Life, As It Comes...

India 5th Most Powerful Nation: A Joke?

2011-04-15T01:31:00.001-07:00

My Comment on:

India 5th most powerful nation, says govt index - The Times of India

The National Security Annual Review 2010 placed India fifth in the hierarchy of top 50 nations identified on the basis of their GDP.

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Its strange that all other nations, in this ranking list, would be obviously producing their own defense hardware, except India. So, despite the fact that we do not produce any major fighter planes, tanks, submarines, artillery, big guns, radars, helicopters, or any equipment of our own, we are still ranked 5th in the world. But the question is, how long we can survive like this, being so heavily dependent on other countries who produce bulk of the defense equipment, and we are mere buyers, and may be ranked whatever number, untill they keep supplying. What if those countries stop defense supplies, even if we offer higher prices? Why cant we produce our own fighter planes, tanks and submarines, even after 60 years of independence, while every other country in the list has risen from rags to super powers in those very 60 years? Don't we need an introspection and though it is late now, but then we need to start acting without delaying any further? Self dependence, in defense at least, is the key to be a power among the league of world powers, and we need to realize this as quick as possible, otherwise, it will be too late!

Response to Tom Fordyce and His Report on the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Delhi

2010-10-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

A response to Tom Fordyce's (of BBC) report at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tomfordyce/2010/10/delight_delights_-_now_for_the.html

Are you a sports journalist? Your report doesn't seem a sports story at all! Are you trying to tell the world that India is poor? Means, the world did not know this earlier and you made some kind of a discovery?
Nobody is proud of its poverty in India, and people need to fight it, I am sure they are going to do great things in the near future and put an end to the poverty. But yesterday was the night to be proud of, as a big sporting event was being inaugurated and the ceremony was fairly good, good enough that Indians could be proud of, good enough that the world should have been happy that something like this could be staged in India and above everybody could enjoy the good entertainment. This point about displaced people and extreme poverty, (I watched this story on the BBC World News' program Asia Today, this morning as well), you could have aired this report yesterday or a day after, I do not understand why or what was the pressing need to club the opening ceremony to this report of people living in poverty. Nobody is proud of poverty, but I am sure the people you have reported about, they would also have enjoyed this ceremony. You can go back and get their reactions. You have actually confused two different topics, and the outcome was nothing more than a bad report. As I read the various comments here, majority of the people commenting have not liked your report, I do not know how BBC sees it, but I suggest you need to do some introspection as what were you trying to report and what you ended up with!

Simply, may be, if some opening ceremony of games could make Indians happy for some time and forget the poverty, you should have reported and let them feel proud of whatever they were happy about. Its more that people are reacting to your report because you are connected to BBC, a respected news source in India so far. Otherwise, nobody would have bothered to write such length comments on this piece of sheer bad standard reporting.

I suggest next time you make a report, consider the following points to be included or researched or discovered by you:

1. Why does Common Wealth Organization (CWO) exist?
2. What have been the achievements of CWO?
3. How many countries have been helped by CWO in fighting poverty?
4. What has been the economic impact of British colonialism on the CW countries that is carrying to the 21st century?
5. Is it true that the CWO is an attempt to keep the sense/feel of the British empire alive among the royal family of Britain and other imperialistic people?
6. What did Britain do to rehabilitate the countries which had huge economic impact of the British occupation?
7. Why did not Britain return the wealth that was accumulated from the occupied countries by all unfair means and filled the treasures of your own country?
8. How many countries are reeling under poverty even today because of the historic economic exploitation of these countries by Britain?
9. Why Britain fed its children with the food that was meant for the malnutrition-ed children of countries like India?
10. Do people think that their ancestors were fed them on the looted food and brought them up with the wealth accumulated by committing atrocities on the poor people of occupied countries during colonialism?

Tom, do write an article and a TV report with these points covered, because the real reason for the in-human conditions of many countries that they live in today...root back to the occupation and economic exploitation of those countries by none other than Great Britain, whose prince Charles came down to the opening ceremony and declared the so called Common Wealth games open in Delhi, yesterday! What do you feel proud of, Tom?

Looking forward to your response or a response from BBC.

CWG Delhi

2010-09-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

These games made India and Delhi both shame and proud, but made many politicians and officials richer by millions! So much has already been written in every media about it that I don't feel like writing the same again. But yes one thing I would wish and pray, that in future if we host a big event like this, or Olympics may be, the CWG mistakes should not be repeated. I hope we have learned a lesson and our politicians and officials, will put our country ahead of petty personal interests and benefits.

Railway Crossing Mess, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

2010-08-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

This may seem to you very usual Indian phenomenon, but there is a difference actually. While returning back to Delhi, from Himachal, we thought of seeing the Brahm Sarovar at Kuruksetra, on August 24, 2010. We roamed around for a while, then started back towards the GT road. After driving for around 10 minutes, we encountered this railway level crossing, with barriers down. So, it was a typical Indian scene, with people bending down and sneaking through the rail road. We were waiting for around 30 minutes already when we saw a train engine coming towards the crossing, so we were relieved a bit.

The engine arrived, but to our amaze, it stopped in the middle of the crossing! It stayed there for 5 minutes and then went back. But bars were not released, even it had gone back. We could only watch the drama and repent taking that road. Then later, after another 30 minutes, it came back again and did the same. May be it was changing the tracks, I guess. On both sides of the road, by that time, huge traffic had queued! My question to the Indian Railways, or to any authority/department responsible for civil infrastructure, is that even in the 21st century, why we have to go through such "planned" mess daily.

The whole road was blocked for over an hour, what for?, engine changing tracks dot at the level crossing? Such things can only happen in India! Is it a design fault on the part of the Railways or the agency who constructed the road, but the sufferer is the general public. After all this drama, stuck helplessly for more than an hour there, I could imagine why the rate of mishaps at the level crossings in India is so high. This video may make you remember the similar incidents that you yourself might have been through.

Why Indian Roads are the Most Dangerous in the World: One Reason!

2010-06-15T01:16:00.000-07:00

Price Rise in India: Public Suffers, Media Bites Too

2010-06-15T01:14:00.001-07:00

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Justice Delayed and Denied-II

2010-06-15T01:11:00.001-07:00

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Justice Delayed and Denied

2010-06-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

Mahatma Gandhi in Johannesburg in 1914

2010-06-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

Mahatma Gandhi with wife Kasturbai in Johannesburg in 1914

Gandhiji at the time of his arrest in 1913 with his co-workers Miss Schlesin and Mr Kallenbach

A file photograph of the inhabitants of the Tolstoy Farm

As Commented to Name This...

2009-07-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

I commented on a post by another blogger and found it worth putting it here and sharing it with you guys as well...

Its not as simple a thing to be discussed in one liners...Lives are spent and still no answers are found...but just one thing that I would want to put here that it is the bonding or the attachment that makes people feel what you have been through, and it can happen for anyone and anything, be it a friend, a colleague, a teacher, a radio host, a pet, a tree, a car, a seat in the cab or bus people daily travel, a desk,....just anything...and you know its one of the most pure feelings and it also tells that a person is so natural, humble and a nice human who values things around him/her.

:)

Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Ayegi

2009-05-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ham karte gaye har lamha us lamhe ka intezaar,
Jab ek lamhe mei hotey saal hazaar.

Nikle they soch ke ki milegi is jaanib bahaar,
Saamna hua lekin mushkilon se beshumaar.

Zindagi ko aksar tatoltey toh rehte hain,
Par zindagi mei toh din bahut kam hain.

Sochte hain ki jis tarah yeh nazm poori ho rahi hai,
Hamari khwahishon ki nazar kyon kho rahi hai.

Kho rahe hain ham bhi ek ummeed mei,
Ki woh subah kabhi toh ayegi.

Hamne jo dekhen hain khwab barson se,
Woh zindagi hamari kabhi toh jagmagaayegi...!

Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi...!

The Best Time Has Just Started

2009-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's midnight hour in a January month,
And I sit in my bed trying to sleep,
Time passes fast like a sufi song,
Listen for hours and it feels only sweet.

Time that I always wanted to control,
And never let it jump over me,
I know today I am a perturbed soul,
But then I am not here to flee.

I have always seen it changing waves,
Flows like wind through a pine tree,
To escape it, there are no such caves,
Though I am peakish, yet very much free.

There is no dearth of courage,
Will move on a path less traveled,
I believe nothing can break my surge,
And the best time has just started...

Thinking and Parching!!

2008-06-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's like if I am confined in my own world and i'm parching too, and trying to bring peace to my own self.
Yes, because, I have time to think and i am thinking too much. These few days, when I am sick and at home, have given me some great insights.
As far as I remember, this is for the first time in my professional career that I have taken a long break out of my office because of my health. There is no reason to enjoy and there is no reason to be very sad too. But sitting at home and doing nothing can do a lot to you, especially when you are not in very good health.

This is the time you can be Comfortably Numb, without Pink Floyd too.

Watching the IPL final was as entertaining as it could get. And news on the television covering the same stories for the last few months, as if there is nothing new happening around. Comedy there is all old and repeating too. Fuel prices, they are talking of increasing substantially but people are already troubled enough with the food and commodities prices which have not only shocked them but made them change there preferences while going on shopping. All this i am saying because I too got some time to think about these things while on leave.

The world order is changing, globalization has happened enough or its gonna see many more spheres? The slowing economy of the U.S. is said to be the reason for many companies to not to do the salary hikes here in India, I wonder, what is the fault of the employees if U.S. economy is not doing good, or we are not able to provide the value they ask for? God knows!

I also got much time to explore some spiritual side of me, though there is nothing much i could make out. There is a lot which i am not sure about and i don't know what stuff i am cut for.
There are many dreams, which i have killed, simply because i don't have time for them, but still i want to rekindle some of them again and thats where my inner strength never lets me retract. The quadrangle of my strength perhaps comprises Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual sides, like everybody's i guess. A few sides may be weak at the moment, but i am sure to regain the momentum and move towards my dreams in full swing. Dreams, which are very big, but as they say no dream is big unless you don't achieve it.

You see the stars and they are too far,
Man, your mind and body seem at war.

I don't know, why i wrote about my self more tonight, than the topics i usually write on, but then this is the time i am thinking more about myself.

Rain Rain Don't Go Away

2008-05-21T03:38:00.000-07:00

Its raining like July and temperature like October, but its only May in Delhi!
What more you ask for? The nature is so kind that its raining almost daily.

Mornings are so cool and fresh, and evenings are extremely amazing,
Its drizzling all the day and you can feel when the nature is so caring.

The India Gate lawns are full with people and trees waving with the wind so gentle,
After boating in the Purana Qila lake you can visit the Akshardhaam temlple.

People come out of their offices after lunch and go out for a stroll too,
Rain lovers don't mind even getting wet so they play and thats all they do.

With every shower it gets, the city looks fresh, wearing a green dress,
But the heavy storms, thundering and fire-like lightening is not scaring less.

I wonder, if it's because of global warming, then what is bad in it?
It's temporary though, they say, but for a guy like me, its perfect fit.

All i can say is, rain rain don't go away,
For such lovely weather we always pray.

Hope

2008-01-31T02:57:00.000-08:00

If you can't be a hope to someone, let someone be your hope :)

Half Efforts!

2007-05-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, my uncle once told me this very short but meaningful story and i think you may also like it...

There was this man who has been a great worshiper of lord Shiv ji right from his childhood. And the lord was also very happy with him. The person only had one wish which he always aksed Shiv ji to fulfill. The wish was to win a lottery and he never forgot to mention it in his daily prayers.
But today is the last day of his life and he still repeated his wish to win a lottery in his prayer.

Parvati ji was seeing all this for a long time but today seeing this person dying and that the person has been so good and worshiped Shiv ji through out his life, she couldn't resist herself. She asked the Lord as why did he not listen to the man and grant him his wish to win the lottery? And particularly the man never did any wrong to anyone and also never complained or abused the Lord for his misries. And he never gave up worshipping the Lord even during very hard times. So Parvati ji, quite furiously asked the Lord, what is the reason that the man did not deserve the Lord's generousity?

Shiv ji answered that yes this is true that this man very rightfully deserved his wish to be granted and he wanted the same. But,as his wish was to win a lottery, the man never bought a lottery ticket. Now, the Lord said, even I wanted to fulfill his wish but he never made an effort or had no knowledge that to win a lottery, apart from praying, the one basic thing is to buy a lottery ticket!

So one moral of this story is that half and incomplete efforts can never take you to your goal.
Hey, you guys can add more morals to this story, whatever you think can be associated with it...

Me, A Book?! What Are You?

2007-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

When some time back a friend asked me what object I identify myself with, the query was so sudden and caught me unprepared. I had no ready answer so i thought for a few seconds and the only thing came out of my mind was a book. A book! Why did i say a book, asked the friend! I could only say, that moment, that like a book different people read me and interprett me differently, whatever suits them. So i just averted a very simple and light query with this equally simple statement.

But, as my nature is to think about every single thing in detail, this didn't go off my mind easily. Later in the night, when i was about to sleep, i started thinking, why did I say a book? Is it really something which I can relate myself to? I started comparing myself with a book. But I was surprised to find there were all the similarities betwen two of us.

To many people, a book is a friend when it is relevant and just an object when its use is over. Same to me! People come to books when they have no other way to go and they forget these books when they are through. A book has everything to give to its reader but when the book needs some care from the reader, it is just ignored. There is no one whom a book can look up to when needed. Really!

The book has soluitons to every problem of its reader but nothing for its own troubles. But still the book never thinks bad of its reader. It still has everything which its reader needs. Its a big ocean of knowledge, love and care for its reader which will always be there no matter what circumstances the life puts them (book and reader) accross.

Well, I would say books and the friends which are like books should never be dumped or forgotten simply because their selfless love would never end for you. They are very delicate and also need you and your care too at times. Whatever you do to them, they will always be with you and care for you, whenever you need or dont need.

So briefly, this was Manav, a Book, what you identify yourself with?

Why God gave us all the feelings??!!

2007-05-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

When God created us, why did he put feelings in us too?? Why did he give us emotions? Couldn't we had lived like any other object? We may not have been happy but then we may not have been unhappy too. Why have we attachments to people and things? Why we have some people and things so dear to us?

How could some people train themselves to be like stones? Where did all our sensitivities come from? These questions generally hover around my head on some occasions and despite all my efforts, I have been unable to find answers to any one of these. Scientists say we are part of the continuous process of evolution, then why are our emotions and sensitivities unchanged for centuries?

Is it that these are designed as ingredients to human miseries and sufferings. Had these emotions and sensitivities not with us, we could be happier? May be life is too short to find answers to such questions but my quest goes on. If you have some answers to any of these (stinky) questions, do write in here...

It struck me!!

2007-05-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Finding solutions to problems is important but to find problems to be solved is more important (-_-)

Orkut Crazy! Should Internet be moderated?

2007-05-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

When a Turkish software engineer Orkut Büyükkökten at Google created this social networking application, named after him only, Orkut was designed to help users meet new friends and maintain existing relationships. Orkut went a step further by permitting the creation of easy-to-setup simple forums called "communities."

There has recently been controversy revolving around the use of orkut by various hate groups. Virulent racists allegedly have a solid following there. Several hate communities focused on racism, Nazism, and white supremacy have been deleted due to guideline violation. However the number of these communities and profiles has not stopped growing because they can be very easily created and it is hard for orkut to check them. In India, Recent most was the ?We Hate India? community issue which got huge media attention. The Bombay High Court has issued notices to Google on some of the Hate India groups. Google is expected to file its response in the court very soon. Suing orkut is not the right thing as orkut is not a producer of information it merely provides a platform for people to network and exchange ideas. But, then the question arises, should there be any kind of moderation on such social networking sites and blogs? Some television channels like CNN-IBN ran long debate shows on the issue of moderating Orkut.

I think, as we move towards the web 2.0, which enables user generated content and networking, the role of administration and moderation becomes really important. There are many sites which can be named for facilitating things like piracy, spreading hatred on different grounds, and distributing pornography. But that should not mean we should sue them.

What we need includes better and capable cyber laws and law enforcement mechanism so that the content on such sites can be monitored and regulated to sufficient extent. Experts from this field should be involved so that more awareness regarding technology and its good use can be developed among common people. And most important is that the children must be taught the right uses of Internet in schools.

Little Girl !!

2007-05-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, this story, I read somewhere sometime back, is too short..........but carries a lot of feeling... so just thought of sharing it with you all :)

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl. "If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go." In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond.

So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold urs...

Reservation: Why Our Politicians are Playing Games With the Future of Our Country?

2007-05-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Friends,

With almost all the politicians of our country moving ahead with their attempts to bring reservation to the level of 50% and that too in country's pioneer educational institutions, we can only say that these politicians are playing a very dangerous game with the future of this nation. Price of this game will be very high and would be paid by our coming generations. This democracy, which we boast of having the largest in the world, has merely become a toy in the dirty hands of petty politicians who use it only to attain power and use the sentiments of general public to acquire their votes. Just to remain in power and win votes, they can go to any extreme that we all know. And if the reservation is the tool they are using now what would be their next tool to sustain into the politics? That means we are yet to see the worst of this political lust yet.

We all know how this reservation is going to affect us, be it in educational institutions or in jobs, but dont you think same time that by bringing incapable people to those places where they dont deserve at all would be dangerous for our country in all fileds. We may never be able to achieve what we all aspire for our nation, a nation that can walk shoulder to shoulder with the leading nations around the world. We may never be able to develop our human resourcses to the level which is requisite for a country to get to that level. Our technological and other resources would never be so capable to challenge the current powers of this world. How would we be a developed nations in this scenario?

I'm scared of just thinking this, its not just our individual dreams that are being taken away but dreams and aspirations of our nations as a whole are at stake if our politicians carry on pursuing such political games. We need to find out ways to address this situation today to avert a bigger damage in future. If anything can be done then its got to be done today only. Otherwise tomorow it may be very late. We, the responsible youth of this nation should join our hands to build a pressure on the political circles of our country to make them think in the right direction and not just use the sentiments of general public as a tool to obtain power only.