.

That makes me feel that it was the intention of Israel, that go and cripple the economy and infrastructure of a country who support the groups like Hezbollah. They knew its not possible for them to destroy an enemy who fights like thieves. So cripple the government who supports them and send them 5 years back.

If this was the intention of Israel then Israel is totally victorious and they are done with their job, but if there intention was to cripple Hezbollah then they are the big looser.

So its only time who is going to tell us who's side Lebanese, going to stand after the dust of war settles, and people get the deal with real life problems.

Should India take the same step as Israel?

2006-08-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Recently in some forums people asked this questions so many times that why India cannot take the same step as Israel takes against the extremist groups in middle est. The question is not "Should" India follow the path of Israel but the question "Can" India take the path of Israel. In my view India cannot take the steps which Israel is taking and the reason is well known to us. None of the Israel's enemy (Syria, Lebanon - Hezbollah, Iran etc) are as tactfully powerful as Israel. Israel can crush all its nebhour in any given day, because they have blanket support from USA.

On the other hand we have a nuclear powered neighbor who supports the terrorism. And if India takes the force as action it will be disastrous in long run. Because we cannot just attack on them and get away with that. There will be retaliation from Pakistan in the form of force and that will become a national agenda in Pakistan. We need intelligence power and that's the last option for country like India. We have seen the success of RAW in the past years, creation of Bangladesh, Operation Bluestar are some of them . But there were huge budget cuts for RAW in recent years.

We need to contain the terrorism and we need to isolate them. And the best thing is we should help Pakistani government to control the religious extremist in their own country. Diplomacy and Covert Action (here we can use the force) are the two best solution available. If you think we haven't got anything from that then I tell you if we have opted for the force we would have been in the for worst condition we are today.

Now here is my question if Israel had neighboring country like Pakistan, can dare to go bomb the country and come back?

I don't think so, Let me know what you think.

हमारा राष्ट्र गीत

2006-06-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

हमारा राष्ट्र गीत बंगाली में गुरुदेव रवीन्द्रनाथ टैगोर द्वारा लिखा गया था । भारत का राष्ट्रीय गान वन्दे मातरम्‌ है । वन्दे मातरम्‌ आप मेरी इससे पूर्व की प्रविष्टि मे पार्प्त कर सकते हैं ।

जन गण मन अधिनायक जय हे

भारत भाग्य विधाता

पंजाब सिन्ध गुजरात मराठा

द्राविड़ उत्कल बंग

विन्ध्य हिमाचल यमुना गंगा

उच्छल जलधि तरंगा

तव शुभ नामे जागे

तव शुभ आशिष मागे

गाहे तव जय गाथा

जन गण मंगल दायक जय हे

भारत भाग्य विधाता

जय हे जय हे जय हे

जय जय जय जय हे

Elglish Translation of Vande Mataram

2006-06-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

In my previous post you can find Vande Mataram, in hindi, and here is english translation of Vande Mataram

Mother, I bow to thee!

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

bright with orchard gleams,

Cool with thy winds of delight,

Dark fields waving Mother of might,

Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,

Over thy branches and lordly streams,

Clad in thy blossoming trees,

Mother, giver of ease

Laughing low and sweet!

Mother I kiss thy feet,

Speaker sweet and low!

Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands

When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands

And seventy million voices roar

Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?

With many strengths who art mighty and stored,

To thee I call Mother and Lord!

Though who savest, arise and save!

To her I cry who ever her foeman drove Back

from plain and Sea And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,

Thou art heart, our soul,

our breath Though art love divine,

the awe In our hearts that conquers death.

Thine the strength that nervs the arm,

Thine the beauty, thine the charm.

Every image made divine In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,

With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen,

Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,

And the Muse a hundred-toned,

Pure and perfect without peer,

Mother lend thine ear,

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

Bright with thy orchard gleems,

Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair

And thy glorious smile divine,

Lovilest of all earthly lands,

Showering wealth from well-stored hands!

Mother, mother mine!

Mother sweet, I bow to thee,

Mother great and free!

Vande Mataram

2006-06-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Recently there was news in Media about Fatwa against singing Vande Mataram, by some mufti (or Moran). Sometimes I start feeling that these bast**ds should be immediately kicked out of country, but our government is so impotent and minority pleasing that it will lick their shit and say nothing. A woman gets raped by her father-in-law and our government will not take any action because some shit law made in 14 th century, is not considering that as a sin. And now some bastards comes announce Fatwa against singing Vande Mataram. I dont know whats going to happen to this country, but for sure its not heading in the right direction.

वन्दे मातरम
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्य श्यामलां मातरम् ।
शुभ्र ज्योत्स्न पुलकित यामिनीम
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् ।
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ॥ वन्दे मातरम्...
सप्त कोटि कन्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
निसप्त कोटि भुजैब्रुत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम् ॥ वन्दे मातरम्...
तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्मं, तुमि ह्रदि तुमि मर्मं
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
ह्रदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारे प्रतिमा गडि मंदिरे मंदिरे ॥ वन्दे मातरम्...
त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ॥ वन्दे मातरम्...
श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भुषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् ॥ वन्दे मातरम्

Why America cant Invade Iran

2006-04-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

I personally don't like Iran as this is the place where most of the terrorism gets its root. I am also not in favour of Iran occupying the nuke power. In fact not only Iran but any country which is governed by the religious extremist group. Who will have no second thought to use it. I also hate Americans acting like international cops.

No matter what happens I strongly believe that America will not (and should not ) invade Iran. It should try to use it diplomatic power to bring the Iran on its knee. It can also use it CIA and other espinoage technique to liberalise the Iran. The process is lengthy but is the best. Here are some of the reason what make me feel why USA will not invade Iran.

- Iraq is still unstable.

- Iran is a country 4 times the size of Iraq, with a greater population

- American forces are overstretched, they can barely recruit enough.

- Iran's terrain is hilly and mountainous in many regions, making any fighting much harder.

- Iran has too much diplomatic power, including three world powers; Russia, India and China, who are not eager to see an invasion (and I am sure they will intervene and force Americans to engage Iran in dialogue)

- Iraq was a different story. Saddam's armed forces were destroyed in the first Gulf War, Iran's are still intact, making the initial invasion even more costly than the one trillion dollar figure of the Iraq war

- Iran might actually use long range missiles, etc, whereas Iraq was never going to.
Invading Iran would just destabilise the world and send oil prices through the roof.

- While we have to be fair and say that there are dumb people everywhere, it is safe to say the American public are at the top of the dumb list of developed countries. But even they would not (and should not) give support for invading Iran.

Reservation in Education: Bad for the Nation

2006-04-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Since I heard the news of 27 % of proposed reservation in higher studies I am really worrying the future of our people. Lets forget for a moment what this reservation is going to do but what the reservation word gives message to the people. It makes one group senior than other. You are eligible for a job/task/admission just because you were born in a different caste? Is this is the definition of secularism? Where one caste is given more preference over other. Where are we leading this. This is going to create threat to our unity. This will lead our yougesters those who are talented and still not getting seat just because of their caste being different, to go out of the country for the education.

If this proposal gets in to action then there will be almost 50% reservation in education system. That means that weather a person is eligible or not he will be entitled for the admission in IIT (or any other institute) just because he was born in lower caste! This fills anger in me towards the OBC people. My eligibility for the admission in a institute should be totally based on my past performance, my degree, my percentage in entrance test, else we will finally end-up producing graduates who are not up to the mark but they are there just because they are OBC. Is this is the way planed to bridge the gap between the casetes. This will widen the gap. "We are one" by saying we are not going to achieve the unity, rather that should reflect in our actions and policies.

Why everything in my country is motivated by caste. Why there is no reservation for people in poverty. Why don't we give them a free education. The answer is politics. In India everything is driven by the caste. It brings people of the same caste together but divides them with other castes. And the same is promoted by the political parties. They don't give dam to the future of the countries or the minorities but there vote bank. To increase there vote bank they will do anything. Let it be Congress, BJP or any other party.

Government need to concentrate more on the foundation of the education. The quality in elimentry / primary schools should be improved. If possible the elimentry education should be made free for everyone or atleast subsidized to everyone. Thats the basic of the education that will help our kids to be a better student and they dont need any reservation.

When I think of the recent proposal of the reservation in the education system it gives me a sick feeling that I am a foreigner in my own country. I get a second treatment in compared to my fellow citizen who happen to be son of SC/ST or OBC.

Find the similar views Here, here, here and here.

Sleeping Divorce

2006-03-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Akhtar, a resident of from West Bengal uttered the word "Talaq" 3 times while he was sleeping. And now the situation is that he is supposed to leave his wife. The only way they can get back to each other is that her wife should marry to someone else and then divorce him. As he is not ready to leave his wife so he got his marriage registered, and that is making the villagers to boycott him.

This incident raises a few questions in my mind. How come someone in sleep very precisely can say the word Talaq 3 times? Even if it happen what was the need to bring the "Mullah" and "Moulavis" in between. Why did you forgot the few cases which happened in UP where a woman was raped by her father-in-law, and when he appealed to these "Mullah" then asked her to leave her husband and stay with his father-in-law. I don't think I can ever understand this law, its a piece of shit.

To add glamour to that our honorable chief minister or the administration did not even interfere in that. That bastard who raped must have been brought behind the bar. But who has time for that. Let them take care of themselves, and let them use the same barbaric rules made in 14ht centuries. Any way Welcome to India Baby! Here is link to full story.

Aus beat India

2006-03-25T00:24:00.000-08:00

Even in Hockey Australia is beating India! My God!

India have lost to Australia in the final of the Women's hockey competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia have had a dream run in this tournament, not dropping a single match.

India who were keen on avenging their 4-2 loss to Australia in the qualifying round, did manage to hold the Aussies in the first half.

However, Sera Taylor had other plans as she deflected a pass straight into the net to make it 1-0 with just eight minutes left for the final whistle.

India had won the gold at the last edition in Manchester but had to settle for a silver this time.

What is happening to my Dream City

2006-03-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Pune is my dream place to work. I don't know why, but I love that place. I love the climate of Pune. Another reason could be because its close and far enough form Mumbai. Also its a quiet place.

Today I read this story in Times of India. Now there are many incidents coming in to picture where a woman is being paraded naked. Is it a kind of trend. Or is it just to put some

Pune : Maharashtra:
Telgaon, Asha Bai’s native place, is an obscure speck on Maharashtra’s map. This village, with a population of about 3,000 people, is 15 km from Solapur. On March 11, Asha Bai (25) was allegedly beaten, verbally abused, stripped and paraded naked by nine people, all of them — two women and seven men — from her own village. Her "crime": She was suspected to have made an anonymous complaint to the police against the illegal sale of liquor and a prostitution racket in Telgaon in November 2005. This was because around the same time she was frequenting Solapur to attend court hearings. Asha Bai then filed an FIR against the offenders at the Solapur taluka station on March 14. The police arrested eight of the nine accused, including Shivaji Laxman Patil, the village sarpanch. One accused is absconding. The accused are now in judicial custody.

Though life in the village seems to be ambling along as usual, two police officers and two units of 25 police personnel are currently deployed in Telgaon in case tensions flare up. The village has 300 Dalit families. Asha Bai belongs to the Chamar caste. "All the nine accused are upper-caste members," says deputy superintendent of police N K Thakur, the investigating officer for the case. "After the accused were arrested, nine Dalit women from the village came forward to confess to the crime. They say they beat up Asha Bai but did not disrobe her. I think they have been paid to confess," says Thakur. Meanwhile, in another barbaric incident in Beed district, a 32-year-old woman lost an eye in an acid attack after she was assaulted and paraded naked in broad daylight on Monday by five villagers over an old feud.

Police have arrested three persons, including two women. According to police, the assailants tied her up, cut her hair and threw acid on her face before pushing her on the streets naked. On hearing the woman’s cries for help a number of people gathered but no one intervened. The woman then rushed to the village government hospital, where the staff came to her aid. At present, she is undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital in Beed.
The incident occurred in village Chausala. Beed SP, Raghunath Khaire said that a
case has been registered against five persons including the deputy sarpanch
under section 326 (causing hurt), 355 (intent to dishonour a person) and 109
(abetment). Deputy sarpanch Rajendra Thorat was arrested on Monday night and was remanded to police custody till March 23. The two women, Mangal Lahu Tekade and Soni Lahu Tekade were arrested on Tuesday, Khaire said.

According to police, the woman was persuaded to come to the Autadegalli
locality of Chausala village from her Indiranagar residence in the same village
to negotiate old disputes and differences. When she reached the village, four
women — Saraswati Changdeo Autade, Mangal Lahu Tekade, Didi Lahu Tekade, Soni Lahu Tekade and the deputy sarpanch Rajendra Thorat allegedly started a quarrel. Neknoor police sources under whose jurisdiction Chausala falls said that a few days ago Rajendra Thorat had quarrelled with the woman’s brother Biru Kudwan. Thorat had lodged a complaint against Kudwan who was helped to come out on bail by his sister.

Sometimes I also feel that there is a great possibility that the women being harassed might be lying to get the case a better weight. Well what is the truth it only eyewitnesses can tell. But its shame for all of us where things like this happen.

How justified is BBC towards portraying India's Image

2006-03-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

This is story from BBC.co.uk about the BSE sensex. Why are they mentioning "Main" sensex. Why cannot they simply say BSE Sensex? Do they expect people don't know what does BSE means. Then let them find out. I don't think BBC will ever mention America's "main" sensex while referring DOW or NASDAQ.

India's main stock market has passed another major milestone, scaling the 11,000 mark for the first time ever. The landmark level was reached less than six weeks after Indian shares broke through the 10,000 barrier.

Strong economic growth and increased interest by foreign investors in Indian firms have underpinned the market's performance in the past two years. After touching a 11,017.25 high on Tuesday, the benchmark Sensex share index closed down slightly at 10,905.2.
The index passed the 10,000 mark for the first time as recently as early February, and has risen 17% in value so far this year. The previous year had seen share prices increase by 42%.
Analysts said they expected the market to continue growing, bolstered by widespread faith in India's ability to maintain its outstanding economic growth of recent years. 'This is a no-sell market with strong fundamentals, sustained domestic buying and retail appetite in equities keeping stocks buoyant,' said Rajesh Jain, a director at Pranav Securities. "

I strongly feel that the media in Europe or in North America, is not doing enough justice in portraying the right image of India. I am saying "Right", I am not expecting them to say something which is not there.

They should now realise that India cannot be just looked upon for some news on poverty, corruption etc. These guys need to open there mind.

England vs India 3rd Test

2006-03-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

India are on the backfoot on the fifth and final day of the third test against England at Mumbai. Chasing 313 for victory, the hosts have lost six wickets with both skipper Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar returning to the pavilion. In the post-lunch session, India are at 77 for six with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni at the crease.

Virender Sehwag became James Anderson's sixth victim when he was trapped leg before wicket for zero. Tendulkar, who was booed on his way to the pavilion after being dismissed for one in the first innings, was caught by Ian Bell off Shaun Udal's bowling for 34.

Dravid, who had put on 42 runs for the fourth wicket, was caught by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones off a Flintoff delivery.

The hosts suffered an early setback in the morning session when Anil Kumble was trapped leg before wicket by Matthew Hoggard for just eight runs. Jaffer followed soon after he was trapped leg before wicket off Andrew Flintoff's bowling for 10. With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, the hosts seem to be losing the grip on the match.

Even if India manages to salvage a draw, it will be a great achievement. In the eight overs the Indians batted yesterday, they lost Irfan Pathan who had come to open the innings in place of an unwell Virender Sehwag. Pathan managed to score just six runs before he was bowled by James Anderson.

Earlier, Anil Kumble with four wickets for 49 led the charge as India made a spirited comeback in the match.

However, pathetic catching, most notably by Yuvraj Singh and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, deprived their team of a chance to bowl "

What NRIs should invest in

2006-03-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

Ask any Non-Resident Indian about his mutual fund portfolio and there is very good chance that Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund (MSIIF), an exchange-traded fund (ETF), features in it. A lot of NRIs want to know if there is a better alternative to Morgan Stanley ETF in the domestic mutual fund segment.

Before we analyse whether MSIIF is a better bet against its counterparts in India, let us first understand some basic characteristics of ETFs. ETFs are close-ended funds that are bought and sold on the stock exchange.

So ETFs, despite being close-ended are liquid. Since ETFs are traded on the exchange, they assume the characteristic of a company stock/share in one very important aspect -- pricing.

Stocks trade at a price determined by the market. The price, in turn, is determined by several factors like company management, competitive strengths, profitability and overall economic environment. Even technical factors like demand and supply in a company's shares has an impact on the stock price.
The stock price is almost always different from the 'value' of the share. If the stock market price is higher than the book value, a share is said to command a premium to its book value. If the stock price is lower than the book value, then its said to be available at a discount to book value.
Much like stocks, ETFs have a stock market price. Since an ETF is a mutual fund, it has an NAV (net asset value) as well, which is the value of its investments net of expenses (like fund management, sales and marketing). You might say that the NAV is the equivalent of the book value in the case of a company.
The ETF's price on the stock exchange is rarely the same as its NAV. ETF's usually trade at a price that is lower to the NAV, i.e. they trade at a discount to their NAV. When the ETF price is high"

Future of Cell Phones

2006-03-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Cell phone have gone a long way. It was introduced almost 27 years ago in the shape of a brick which was good for making calls only. But since then it has been under constant revolution. The future of cell phone is going to be very different. Its going to enter in almost all the aspects of your life, not just for making calls. Here are some of those aspects which I can think of:

You will be able to make the payment to purchases made online or in store by using your cell phone. Just hold your cell phone against a sensing device and "Beep" . You are done, Thankyou for shopping at Walmart!

You will be able to lock/unlock your car/apartment by using your cell phones. It will act like a remote key, intgrated with you car and aprtment codes.

You will be able to find the way to your destination by using your cell phones. Currently we relay upon the GPS devices attached in your car. But then you just need your cell phone to go to San Diego or to go to a Local zoo.

You will be able to tune in to as many as 100 channels of TV, Radio and download your favourite program or watch it live for free or for a very nominal fee.

You will be able to take a high resolution photos by using your cell phone. In fact some companies in Japan has released a cell phone with as high as 5 Mega pixel camera. Which sounds to be a decent for a digital camera.

You will be able to print the photos. The phone will be able to wirelessly transmit the photos to a printer or to nearest store who is having the facility of Online printing. You will be able to select the nearest store for your photo pickup or home delivery.

You will be able to store more and more songs/movies. Cell phones will sport a new look, more memory and more power. Some experts believe the cell phone memory may grow up to 80 GB in next 5 years.

And, after decades of shrinking cell phones, I believe phones are going to begin growing, just a tad, to accommodate larger screens.

I am not sure when is this going to happen and even if it happens how many of us will be able to afford it. But I am sure that it is going to happen, and sooner or later the count of people will increase who can afford these.

Here is an imaginery picture of a future cell phone.

Top 20 tools? Do you agree with this?

2006-03-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

Recently there was an article in Forbes magazine, stating the 20 most important tools ever being invented . This list somehow has ignored the some of tools associated to certain industries. For example there are lot of tools being developed in agricultural industries which has revolutionised the agriculture, but there is no mention of those. I don't agree with this list in full but in part. What do you have to say.

Here is a snapshot to the tools images.

If India had a Marxist Prime Minister

2006-03-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

The following are some excrepts from a recent article from rediff. The full article can be found here here . Normally i dont agree with the opinions made on rediff.com but I fully agree with the points mentioned here. I also believe that India should have recognize the talent of Dr Manmohan Singh, much earliar. If so have happened then probably India would have been in a better position than now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

What would India look like if a prematurely grey Malayali Marxist was the prime minister instead of a blue-turbaned neo-liberal Sikh?

For starters, there would have been no George Bush visit, let alone a nuclear deal. In fact, India may not have been a nuclear power at all, given the Left's antipathy towards Pokhrans I and II and preference for universal nuclear disarmament.

Not only that, the earlier opposition of the communists to computers would have meant that the scientific establishment wouldn't have had the wherewithal to build nuclear weapons any way. In any event, even if the Marxists had wanted, the American President's Air Force One wouldn't have been able to land in India's unmodernised and unprivatised airports, which wouldn't be big and sophisticated enough to handle the six-storey jet.

In place of Bush, the red carpet would be rolled out for Robert Mugabe, the 'socialist' president of Zimbabwe in whose country the rate of inflation is touching the 800 mark, Fidel Castro, the imperishable Cuban dictator, who sends doctors and engineers to help Third World countries, Kim Jong Il, the 'dear leader' of the North Korean people and son of his father, the 'beloved leader' Kim Il Sung, and other leaders from countries where America is planning regime changes.

But, more than any one of them, the bands would be playing loud and clear for Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the man currently leading the charge, with the blessings of the Grand Ayatollahs of Iran, against the Great Satan. And support for this formidable line-up against the neo-imperialists would come from across the seas from distant Venezuela's man of the masses, Hugo Chavez, who is now a beacon of hope for the downtrodden after the demise of Lenin, Stalin and Mao.

With friends like these, India wouldn't need enemies. But what of the economy? No one would even whisper the three dreadful letters, FDI [Foreign Direct Investment], lest he should be seen to be in league with the neo-imperialists and their plans to enter and finally take over the Indian economy. There wouldn't be much domestic investment either, for the barrier of crossing the government-sanctioned trade union stipulations about salaries and work conditions would be too daunting for any entrepreneur.

So, the mighty public sector will rule the roost, known as the 'commanding heights of the economy', producing little and incurring losses. And there would be no question of the sensex crossing 10,000 since the stock exchange would be constantly under the bhaand mein jaye [let it be doomed] threat of Big Brother's little brother, A B Bardhan.

On the national capital's wide thoroughfares, there would be at most three models of cars, all of the colour favoured by Henry Ford ('a car can be of any colour as long as it is black'), which would enhance road safety since they wouldn't be able to cross 60 kmph without shaking violently.

And no police notifications would have to be issued against the use of mobiles while driving, for there wouldn't be any mobiles at all, only one landline company, with a long waiting list, and favoured by those with strong voices which can carry over the 'trunk' lines.

There would also be only one television channel, perhaps in colour, where the highlights of the week would be Sunday morning's 'garland' of film songs -- Chitrahaar -- and Friday evening's The World This Week by Prannoy Roy, of NDTV.

But the gains of this brave new India would be considerable. They would mainly be in the realms of foreign and economic policies. In foreign affairs, India would pursue an independent line, which (its supporters would presume) would have earned the approval of the former Soviet Union if only because its basis would be to oppose the Great Satan's machinations to dominate the world.

Along with Venezuela (oil), North Korea (nukes), Iran (more nukes) and Cuba (which has been praised by Pervez Musharraf for sending a 1,000-member medical team, 44 per cent of which are women, to the earthquake-hit mountains where they stayed on 'in freezing weather and in an alien culture', as Noam Chomsky has noted in The Guardian), India would again be a leading light of the 'non-aligned' world as in the halcyon days of Nehru, Nasser and Tito, making America shake in rage and dismay.

The independence of India's foreign policy would naturally be reflected in its economic policy as well as it desists all the attempts of those two crucial American agents in the world of capital, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to direct how the Indian economy should be run.

And as the prime minister's popularity soars by these bold assertions of independence, the preference of West Bengal's chief minister for (those dreaded letters again) FDI in imitation of Deng Xiaoping, and the internal battles of two other Malayalis, hardliner V S Achhutanand and moderate P Vijayan, will become no more than unpleasant memories of a distant past.

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Its the fate of Inadia who got Jawahar Lal as first prime minister, who took the best of Socalism and best of democrat and made new policies. That was a dissater. I am not saying what the problem we are seeing today Mr Jawahar Lal is responsible but he is definitly responsible for what dint happen. He should have listen the voices of others in his office. But that dint happend and that same error continued till very last. The damage was done, now this is is just the process of making things better.

Hiding the Truth Could be costly

2006-02-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

I personally dont feel that what Dick Cheny accidentally did should be a matter of discussion. But this is being discussed so much that I am force to write something about it. I am sure he will not be punished or prosecuted for what happened, and he should not. I am sure things would have been different if the incident was revealed as and when happened. Now media is not behind what happened but why American people were not being told about it on time. Is white house trying to hide/cover something. Here is what I heard from NPR Radio.

"I know to a lot of people watching it, we look like a bunch of yapping dogs," says Ron Hutcheson, the White House correspondent for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain. "But there’s a real fundamental issue about our government -- one of the things that sets us apart from places like China and Russia -- and that is our system is based on openness and accountability."

And Hutcheson says there's not a lot of that when it comes to Dick Cheney -- who quietly has been at the center of many major stories involving this administration.
"We take what we can get," Hutcheson says. "The irony here is we've probably got the most powerful vice president in American history who's probably also the most secretive vice president in American history. So it's really difficult to cover him."

No matter what happened, what was the intention behind hiding the truth but now its hurting the Cheny, more than it could have hurt, if the issue was conveyed to American people in the beginning. Now people have started questioning the credibility of Cheny and Bush administration towards the American citizen.

Is what google is doing for Chinese government justified?

2006-02-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Recently search engine giant google (www.google.com) have come under fire because of providing a search engine (www.google.cn) to Chinese government which provides a censored result to the surfer. This is not the first time when these big companies have helped the Chinese government. At least there are 2 case by MSN when it gave the credential of its 2 users who wrote something against the Chinese government. Is it not that these big companies are promoting the dictatorship in China? People are afraid to speak their mind, which is a basic fundamental right of every individual.

But I have a strong feeling that when a search engine compromises like this, collaborated with government, it makes it much easier for the Chinese government to control what is being said on the Internet. However when the google displays the result in censored version of its search engine it will display the notification that certain content is being suppressed as per the local government policy. This is something similar to what is provided in the countries like Germany.

But we also need to consider what happens if google does not provide the alter search engine to Chinese government, someone else will do and with a population of 1.3 billion people and more than 100 million Internet users, China's largely untapped Internet market is very attractive to technology companies. Google is opening a research and development center in China and owns close to 6 % stake in Baidu.com, the most popular search engine in that country.

In the beginning google is going to offer only search facility, its not going to offer other services like gmail, blogger etc.

Warship Clemenceau is Returning to France

2006-02-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

France's highest court, the State Council, has ordered Paris to suspend the transfer of the decommissioned warship Clemenceau to India. The ruling was issued in response to complaints by Greenpeace and three anti-asbestos groups.The petitioners have been fighting to block the asbestos-laden ship's transfer to Alang in Gujarat as a potential environmental hazard.

The warship has been waiting in the Indian Ocean for several weeks pending a Supreme Court decision to allow it into India. The ship was supposed to be dismantled at Alang and then sold as scrap.

The Colony: John Tayman

2006-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

Recently listened to the interview of Author of the new Book called "The Colony", on NPR. From 1866 through 1969, the Hawaiian and American governments banished nearly 9,000 leprosy sufferers into exile on a peninsula on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. The book described the journey of those people who were being abandoned by the civilized society, due to the physical illness (leprosy). Is there any possibility that same situation may arise even now? I have no answer for that, may be the tiem only can tell. But sometimes back AIDS epidemic had created a fear of the unknown and brought out the worst of human nature.

Imagine isolating for life someone with migraines merely for having migraines, no appeal no hearing only judgement in the form of punishment and that was exile.

The reader's of "The Colony" will get angry as well as ashamed on how their ancestors have behaved with lepers. To me it was an era of darkness. Where the religion was prevailing over the science. Even the "Bible" also supports the act of exiling people in certain cases.

The civilized world started accepting the people of Molokai once a safe medical treatment was developed. As author concludes that there are still people living there but that's on there own wish. Most of them are old aged, who have lived there and shared there memories with the rest of the colony.

Lets hope that we or children never face such a situation.

About the Book: (From www.amazon.com)

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Scribner (January 9, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 074323300X
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds.

Is It End of Sachin's Era ?

2006-02-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Six failed innings in a row is all it's taken for the media and fans to think that this could be the beginning of the end for Sachin Tendulkar. In 1989, Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in Pakistan and was given a taste of international cricket after Waqar Younis smacked him on the nose. In 2006, Sachin Tendulkar is felled to the ground in Pakistan not by a snorter but one that kept low from Mohammad Asif. Life's come full circle for the Master Blaster, but at least former Pakistan captain Imran Khan had some comforting words.

"It's happened to me as well. Everybody expects the superstar to deliver, he is the one under pressure," said Imran.

In the third and final Test against Pakistan in Karachi, the entire batting line up failed but Sachin is the one who succeeded in making the most headlines. Most fans will be hard pressed to remember when was the last time so many newspaper headlines wondered if this was the beginning of the end for the Bombay Bomber.

Alarming Numbers:

The statistics certainly indicate a slump. His last 14 international innings have resulted in a highest score of 39. He has two half-centuries in his last ten one-dayers, all of which have been at home. He has one century and three half-centuries in his last ten tests for a more than respectable average of just under 39. But he's now gone six Test innings without a single half-century. Sachin only got three innings in this Test series, but it will still rank as his third worst performance in a series in terms of runs. Most of these series only featured two Tests, such as the one against South Africa in 2004.

Questions Raised:

It all started with Moin Khan questioning the need for Sachin Tendulkar to walk when he wasn't out in the Faisalabad test. But the part that was forgotten about that controversial article was that Moin said that he hoped he's wrong about this being the beginning of the end. That comment earned Moin Khan widespread ridicule in India. Now Sachin has five one-dayers in Pakistan to prove to the fans that there is still hope.

My Opinion:

Its right time for Sachin to retire gracefully. This is for the goodness of the country and for himself. This will give chance to the next generation. He has done enough for the country. He made certain records which will be there for some times. What worries to me is that if people start feeling in the same way they feel about Ganguli, it will be a real disgrace for a National Hero.

Source : www.ndtv.com

Bribe for Body: Delhi Police Caught on Camera Accepting Bribe

2005-11-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today I read a story in www.ndtv.com. As per the story a Delhi cop has asked and took Rs 26000 to give the body of a suicide victim. Man! Its not unexpected, there are many more events which go un reported. But it shows to what level police can go down. The cop is being caught on camera but they have ordered some investigation and if found guilty then some "strict" action will be taken. I don't know what else they need, as he is being caught on camera. Somehow I become very pessimist when it comes to "whether the victim will get the justice and the culprit will be punished".

We all agree and we all know that the corruption in India is at every level. You got legal things to done, you pay money, you got illegal things to done, pay money. As Indian we all (most of us, no offense) at some level are corrupt. The level of corruption might vary from person to person. Some times we don't mind paying 50 Rs to get a berth in train. Like this there are many events which happens in day todays life where we all encourage the corruption. May be corruption cannot be fully eliminated but it can be definitely controlled if media reports few more incidents like this every week (We all know there are so many incidents go unreported). If media takes initiative then we remove the corruption where people have to pay the money to get legal things done. And I think that will be huge relief to majority of people.

Here is link to the story.

For India's survival Hinduism has to prevail

2005-10-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

In Europe and all over the world nowadays it is very popular to speak and discuss about Indian culture, ancient Indian philosophy and the glorious past of the country. In everyday life Europeans constantly hear or read in the media about some new yoga seminar being organised, or about the appearance of a new guru in Western countries, drawing the public attention. They hear superlatives about ancient Indian culture over and over again from different places and in different contexts.

But what is worth so much activity, so many words, and do they really help people understand the actual state of modern Hinduism and the challenges that stand before it? I would say: "Not at all!"

The truth is that the situation of modern Hinduism, of all India, is far from perfect. In fact, it is alarming, if not altogether atastrophic. Even if some Indians - the so-called "secularists" - do not realize that, it is more than obvious that Hinduism is fading in obscurity, its relative influence in Asia is decreasing with every month, with every day. Perhaps we are living at the last centuries of Indian civilization and the situation of today's Hindus is very similar to the Iranians from the late Zoroastrian age or Ptolemaic Egypt. Drastic steps must be undertaken very soon, or Hindus will share the fate of these great nations of the past.What's the problem?

About one thousand years ago, a horde of savage tribes rushed down from the wild Bactrian Mountains (modern Afghanistan) and occupied the Indus Valley, bringing a new aggressive religion of non-Indian origin - Islam. In the course of the next centuries, this new religion - with violence or persuasion - continuously expanded its territory and increased the number of its followers. In 1000 the relative share of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent was around zero per cent, in 1400 they were already around 3.5 per cent, in 1700, 10 per cent, in 1890 about 20 per cent, in 1945, 25 per cent, and now they are more than 31 per cent, or one-third of the population. In this long process of Islamisation of India, two characteristic patterns can be distinguished. First, it is a slow process, and second, it is relentless. Unlike the Middle East and Iran, where this religion managed to very rapidly displace the local cults and traditions, completely stifling them for just several decades, in India the propagation of Islam was gradual, extended throughout many centuries, even a whole millennium.

But there is no place for illusions about the processes, taking place on the subcontinent. The truth is that, in India, Islam has never yielded a position once taken, it never withdrew from territories once conquered, and it spread out on the Indian subcontinent relentlessly, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, in what is maybe the most uncompromising, prolonged, and merciless expansion in the history of religions. It looks like India and Hinduism are doomed, and there is nothing to be done against this unyielding conquest, this tireless offensive, there is no way to everse things in their advantage. Indeed, if Islam continues to propagate with the same rate - to increase in numbers with 1-1.5 percent per decade - in the first half of the next century Muslims will already be the majority of Indian population. Secularists think that one or two hundred years are too big a period and there is no need to worry about the distant future. But the truth is that in terms of the five millennia of Indian history one or two centuries are nothing, they will pass in a blink. Men of wisdom in India say that the human soul is reborn in a new body every few hundred years. So, even in our next life, in our next reincarnation, India will have already ceased to exist.

My views may seem too pessimistic, but the picture is too grim. In fact, what I fear the most is that providence, the supreme spirit, or the force of history acts against Hinduism. Maybe the historical processes lead to such a state of things, when on the planet only the so-called "Abrahamic" religions will continue to exist - Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Maybe the fact that the great religions of Egypt, Babylon and Persia died out a couple of millennia ago is not accidental. But I would like to believe Hinduism is too valuable for humanity, and sacred Indian books contain too much precious and unique knowledge that it will not sink in oblivion. I'd like to believe that the principles of Indian philosophy and religion are much more in agreement with the needs for the future than any other religion in the world, in agreement with the tendency, known in Western countries as New Age. It's my deep belief that without India the world will sink in spiritual darkness and ignorance.

In this long process of Islamisation of India, two characteristic patterns can be distinguished. First, it is a slow process, and second, it is relentless. Unlike the Middle East and Iran, where this religion managed to very rapidly displace the local cults and traditions, completely stifling them for just several decades, in India the Propagation of Islam was gradual.

So, what must be done in order to save Hinduism and stop the Islamic flood? There is only one way and it is called mass conversion of Muslims into Hinduism. If Hindus want to survive, they must convert. They must adopt the strategy of Catholic missionaries and Muslim mullahs. I don't mean only conversion of one-time Hindus that only recently adopted other religions. Hinduism must convert also people of non-Hindu origin. The fact that they live in India is enough because all Indians, notwithstanding their religious affiliation, had once had Hindu ancestors. If a problem arises, in which caste to enlist the newly converted Hindus, that can be determined by lots. This kind of assignment is by no means accidental; it can be regarded as the will of providence, the voice of fate, and it is not surprising that this method was so widely used in antiquity - in Greece and Rome.

There is another question: is it possible to convert Muslims into Hinduism? Because, as it is well known, the followers of this religion hold firmly to their principles, and it is very difficult to change their views. There is a theory that Muslims would never desert their religion, this is absolutely impossible. But this is just a myth. There is a good example from our recent past.

In one neighbouring country to Russia - Bulgaria - there is area called Rhodopa mountain, populated with Bulgarian-speaking Muslims. Bulgarians, in principle, are Christians, pertaining to the Greek-Orthodox Church. But this very area is populated with Muslims due to the strong Turk influence in the past. In the 15th century Turks forced the local population to renounce Christianity and to adopt Islam as their religion, and defiance was brutally punished. When, in 1526, Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent began his campaign against Western Europe, he said: "I want my soldiers, in their way to Vienna, to pass through Muslim lands only, and this corridor to go up to the very Austrian border." And his desire almost came true.

But what happened some ten years ago - in the mid-1990s? The local population in the Rhodope Mountains with Bulgarian ethnic consciousness, being well educated and well aware of their history, suddenly decided to re-embrace Christianity. A remarkable man came forward on the religious scene - Father Boyan Saruev. With his charisma and his unique gift to persuade people, this man of great spiritual power succeeded in converting several hundred Muslims. For a period of seven or eight years between two and three thousand people - mainly from the young, educated generation - adopted the Greek-Orthodox creed. This event was so astonishing precedent that it stunned European public, and journalists from many countries came in person to see with their own eyes that it was true.

Obviously, the claim that Muslims can never be persuaded to adopt another religion is nothing but a myth. Under certain conditions, this is quite possible. Very soon such conditions will be present in India, too, because with higher education Muslims will realise that Hinduism is the innate religion of their native country, and Islam is an alien creed forcefully imported from outside. Similarly with the situation when, 600 years ago, during the Renaissance, Western Europeans realised that they were successors of ancient Rome and Greece, and embraced their culture, which for long centuries was being condemned by the Roman Catholic Church as "pagan" and "non-Christian", one day the Muslims on the Indian subcontinent will understand that they are inheritors of a great civilisation completely different from that of Arabs and the Middle East. This is a problem of education and knowledge.

(The writer is a Russian sociologist and works in Russian Academy of Sciences. He has been many times in India and interested in Indian culture. )

5 People: Who Can (Could ) Turn The Side

2005-09-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: A country like India needs politicians like him. He would have been an ideal Prime Minister for Independent India. But as Gandhi asked him not to be in the race of PM, he just respected Gandhi's decision. But I personally believe that he was a far better choice than Jawahar Lal. He would have found a perfect solution for Kashmir issue. And I also believe there would not have been Article 370, if he were the Prime Minister. He was the man with vision. He formed the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and other Central Services to assist in the process of nation building. His contribution to save India and getting Independence to India cannot be forgotten. He would have made our country stronger, but alas! he was not given a chance, neither by the people nor by the almighty. The "Iron Man of India" died in Bombay in December 1950.

N Chandra Babu Naidu: He became CM of Andhra Pradeh in Sep 1995 due to conflicts between him and the then CM, NTR's family. Soon he became as popular as NTR. He completed his first term and won the election again in Oct 1999. He made a great difference to Andhra Pradesh in terms of economy. Lot and lots of foreign and domestic investment poured in Hyderabad. He strengthened the infrastructure for common people by introducing lot many flyovers, demolition of illegal buildings, sudden inspections etc. He brought Hyderabad outside AP. Even now it is one of the mot happening place in India. But still these were not enough for the masses and people of AP could not recognize his capabilities. He lost the election held in 2004. I have one thing to convey to the people of AP, just look at some CMs from Northern India (UP, Bihar, MP etc) and you will know that you got the best. Don't lose him! Bring him back with a bang, it's still not too late.

T N Seshan: A man who changed the face of Elections. In 1992 India experienced a new procedure to conduct the election. Indians realized the power of CEC (Cheif Election Commissioner). He revolutionized the way elections were held and the way election rallies were held. He made it hard for politicians and their chamcha's to convert their black money into white. But he was not given a chance to be President of India. He got only one vote, when he was in the race of President. We always believe that the President does not have as much power as the Prime Minister, but I am sure if he would have become the President, he would have changed our attitude the way we look at presidency in India.

Kay Kay Menon: Started his film carrier with Bhopal Express (1999). Inspite of giving excellent performance in movies like Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi (2004), Deewar (2004), Black Friday (2004), and Sarkar (2005), the bollywood audience could not give him what he was due. He speaks with eyes. His performance in Sarkar has shadowed Abhisekh. But most of his roles are typical angry person, who speaks less and does more. He need chances to do some different roles, else, a very talented actor will be confined to some typical roles, just like Arshad Warsi (thanks to Kabir Kaushik, who changed his image after movie Sehar. Otherwise we would have got another comedian in bollywood, instead of an actor).

Mohmd Kaif: An Indian Batsman (saying all rounder will not be exaggerating) is always ignored and comes 4 down or 5 down. 70% of the time, when India needed, he saved the Pride of India, either by wining the match or by taking India to a respectable score. May be Indian Cricket Team should consider promoting him to come one down or may be for opening. Some peple also say that 4 down is the right time for him, but there are chances when we need a hitter in the begining. India must give a chance to him for opening. I am sure he can make the difference in Indian Cricket.

5 Things: Which Should Not Have Happened

2005-08-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

1984 Riots:
The riots were sparked by the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984. Nearly 3000 Sikhs died. This is one of the biggest scar on congress. Nothing can heal the wound which was done in 1984, but time. Probably when the whole generation which has seen or suffered the 1984 riots, is no longer alive. Government changed, people changed, but when it comes to justice for the victims, even after 20 years nothing has changed. Not even a single person is being punished/penalized. The murderers of Indira Gandhi are being hanged to death, but murderers of 3000 Sikhs are still free. Will they ever be brought to justice?

Godhra Massacre:
It all started with some of the Hindu Kar Sevaks, burnt alive in train (which is still a mystery, weather it was an accident or activity). Revenge is the best way to get the justice in our country, and that's what happened after that. The Godhara was burning and it's flames were so high that it caught most of the Gujarat. But if this is the way to get the justice then what should the victims of Godhra do, to get the justice? This should not have happened. But local government (Narendra Modi) was not so cautious and careful about that. Some authorities also believe that the local police has helped the mob. Who is right and who is wrong, will we ever know? Will the victims of Godhra and Kar Sevak burned in Sabarmati Express, ever get the justice? Only future can answer the question , because past experiences are not so encouraging when it comes to getting the justice.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy:
People forgot 1984, people will forget Godhra. But when it comes to Bhopal Gas Tragedy, it will be there for generations. Every child born there has a risk of developing some disease. A life is poisoned before its birth. A sun is set before it rises. A flower withered before blossoming. The question, "How many were being affected with this tragedy?", is no longer important but "How many will be affected" is. Every day this list is growing. Some of the affected people got some compensation, but what compensation can we give to a baby who is just born. Who should be responsible? Let us leave this question to authorities, committees and commissions. But it should not have happened, and could have been avoided. Let us pray to God, "There should not be another Bhopal on this planet".

Kargil War:
Keep your friends close and your enemy closer. This was the lesson India learnt in Kargil at a very high cost. Solders genitals were being chopped off. Geneva convention was screwed. An Inhuman torture was given to Indian Soldiers. It is Musharraf and the failure of Indian intelligence,I blame for Kargil. And at the end of the war our govt gave a safe passage to the enemy and extended its loyalty "not to cross the LOC". I don't understand this equation of battle field. We all want peace but not at the cost set by the enemy. We want it at our own terms and conditions.
Can we afford an enemy occupied with nuclear power, where democracy is set on and off like a bulb, where extremist groups are considered more powerful than politicians? I don't think so.

Article 370:
Article 370 is a special clause in Indian Constitution. It is a price that India is paying to Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah for being with India. Article 370 made Jammu and Kashmir a country within a country, with its own flag, emblem, constitution and Sadr-i-Riyasat (Prime Minister). The architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar, opposed granting Article 370 but it was on India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's insistence and personal guarantee that it was granted to the state. The state's residents live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. Why? What for are we paying this price?

This was a "temporary" privilege given, but it is continuing since applied. This is one of the biggest mistake made by the diplomats of Jawahar Lal govt and this mistake is never being corrected by the succeeding governments.

There are so many other things which should not have happened. This is my list of five. If thsee 5 would not have happened in India, my country would have been a better place to live!

Please put comments, will be highly appreciated.

5 Politicians Who Should Be Shot Immediately

2005-08-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

If somebody gives a revolver, fully loaded, and freedom to kill few politicians, I will kill these 5 culprits.

Mohammad Shahabuddin:

A MP from Siwan (Bihar) and a right hand to Laloo Yadav? He is having such a influence that inspite of having a non-bailable-warrant against him, he goes to parliament. This shows how impotent our police department is and the law and order in the country is keep to politicians. Why first in my hit list? Because he is going to be a future Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Laloo Prasad Yadav:

Does not need any introduction. Scams after Scams, nothing could remove him from Bihar. He is scar on Bihar, and in turn making Bihar is scar on whole India. He is far more dangerous than the mentioned in the first place (Mohammad Shahabuddin). Probably the most corrupt person on this planet, and yet every news paper and channel will publish/broadcast his speeches, in the headlines, just to increase there rating. Its shame to country where people want to listen Laloo Yadav. I feel pathetic about myself as I belong to country where he is a railway minister.

Mayawati:

She was CM of UP for 2 or 3 times (not sure). And during those period she looted the state. She takes the vote on the name of "Dalits" and does nothing for them. As she is also dalit, so all the money goes to her, and at the end money goes to "dalit" only. So nothing to worry!! Must be shot, at least for the well-being of "Dalits".

Mulayam Singh Yadav:

Another goon from central UP, who is, now a days leading the state to its darkest era. If he continues for longer, UP will turn out to be another Bihar.

Jailalitha:

She is the one who will cut your throat if you speak against her. She will frame in fictitious murder case or she will put you in jail in case you write against her. I pray to god that she should not see this post otherwise... u know what I mean! She is a lady Hitler. Must be shot, because democracy is in great danger. And if you dont believe in democracy then at lease for the sake for removing some burden from this earth (I was wondering if she was the cause of tsumani in Tamilnadu and other part of the southern India, as earth lost the balance.).

There is still one more bullet left in this revolver. Got any name to write on it?

Blasts rocks Bangladesh: A Dog Bites His Own Master

2005-08-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

As per Bangladesh Officials more than 300 explosions took place simultaneously in 50 cities and towns across the country including the capital Dhaka. An outlawed Islamic group, Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, says it carried out the attacks. Police say that more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the blasts.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and other politician have condemned the attacks as "cowardly". "The attackers are enemies of the country, people, peace, humanity and democracy," she said. No of Casualties are not yet confirmed. More news can be found at www.bbc.co.uk

Whom they are killings?

We most often hear that so and so terrorist group have stopped a bus in Kashmir and killed all the Hindus. A hatred against a cast was clearly visible. And now the bombs are rocking Bangladesh where 90% (approximate) are Muslims. Casualties are low as the target were govt buildings and other govt related property. Whatever reason is behind this attack, it's not justified. No one has any right to kill anyone.

This is a signal for India to secure its Bangladesh border, otherwise in the near future there will be one more Pakistan screwing India. Can we afford that? This is also a wake-up call to Pakistan and Bangladesh to hit hard on these "Islamic Militants", before its too late, else one day they will bur their own ass.

Who is responsible?

The responsibility for this goes to the "Madarasas" which are being run by some extremist group, with help from the some Muslim hard-liners in gulf. It has a deep link. It will take time to destroy this. Most of the these Madarasas are in Pakistan, and whole world know this but still people (our Bush Uncle) claiming for "War on Terror" don't want to take any action against them as Pakistan is one of their ally in "War on Terror". What a mockery of "War on Terror"! May be they will learn a lesson when there is another 9/11.

What India should do?

India cannot do anything until these two neighbors don't realize that, this terrorism is not going to help them in any way. May be in the beginning these terrorist are operating against India but there will be a time when they hit back their master, as it happened in case of 9/11. India is capable of cleaning this shit provided it should be made sure that these two countries will make sure that the "shit" will not spread again. But will they help India to do that? I don't think so. They wont help until they are not being kicked by these extremist group.

So lets wait for that day when these extremist group burn their masters.

Put your opinion!

58 Years of Independence! What Next?

2005-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here I will be posting what we as a citizen of India should do to make this coutnry a better place to live. I am still in the Procees of compiling the facts and figures. Just wait!

PMs Speach on Independence Day

2005-08-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

As our PM speaks today I will just listen him. I will give my comments later.

This is the speach given by PM Shri Manmohan Singh:

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My dear countrymen, brothers and sisters and dear children, today is once again a day of joy and happiness when we all gather to celebrate the anniversary of our Independence.On this sacred occasion, I greet you all.

Fifty eight years ago, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had unfurled this glorious tricolour for the first time from this historical place, thus fulfilling the centuries-old dream of crores of Indians to be independent from foreign rule.

Next year, we will commence the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Independence. Through the celebrations, we will have a chance to once again remember the glorious freedom fighters of that great battle who had laid the foundations for our independence. In 1857, Bahadurshah Zafar had declared the Battle for Independence from this same historic Red Fort. The battle cry of Rani of Jhansi Lakshmi Bai, Peshwa Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope and Begum Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow was 'Delhi Chalo'. This cry was renewed with vigour and force by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and in 1947 this ambition was fulfilled. Today, we have the opportunity of remembering their sacrifices. We can also learn from their enthusiasm and self-confidence, a number of traits which will be useful in facing today's challenges as well.

Today is a day when we feel proud of and celebrate our victory in the struggle for independence. This is a day of joy and happiness for all Indians, irrespective of where they reside in any part of the world. It is also a day on which we remember our valiant soldiers and security forces, thank themfor their bravery and commitment, and hope that they will continue to be alert in the service of the nation.

Mahatma Gandhiji had also dreamt of the same independence when he launched the Dandi March 75 years ago. Through that struggle, he shook the foundations of the greatest and most powerful empire the world had ever seen. Today, we need to once again remember the sacrifice and commitment of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and also his dreams for an independent nation. We also need to reflect on how far we have been successful in fulfilling his dreams.

What was the dream Gandhiji had of an independent India? He had said, "I will work for an India where the poorest of the poor feel that this country and this nation belongs to them and that they have a major role in its construction. An India where there is no higher class or lower class among all people. An India where all communities live in friendship and harmony. An India where women have the same rights as men." He had also said: "The Swaraj I dream of is a Swaraj of poor people. I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that Swaraj cannot be complete till the poorest have a guarantee of being provided with the basic necessities of life."

Have we come anywhere near this dream? In the last 1 year, our attempt has been to build the India of Gandhiji's dream. The goal of our government's National Common Minimum Programme is also the same. Last year, on this very day, I had said from the Red Fort that I have no promises to make but only promises to keep. In order to fulfil the promises, we have taken many important steps and have taken major decisions which will contribute to our nation's progress. While taking these decisions, the focus of our thoughts and attention has always been the aam aadmi. The effort of our government has been that while we continue to make rapid economic progress, the benefits of this progress and growth must reach all sections of society in a fair manner. Our vision is not just of economic growth, but also of a growth which would improve the life of the aam aadmi. Our country is witnessing unprecedented economic growth at this point in time. Last year, our economic growth rate was 7 per cent and it is likely to be similar this year as well. Our country has never witnessed such consistently high growth rates in the past. I am confident that if we maintain this momentum of growth for the next 5-10 years, then it would be possible for us to eradicate poverty, ignorance, hunger and disease from our country. This is not a dream but something that is possible in our times.

It is not only us but the entire world, which is viewing India as an emerging power of these times. The whole world is eagerly watching the manner in which India is making rapid economic progress. And this economic growth is happening within the framework of a liberal democracy. Our country is a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic nation. Nowhere in the world do we have an example of a country of a 100 crore people seeking their economic and social destiny within the framework of a democracy.
It is because of this that the entire world's attention is riveted on us. It is the result of our combined hard work that India today has made its mark on the world stage and we feel proud of our standing in the comity of nations. Brothers and sisters, it is my belief that India's future is extremely bright and that this future is indeed, possible. In order to achieve this, we need to focus on achieving rapid economic growth and on ensuring social justice. It is only by walking on these two legs will we be able to ensure that the benefits of growth reach all sections of society.

Last year, while addressing the nation on this day, I had mentioned that our growth is critically dependent on 7 sectors which I called the "Saat Sutras". These 7 sectors were agriculture, irrigation, education, health, employment, urban renewal and infrastructure.
Today, we can review the progress made in these 7 areas. Our maximum emphasis has been on agriculture. Farmers are the backbone of our country and of our economy. It is the result of their tireless efforts that we do not have any shortage of foodgrains in our country.
The entire country is grateful to them for this.

We must admit that the economic growth we have been referring to earlier has not yet fully reached every individual in our society. This is particularly true in our rural areas. The growth in agriculture has not been at the required pace. Even today, over 60 per cent of our population is dependent on agriculture and every farmer has a right to be a participant in our economic growth processes. Hence, we have talked about giving a "new deal" to our farmers. We have taken a number of steps to alleviate the problems of our farmers, such as improving and enhancing the flow of agricultural credit, increasing investment opportunities and storage facilities, launching a National Horticulture Mission to increase the output and trade in fruits and vegetables, and promoting research and training in agriculture. It is our goal that by 2007, there should be a Krishi Vigyan Kendra in every district. Through this, the benefits of advanced research and training will reach all our rural bretheren. Large parts of our country are still dependent on rainfall and we will focus on removing the problems of farmers in dry land areas.

We are considering setting up a National Rainfed Area Authority for this purpose. It is our hope that in the coming years, agricultural growth becomes rapid and we have a new green revolution. We are fully committed to achieving this. It is not possible for our rural areas to develop in the absence of basic infrastructural facilities. In order to improve basic infrastructure in rural areas, we have conceived an ambitious programme called 'Bharat Nirman.' In Bharat Nirman, 1 crore hectares of unirrigated land will be irrigated. All villages whose population is 1000 or more, and 500 or more in hilly areas, will be connected with roads. Two and a half crore houses will be given electricity connections, and through this, the entire country will be electrified. Over 60 lakh houses will be built in villages. The remaining 74,000 habitations which do not have access to safe drinking water will be provided these facilities. Each and every village will have at least one telephone connection. I am confident that Bharat Nirman will ensure the rapid economic development of our rural areas. In all our economic programmes, our policy has been to ensure the participation of the common man, particularly of those in rural areas. They should feel that all programmes belong to them.

We have believed that the proper institutional mechanism to ensure their participation in the Panchayat system. Shri Rajiv Gandhiji had dreamt of Panchayati Raj many years ago. Today, zila, tehsil and village panchayats have a major responsibility to discharge. Our Constitution has placed the responsibility on panchayats, not only of ensuring economic development but also delivering social justice. Bharat Nirman provides a unique opportunity to our panchayats to shoulder this immense responsibility by effectively implementing this programme. I am confident that panchayats will ensure Bharat Nirman becomes a milestone in our development process.

We are giving importance not only to our rural areas but also to the economic conditions in our urban areas. Today, a third of our population lives in urban areas and keeping in mind the speed at which urbanisation is taking place, the day is not far off when over 50 per cent of India's population will be residing in urban areas. The foundations of our culture and society were laid thousands of years ago in the cities on the banks of Indus River. We taught the world the basic concepts of urban planning. However, today our cities are often unable to meet the basic needs of their residents on many counts. We will be investing in urban areas and for this, a National Urban Renewal Mission has been launched. We have a large proportion of young people in our population. We will need to invest in their education and health so that their future prospects are bright. By doing so, our population will become our biggest asset.

It is necessary for every section of society to be literate and educated so that they can take advantage of our growth processes. By strengthening Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, we are trying to ensure universalisation of primary education. We are giving special emphasis to the education of the girl child. We need to make education joyful, interesting and meaningful so that children develop a desire to go to school. We need to pay particular attention to the education of first generation learners. We are resolute in our commitment to see that no child is deprived of the benefit of primary education. It is our hope that in the near future, women are as literate as men. In order to achieve these goals, resources shall not be a constraint. We are also committed to providingeducation to disabled children as well.

Along with primary education, we also need to pay attention to higher education. If India is seen around the world as a rising knowledge power, it is because of our universities and research institutions. If we want to maintain our rapid economic growth, we need to improve the quality of these institutions and also create many more such institutions. Let us resolve to achieve excellence in academic work in the 150th anniversary year of the Universities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. However educated an individual may be, it is necessary for the person to be healthy in order to lead a happy life. Through the National Rural Health Mission, we will provide the best primary health care facilities in each and every village. We are confident that by providing excellent primary health care, we will be able to improve the health of young mothers and children which will then lead to a consequent reduction in our population growth rate.

In the last 50 years, we have been able to control and eliminate many diseases which have been a scourge in our country. Leprosy has been eliminated in 25 states. Polio and Tuberclosis are also being gradually brought under control. AIDS is now becoming a major national problem and we need to tackle this on a war-footing. We need to have a mass movement to ensure that this disease is rapidly checked and its growth arrested. We will also ensure that medicines are available to common people at reasonable prices. As I had mentioned earlier, the true test of development is the number of people who have secured employment and the number of families who have prospered as a result. As long as there is widespread unemployment in the country, we cannot claim that we are truly independent. It is with this goal in mind that Indira Gandhi had given the nation the goal of "Garibi Hatao".

Today, if we need to remove poverty, we need to create employment "Rozgar Badhao". In order to ensure that a minimum level of employment is available to everyone in rural areas, it is necessary to have an employment guarantee. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill has been prepared with this goal in mind. We hope that this act will bring about a revolutionary change in the lives of people in rural India. We are also revamping the Khadi and Village Industries Commission so that more employment is generated through small and village industries. In order to ensure that our economic growth does not slow down, it is necessary to have strong infrastructure. Economic growth is intrinsically linked to the availability of infrastructure. Railways, roads and electricity are important elements of infrastructure. In order to improve our railways, a rail modernisation programme has been prepared so that our railways become one of the best in the world. A dedicated freight corridor is being developed between Delhi-Kolkata and Delhi-Mumbai by investing over Rs. 25,000 crore rupees.

The development of our national highways is progressing at a rapid pace. We have begun work on an additional 30,000 km of highways and we will soon be six-laning the Golden Quadrilateral. There has been tremendous progress in civil aviation. World class airports are being constructed in many cities. Ports are being modernised and many new ports are under construction. Shortage of electricity is still a major inconvenience. Electricity is an essential ingredient of economic development. We need to ensure that electricity generation grows rapidly and that power shortages are eliminated. We need far greater investment in this sector. I have often said that, excepting for the poorest sections of society, giving electricity free of cost to other sections will worsen the financial condition of our electric utilities.

We need to get used to paying a reasonable price for electricity just as we do for petroleum products. Through this, we can ensure supply of electricity in the right quantity, at the right time and of right quality. In my visit to the United States, we have managed to reduce some of the constraints which have been hampering the growth of our nuclear energy programme and in the next 10 years, in addition to the 1,50,000 MW of capacity being added in the thermal andhydro sectors, another 40,000 MW could be generated through nuclear energy.
While rapid economic growth is one facet of our vision for the nation, social justice and equitable development is the other facet. Last year, our greatest contribution to the nation has been to bring it back on the path of rapid economic growth.

There is a ray of hope in the lives of all weaker sections of society. There is an atmosphere of calm, peace and communal harmony all around the country. We believe that this is an important achievement. In our country, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and women suffer from many disabilities. Many of them have been discriminated against for centuries. It is essential that they are made stakeholders and participants in our development processes. We are committed to paying attention to their education, health and basic necessities. We have taken some steps to improve their economic and social status. A bill has been introduced in Parliament on reservation in government employment. It will be our effort now to increase the opportunities for employment and equal opportunities in employment outside government. Our Adivasi brothers have been cultivating land near forests for many generations. However, they do not have any rights on this land owing to which they live in constant fear of eviction. Their rights were snatched away from them 150 years ago during British rule. In order to correct this, we are bringing a legislation which will benefit scheduled tribes living in forests while at the same time ensuring conservation of our natural heritage.

Our Constitution provides for equality of all religions. All religions are safe and secure within our Republic. It is essential that minorities should have every opportunity of carrying on their daily activities with a feeling of security and happiness. This is also our goal. Hence we have repealed POTA. As a result, many sections of society are able to breathe easy. We have commissioned a report on the social economic status of minorities. This is being done for the first time and will be the basis for all our policy interventions for improving their status. We will also revive and revamp the 15 Point Programme for Minorities. The New 15 Point Programme will have definite goals which are to be achieved in a specific time frame. We are going to start a special development programme which will focus on the skill enhancement of artisans and weavers, many of whom are minorities. This will help improve their incomes. Industrial growth is the result of the sweat and toil of our working classes. This year, our industrial growth in May has exceeded 10 per cent. I would like to congratulate all our workers for this magnificent result. The government will pay specific attention towards addressing the problems of workers, particularly those in the unorganised sector. It is our hope that we will be able to provide a social security net for them so that they do not feel insecure in times of distress. However, I would like to emphasise that workers too have a responsibility. Wherever they may be working, in factories or in firms, they should work in cooperation with the management so that profitability of enterprises increases and they also benefit from this. Women are the backbone not only of our homes but also of our nation. We need to strengthen their hands and empower them fully. We have brought legislation to prevent domestic violence against women and to secure their property rights. We will also ensure reservation for women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.

In order to provide an opportunity for our youth and sportspersons to demonstrate their skills, we will make all possible efforts to ensure that India once again hosts the Asian Games in Delhi, the first since 1982. In this new phase of development, we are acutely aware that all regions of the country should develop at the same pace. It is unacceptable for us to see any region of the country left behind other regions in this quest for development. In every scheme of the government, we will be making all efforts to ensure that backward regions are adequately taken care of. This has been ensured in the Food for Work Programme and the National Rural Health Mission. We will also focus on the development of our border areas. We will ensure that these regions are provided basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and telephone connectivity in the next 3-4 years. Our rivers are the lifelines of the country. They are the foundations of our ancient civilisation. Today the demand for water is growing all around. In the 21st century, water will be the most precious commodity and its shortage will be felt all around. We need to launch a national movement to prevent the wastage of water and for its efficient use. This is anabsolute necessity. It is also necessary that all states of our country work together in a spirit of give and take and a spirit of mutual understanding to sort out all contentious issues amicably so that everyone is benefitted. We also need to pay special attention to our environment. We need to start a national campaign for cleanliness so that our cities, towns, villages, roads, streets and homes are neat and clean.

Gandhiji used to emphasise this aspect in his ashram as well. We need to stop the pollution of our rivers and atmosphere. We need to protect our forests and natural heritage. We must remember that we are only the custodians of our environment and it is our responsibility to preserve and pass it on to our future generations.
In the recent past, natural calamities have affected many parts of our country with disastrous effects on people and property. A tsunami in December, snowfall in January and floods in July. Lot of people have lost their precious lives in these calamities. The entire nation's sympathies are with the bereaved families. I am confident that we will face the problems of floods in a united manner, just we faced the devastation caused by the tsunami. Last month, Mumbai suffered immense damage and lost many lives because of unprecedented floods. In these difficult circumstances, the citizens of Mumbai have shown courage, fortitude and patience in dealing with the enormous problems and have demonstrated the qualities which make Mumbai different from other cities. I would like to assure that we will provide whatever assistance is required to ensure that Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka are restored to normalcy. In order to effectively tackle such natural calamities, we have constituted a National Disaster Management Authority.

Through this, and by using the latest technologies, we hope to face future calamities in a much better manner. In the country, we still have regions such as Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East where complete peace and tranquility does not exist. The people in these regions are the victims of violence and terrorism. Wherever conditions deteriorate we take the assistance of our armed forces. Wherever we have taken their assistance, they have shown patience and perseverance. Many of them have lost their lives. In order to ensure that the children of soldiers who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation get good education, we are starting a Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme. Each year, 5000 children would be provided scholarships for college education.However, accidents do happen once in a while. Keeping this in mind and with a view to protecting human rights, the government had set up a Committee to look into the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Report of this Committee is being examined in detail and we will take all necessary steps so that there are no violations of human rights under this Act. As a result of our policy in Jammu & Kashmir, the state is once again on the path of peace and progress. It is our humanitarian obligation that we assist the state in all possible ways so that the people there can live in peace and harmony. Terrorists have never been the friends of the people of Kashmir. As long as they continue their terrorist attacks, our armed Forces will be alert and give them a fitting response. In this conflict, common citizens may also be affected at times. I have said before and I am repeating once again, that there is no issue that cannot be resolved through a process of discussion and dialogue. Our doors are always open and will continue to be open for anyone interested in dialogue. I invite everyone to join us to discuss the problems of the state of Jammu & Kashmir so that its people can lead a life of peace and dignity. If violence continues, then our response too will be hard. I am aware that the Government of Pakistan has put some checks on the activities of terrorists from its soil. However, it is not possible to achieve success through half-hearted efforts. It is necessary that the entire infrastructure of terrorism is totally dismantled. In the context of terrorism and extremism, development and security have an intrinsic relationship. We have managed to face extremism successfully through a democratic process. However, it is imperative that a democratic government should be able to differentiate between the genuine problems of people and the designs of terrorists.

Today, there are a number of challenges in our security environment such as terrorism, communal violence, atrocities on women and exploitation of dalits and adivasis. Our security forces have been facing the daunting task of controlling extremist violence admirably. Extremism is a challenge which requires a united response from all of us. However, it is also necessary to look at a political resolution of this problem. Often extremism has its roots in backwardness and lack of economic development. It is not easy to handle problem of extremism in violation. However, by addressing it in all its dimensions social, political, economic and security in an integrated manner, I am confident that we will be successful in checking it.

India has always been a country which loves peace. Its destiny is intrinsically linked to those of its neighbours. Our goal has always been the prosperity and happiness of our citizens. Hence, we have always sought the friendship of our neighbours, although at times, this has not been fully successful. There seems to be some success in our search for peace and harmony now. Many problems of South Asia are similar, of which poverty and illiteracy are the most widespread. It is possible for us to eliminate these in the region by working together.

The composite dialogue process with Pakistan is continuing. As a result, we have been able to reopen the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway which was a long pending demand of the people and restarted the bus service on this route, a step which has been widely welcomed. Talks are going on to open similar links from points in other states. Discussions are also going on a gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan. Once this is completed, we will be able to address a major constraint affecting our economy. It is our sincere hope that we work with all our neighbours in South Asia to effectively address the challenges of poverty, unemployment and disease. If India and Pakistan are able to work together, than we will have many opportunities for making our countries prosperous. I am confident that we will be able to fulfill this vision.

We have had historic links and relations with Afghanistan. It is our desire to see Afghanistan prosperous and strong. In a few days, I will be going to Afghanistan. We will try to strengthen and support democracy and economic growth in all possible ways.

Our largest neighbour is China with whom we have a centuries old relationship, a relationship from which both of us have learnt a lot and imbibed a lot. We are today willing and ready to deepen our trade and cultural relations with China for the benefit of the two nations. The agreement arrived at between our two countries in April has paved the way for a closer relationship. I greet the people of Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar and assure them with utmost sincerity that India is willing to work together with them for promoting development, prosperity and peace in the region.
My visit to the United States has been a major step in promoting friendship with that country. By deepening our economic and technological relations, we will be accelerating our own growth.

Simultaneously, our two democracies can work together to strengthen democracy in the world. Russia is an old friend who has helped us in difficult times. We will deepen our friendly relations with Russia. We also wish to deepen our relations with the countries to the east. The recently concluded trade agreement with Singapore is a major step in improving our economic engagement with the region. We will be entering into many more such agreements in future. At this point, I would like to emphasise that the contribution of Indians and persons of Indian origin settled abroad in ensuing that our efforts are successful is enormous. They have not only travelled to far off lands to achieve their dreams of prosperity for themselves and their children, but have also played a stellar role in changing the world's perception of India. The world today sees India as a major knowledge power whose people are skilled, competent, hard working and peace loving. Even within our own country, our scientists, doctors, engineers and scholars have contributed substantially in the achievements of our nation. We are proud of all of them. To conclude, I would like to say that the biggest challenge in running a government is to ensure that development programmes are implemented in an effective manner. We will ensure that our outlays of expenditure are visible to citizens as outcomes of progress. The central government, state governments and panchayats have to work together so that the expectations of people are fulfilled. If we have to achieve results, there is a need to change the manner in which governments function.
There is no space in our government or in our society for corruption and arbitrary action. We are not prepared to tolerate this at any cost. Government servants must work with a sense of public service and they should be held accountable to the people. Governments will have to be made more transparent and accountable. The recently passed Right to Information Act is a landmark step in this direction. India is on the road to progress. The whole world is watching us with expectation. It is possible for us to eradicate poverty, ignorance and disease within our lifetime. This has been made possible by the advances in science and technology.
There comes a time in the history of a nation when it can be said that the time has come to make history. We are today at the threshold of such an era. The world wants us to do well and take our rightful place on the world stage. There are no external constraints on our development. If there are any hurdles, they are internal. We must seize this moment and grab this opportunity. We need to have the resolve to make our country prosperous. We must have the self confidence to realise that we are second to none, that Indians are as good as the best.

Our political system and leadership must show sagacity, wisdom and foresight so that we are able to make the best of this moment and make India a truly great nation.
Let us come together, as one nation, strengthened by our plurality, to work shoulder to shoulder and build a new India. An India where there are no barriers between the government and the people. An India where each and every Indian can stand proudly and proclaim that he is an Indian. Let us work together to build such a nation.

Dear children, join me and say "Jai Hind", "Jai Hind", "Jai Hind".

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Dude! Where is my coutnry going?

2005-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

This is not a review on Michale Moore, best seller "Dude, where is my Country?" But regarding the judicial system and other related issues in India.

As Nanavati Commission (The Justice G T Nanavati Commission was appointed on May 8, 2000, by the National Democratic Alliance government to probe the sequence of events that led to the anti-Sikh riots across India after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.) has tabled the report. Some congress leaders' names (Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and the then police commissioner S. C. Tandon) have come to lime light. But, I was really surprised to see that Rajiv Gandhi was given a clean chit. Did any one of you know what Rajiv Gandhi said on the 1984 riots? Just to refresh your memory -"Jab koi bada peyd girta hai to zameen hilti hai." I am not saying to prosecute Rajiv Gandhi just because he said that, but I can't digest that he didn't play any role in 1984 riots. That's my opnion, you don't need to agree with me.

If you think what happened in Gujarat was the worst violence since 1947, then I have to say you need to refresh your memory regarding what happened in Delhi and Punjab in the first week of November 1984. More than 4500 Sikhs were killed in two days. If at all government had been cautious, this could have been stopped or at least minimized to a great extent. All it would have taken was, a batallion of soldiers in the streets of New Delhi, with orders to shoot at sight. Mobilization of army was not required as there were many Army bases in New Delhi, if the government had wanted them to do so. A massacre at this level cannot be without the support of local administration.

When, even after 20 years, the victims of 1984 riots could not get the justice, then how can I expect that culprits of Ghodhra massacre will be punished? Or are we telling the victims of Gujarat, "Aap qatar mne hain, kripya pratiksh keejiye" (You are in queue, please wait!)?

Let's stop singing "Sare jahan se achha hindustan hamara....".

How can we say that, when Our leader's neck is deep down in corruption. And some of our leaders sitting in Lok Sabha, are having criminal cases registered against them.
How can you say that, when, even after 20 years of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, victims are still waiting for the justice and compensation.
How can we say that when the aid for flood victims goes to some corrupt bureaucrat .
How can we say that when, an innocent and honest engineering graduate is murdered, because he reported malfunctioning of public fund in Bihar.
How can you say that when a woman gets raped by her father-in-law and finally she is forced to marry him. What is the message we are sending to women ? "Hey lady, I gonna rape you, and if you gonna complain about it later, the I am gonna rape you daily". I feel a shit about that law and I feel more shit about the Govt. for keeping their wide mouth shut, which they open only in parliament to abuse fellow politician or at the time of asking a vote.

So please stop saying that, and first let's make it a better place to live. One day we definitely will be "Sare jahan se achha...". Who is suppose to start to make a better India? It's me and you. No one else. So let's start.

If we don't wake up now, there will be one more communal violence after a few year, there will be one more Godhra massacare, there will be one more flood scam, there will be one more Satyendra Dubey murdered, there will be one more Imrana raped by her father-in-law and some shit law will ask her " abandon your children, and marry the rapist"

And what our govt will do, they will keep their mouth shut and if that is not going to help, they will form some commission or committee who will do the investigation for next 25 years and then produce the report (which is written by some of the bureaucrats, sitting in New Delhi). The report will be discussed in media for some time, and then will be thrown into the darkest corner of PMO.

I have a suggestion for the government, - stop making these committees and commissions, at least you can save some money. But the big question for you will be how to divert the public attention. Don't worry about them, they will forget it soon. Or some people like me will go to some website and publish a blog like this.

So now question is "Where is my country going?" -It is going there, where we are taking it to.

Indians in Sri Lanka: Finally They Are in Final

2005-08-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Yuvraj Singh, who saved us from some shame. I have nothing to say for the rest of the team, as they were playing a practice session. At least that's what I could feel. Well now we are in final, that's what matter. But is this is the team which a country of billion can produce. What is the game in which we are the best? Its cricket. But are we really?

Since last few series played by Indian Team (with Australia and Pakistan) I decided not to watch the Cricket Math for at least next few years. Its really very painful to watch them roaring in one match and crumbling down in another.

"Cricket is a unpredictable game", I was hearing this since my childhood, but there are teams who made the people to change their opinion. They told if you got guts, you can do it. First to my knowledge it was Sri Lankans who told the world - What you are supposed to do in first 15 over. They change the way everyone was looking at cricket and importance of first 15 overs.

They continued that charisma for the whole series. They deserved and they won the World Cup. That was a beautiful moment in the history of cricket. They told us, "You got to move now!!! not in last 10 overs". Do it now!!

However that charisma they could not maintain. But it was followed by many team. And all the cricketer, world wide, started making use of this technique. 15 overs 100+ Runs and one or two wickets, no Problem. Now save your wickets for the slog overs.

And then came the Australia. Since last 4 years I am seeing them in form. Although I am not a regular viewer, but I am sure that they have won almost 80 % of the matches they played, in last four years.

I hope that one day there will be 11 people from this one billion people, who can change the way we look at Cricket (like Lankan ) and maintain it (like Aussies), I hope one day Indian Cricket team will be known for its team, not for Sachin Tendulkar or Virender Sehwag. It will be a team!.

Lets wait for that day!, and I am sure it will come! Because I dont want you to call me a pessimist.

One Minute Manager: A Good Book on Management

2005-08-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Most of us during our career cycle pass through different managers. Every manager has its own style to manage the people/resources. Some we classify as good some as bad and some as worst. As I have seen among employees in different jobs, that I have had, too often the employee is left to figure out his/her job responsibilities. Or some times it is being told in a very vague manner. This is not the job of an employee to figure out what are his/her responsibility, but rather his/her manager's. Manager must tell in specific terms what he/she is supposed to do. Otherwise this might lead to confusion in the employee and finally to insecurity.

Also this is my personal experience that most of managers, keep watching their resources making sure that they are not doing any thing wrong. As this book says "Catch your employees doing something right". This motivates them. I feel this is one of the most important aspect of management.

One Minute Goal Setting i found an excellent idea. Set your goal and put it in a piece of paper in very few words so that you can save your time in reading it. This is an excellent idea. From time to time the goal should be compared against the actual work.

One Minute Praising is another concept of great benefit. This can be used to convey a positive message to the team members. But it need to be genuine and need to be immediately. Most of the manager wait for the appraisal to come. Then only employee feels it. Let the employee feel now. This technique builds the confidence i the employee, motivates them to do "better".

Similarly One Minute Reprimand, anything not as per the goal need to be addressed immediately and in a preset manner, and should be discouraged. In this case manager really need to be careful that the particular behavior of the employee need to be addressed not the employee's ability.

We can alwasy learn from good and "bad" managers both. From good we just need to learn "what to do", and from bad managers "what not"

I found this book to be very inspiring. And I like it because of its compact and easy to implement. Though I am not yet a manager, these concepts can be used at home, with family, as well as at work with my fellow employees - especially when we work together on projects. They can be even be used with the managers who currently supervise me. The principles are simple and universal. This is how I would want to be managed and this is the way I would l manage. Finally one word. a great book!

ICICI Bank : Worst Private Bank In India

2005-08-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

There are couple of points I would like to bring to your attention.

The charges for non-maintenance of average quarterly balance (which is RS. 5000) in Savings Account are Rs. 750/- +10.2% Service Tax.
For every new cheque book Rs. 2.00 per leaf will be charged.
For cash transactions at the branches; first 3 cash transactions (withdrawals or Deposits) in a quarter will be free and thereafter Rs.50/- per transaction will be charged.
Cash transactions at the ATM; first 6 ATM cash (withdrawals or Deposits) transactions in a quarter will be free and Rs.25/- per transaction thereafter.
There will not be any notice sent to you about the minimum balance to you. They simply keep deducting.
They also charge you as per number/denomination of notes you deposit with them. if there is more of Rs.10 notes, they will charge you more. It was so strange, I heard it for first time from one of my client.

Now I understand how they make lot ot profits.

I really dint know about all these things. I have to be really careful from now while opeing a new bank account.

There so called world wide customer service is really famous for its bad service world wide. Recently when I called them I got line after 20 mins, when a representative picked up the phone, he said hello and asked me to be online and he will be right back. I simply hung up. Also they dont maintain your case history. If you call once and explanin the problem, next time when you call you have to repeat again.

Be carefull with them.

How Safe We Are In Our Own Country?

2005-07-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

How safe we are at our own country?

One thing I have realized in USA is that, here there is value to lives. Life is the first preference given here. All the rules and regulations are being made by keeping that in mind. But same thing is not in India. How safe we are at our own land? If you are lucky and not getting killed by the terrorist then you might get killed by the rain , drought, or tsunami. Recently in Hyderabad a lady was killed because of an open manhole. Who should be held responsible for this is a big question. Everybody want an answer for this question. But nobody is answering the question!

What is the reason behind this? Who is responsible? Is it leaders? Is it administration? or is it a common person?

In my opinion it is the "common man" who is responsible. Why? Because its common man who becomes our leader and we as a common man elect him. Its a "common man" who is in our administration. He is a person from me and you. Its me and you who respect and welcome corrupt leaders, and forget our heros , who sacrifice their lives, trying to make a difference to this country, to this system. We violate the rule for a small benefit. We don't see the long term improvement. And this "We" is not just all the uneducated people, but large chunk of this is being made up of an educated persons. Who behave very well, follow are the rules, fill IT return on time when we are aboard. But we forget these things when we go back.

You may not agree with my opinion, but that's what I Have To Say . Put your opinion over here, may be we together can make a difference, and make our country a better place to live, and leave a better place for our coming generations.

Will it be worth watching Indians playing in Indian Oil cricket tri series in Sri Lanka?

2005-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Will it be worth watching Indians playing in Indian Oil cricket tri series in Sri Lanka?

That's a question which can provoke a heated debate and discussion. By looking at the recent performances by the Indian Cricket Team it is hard to believe that these guys would perform better this time. I might be a little pessimist about the Indian Cricket Team, but the credit for that goes to poor performance by the whole team during last few matches with Pakistan and Australia. Even though some of the matches were well played by the Indian Team, lot of improvement is required. It has been a long time since I saw Indian Team holding a good rank in ICC Cricket Rating . There was a time when at least 3 - 4 players from India used to be in the list of top 10 batsmen, but now the list has been reduced to 2 (Rahul Dravid at 5 and Sachin Tendulakr at 10)

Let us hope that Indian Team does well on Sri Lankan soil and come back home with pride and confidence!

IGNOU - MBA or MCA have never been easy, until now

2005-07-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Education is birth right of every individual

-Indira Gandhi

IGNOU stands for Indira Gandhi National Open University. It was established in the year of 1985, with a motive to provide cost effective education to all. This is not one of the first Open University but this is definitely a good one. Unlike other open universities, it has lot more recognition. But don't compare this with some other big budget universities/institutions like IIM, XLRI, Roorkee etc. This university targets a different segment of people. This is very well suited for the people who are already in job and want to enhance there qualification for a better career. They can work and they can study. It has very simple (yet powerful) rules and regulations for the students.

Here I am listing some of the best features of IGNOU which I liked in as a student of IGNOU.

Wide Range of Course:

IGNOU offers wide variety of course, which could be as high as Ph D in Political Science (and many more Ph D) or a Diploma in Computer Applications. IGNOU has something for all. You name the course and it will be there.

Feasible:

In country like India where still lot many people live below the poverty line, its very difficult for many of them to invest lot of money in education, specially people from rural areas. A farmer cannot afford to get his son/daughter MCA/MBA even from a third grade collage. But this is much more easy through IGNOU. For an example MCA in IGNOU will cost a max of Rs. 32000.00 (approximate), Payable in installment of close to Rs. 5000.00, half yearly. Sometimes sounds to good to be true!

No of Study Centers:

IGNOU has lot of study centers across the country. It even has center overseas, however the no of courses offered are having some restrictions. IGNOU is best suited for the people who could not finish their education due to various issues like early employment, frequent movements of residence or financial problem. It even has the centers designed specially for the defense personals (IGNOU - ARMY Recognized Regional Centers, IGNOU - AIRFORCE Recognized Regional Centers, IGNOU - NAVY Recognized Regional Centers, IGNOU - Assam Rifles Recognized Regional Center). As on date it has 48 Regional Centers.

No Strict Criteria:

Education for all is the motive of IGNOU. And to be true to that, IGNOU has very simple criteria for joining any course. You just need to have prerequisite degree. Like for M.A. you need to have B.A. (which sounds so stupid to say that it's a rule). Literally (for most of the courses) there is no restriction of marks or percentage secured in the previous academic courses.

Online Info:

This is one of the best feature I like in IGNOU. This is age of Information Technology. And IGNOU has made use of this. Most of the info is available on-line. Like Result, Hall Ticket, Course About to Start, and many other useful info. Just go to www.ignou.ac.in, and click on the appropriate link. However this website can be enhanced to offer even more information and to be more user friendly.

Contact Classes:

IGNOU is not a distance education. It offers contact classes for most of the courses. Mostly these classes are on weekends or in the evening. So it is very easy to attend. But the quality of the classes are totally dependent upon the local study center and local administration, IGNOU has a very little role to play in that.

On the Negative Side:

IGNOU has still a long way to go. The system needs a lot of improvement. like study material quality is good for nothing, need to make better, Declaration of result is very late, need to fasten it, Quality of teaching in the contact classes needs a lot of improvement. And in this local study center has to play a vital role. The format of the question papers need to be modified, make it more of objective than essay. currently majority of the questions are essay type. Like any other institution this also need to concentrate on the quality education which is in sync with the current market trend and requirement. And I am sure IGNOU will do its best to improve by every day passes on.

Well, some people also say that IGNOU is creating graduates who are not to the standards and that leads to increase in no of unemployed youths. To them I have only one thing to say Its better to create educated unemployed youths, than leaving them uneducated and unemployed

-Narender

Difference between a blast in London and a Blast in Kashmir

2005-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today morning when I opened the News channel, I heard that there were few more bomb blast in London. Casualties were not reported. Probably these were the minor blast. But the panic among the citizens is strong. I was just comparing the blast in London with a blast in Kashmir (or any where in India). There is fundamental difference in both. A blast in Kashmir or (any other part of India) is named as "Fight for Freedom" but a blast in London will be named as "Terrorist Attack". And CNN and BBC will have a program running continuously to give you the update about that. Why not same happens when there is attack in India or any other so called "Developing Countries"? Please give your comments about this difference, however it looks similar to me like "Kallu's son dies with maleria , and no body have to time to talk about that but there will be 200 press reporters outside Michale Jackson's residence just know how many time he sneazed as he is having cold. So in the next news program you will have a headline like this .. "Michale sneazed 5 times continuosly...for more update stay tuned to XXX chanel".

Any news on Kallu's son? Who the hell is Kallu?

But no matter where blast is, people die, which is a greatest insult to almighty. No one have right to destroy his creations like this. May be one day, world will understand the similarties and forget the difference in the blasts, and then they will unite and fight with enemies to Almighty's creations.

-Narender

Musharraf in Delhi: Can we trust Pakistan?

2005-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Since Indian cricket team went to Pakistan, last year for playing in Pakistan, there is a new warmness in the air of Kashmir. The "Feel Good" factor was there. People started forgetting Kargil and 1971. I would like to believe the same, as it shows us a new dimensions and takes us to new roads.

Today Musharraf and his team announced that they have buried the "Ghost" of Agra. Its good we all want the ghost to be buried. Lot of CBM (confidence building measurement) are being introduced by both the countries, like starting a new bus services between Kashmir to Mujaffarabad. Also lot more to come. I think soon they are going to start a train service too. This definitely will get some normalcy in the relationships.

But million dollar question is that can we relay on Pakistan, well only future can tell us, because history is not very encouraging when it comes to believing in Pakistan especially Mr Musharraf. However my heart want to believe but mind says be cautious!

Rich Dad Poor Dad: Will it fit indian economy?

2005-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Today I finished Rich Dad Poor dad. Did a lot of thinking and found that book is not for everyone. One need to be have a broad vision. Also this book cant be just applied to every economy. Ideas/Theory explained in books may not suitably fit in economy like India. However it was page turner and also tells us pretty simple things about money. Something like the way we think about assets. How an asset can be prove to be a liability. So got to be very careful while look for an asset. Simple rule in this book is that "Buy an asset where you need to put a minimum money in its maintenance, but it gives a maximum output"

Casting Couching: March 21 2005

2005-07-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Recently some TV Chanel is trying tell us that there is "casting couth" happening in bollywood and trying to show with some real proof. May be the way it was ploted agains "those" people it was not good but, I dont see any better way to show casting couch kind of things. Lets look at the broader image here, Shakti Kapoor is not a target here, its system which is being targeted.

There was a similar event which performed by Tehelka in fake defence deal, and then we saw (we already new politician are corrupt) how our leader are using their post and portfolio to fill their wide open mouth.I saw most of us want to close our eyes and say loudly "This is wrong, It is unethical". Why people do that? Its ethical to do such things but it is unethical to show them in public? Wow, inst a double standard.Have a look on following real life examples:

A devotional singer and singing the following lines:Kabira Khada bazar mne liye lukathi haath.Jo ghar bare aapna chale hamare saath.This is one of the stanza from Kabir's amritwani. As per these line, kabir is standing in market holding a fireflame, and asking those people to come along with him, who can burn there houses.How many of them can burn their houses? And people are enjoying that. Saying "wah", "wah". I beleive proabably if Kabir comes today and ask for the same then we will find that witin a minute there will not be any one to listen him. So the conclusion is people will be happey to listen what Kabir said, but they will never be happy by listening Kabir. Is it a double standard? Or just an escapist nature of human beaing.

Another example:

Recently there was a movie called Page 3, the movie was deling with Bollywood internals. The movie had a new way to expose the "Other" face of bollywood, what happens in the darker side. The movie was well appreciated and well received by most of us. Was it becuae it was not a real story but a "movie"?

Give your comments!