Ryan Lobo: Photographing the hidden story | Video on TED.com

Ryan Lobo: Photographing the hidden story | Video on TED.com

Myths and Cultures role in building them

DEVDUTTPATTANAIK talks in TEDIndia about the myths that define our beliefs.

Pranav Mistry speaking at TEDIndia-MYSORE

Another proof that Indians have arrived!

Pranav Mistry delivers lecture at TED India about his gadget 'Sixth Sense'.

I had seen his presentation, first when 'Sixth Sense' was introduced to the world through TED - Ideas worth spreading.

This Indian Lad talks of how he approached to make the gadget, which will change the way we live. He had developed it initially in India and further took it forward during his stint at MIT.

What more he also intends to keep it open sourced so that people can make as much use of it as their imagination permits them.

HATS OFF to him!!!

Role of media and its lethargy

I stumbled upon a report by a renowned media man arguing that we get the government that we as a polity deserve. In the same way we get the media reporting that we as a society deserve. He has to sell his product at the end of the day to remain in business, thus justifying the maddening reportage of Page 3 Celebrities, instant celebrities and general degradation of the news reports and news presentation.

If in a free-society the general perception is that the governing community is doing exceptionally well and people are so charmed by the leaders that they do not see their follies, then it is the duty of the media to - using a cliche - 'wake up the masses'.

Media cannot keep churning out gossips and ignore the misgovernance citing the excuse, that the people like the leaders, since they do not know they are corrupt and hence we show gossip or else we will have to shut shop.

Media is selling ideas, thoughts and future of the nation. It is not dealing with peanuts here. When an author writes rubbish and is successful in diverting the attention of the nation from the priority issues, then he is doing disservice to the nation and his profession. Media is not without reason called the fourth estate or the fifth pillar of democracy.

If making money is the reason why journalists are here, then better start hawking chaats or sell balloons at the traffic signal.

If a nation is losing its focus and media is unable to direct the focus on the important issues then it is the failure of the media.

Media, which is supposed to be unbiased, if goes on singing paeans after paeans of one party and ignoring their failures keeps influencing its readers favourably towards a select bunch of corrupts, is no longer fulfilling its duty. Readers can see through it and if they skip the front page due to this, then they land up on the Page 3. Media then cannot blame their readers of having an inferior taste of prose.

As we get a government we deserve and media reports what we deserve to read. The FDI-bought media also gets readers that it deserves. The mirror would show the media men their true face

Viewers might soon find Doordarshan news more interesting - although it churns out sarkari farmaans - rather than the breathless, nonsensical and pure sensationalised news channels.

Role of Human Rights activists and their impunity

India mourned on the 25th Death Anniversary of Indira Gandhi's death on October 31. She died when her security personnel opened fire upon her. Her death had bought about a devastation unseen before. Sikhs were massacred with impunity and India failed to protect their lives. Rajeev Gandhi after a fortnight famously quoted 'When a huge tree falls, earth shakes!'

The perpetrators of the massacre were never held accountable and Indian society as a whole failed to uphold the rights of its very own citizens. The perpetrators would always want to be left unscathed for their crimes, but what failed more, was the society at large - the media, judiciary, politicians - to get justice for the victims and their families. This failure is something on the lines of busting the myth of a democratic set-up, right in the face of us, Indians.

In fact the impunity or lack of accountability extends to the self-proclaimed human rights champions too.

Arundhati Roy for example denounces - and rightly - the violent Sri Ram Sene kinda outfits, but in the same breath, she talks of support for the Maoists. True that the tribals need more rights and need to be taken care of, in terms of economic prosperity. But violent revolution does not compliment any human rights fight. There are rights of the dead policemen too. To mean that the all the poor tribals are picking up guns would be a sham.

Thankfully for majority of the 450 million poor people sanity prevails and only 20000 of them have picked up guns.

But how can Arundhati Roy denounce Sri Ram sene/SIMI/ Indian Mujahideen but embrace the Maoists? All of these claim to be marginalised, some ideologically, some politically, some economically. All of them need to be brought to the mainstream. Its a binding responsibility for every Indian.

We need better, rational and unbiased Human Rights Activists. NGO's and activists have given the nation RTI, they wield lots of power. After all, the Congress has been allowed to get away with 1984, only because of the stony silence of the true do-gooders.

We need more of them.

Jamiat-e-Islami-Hind and Deoband issue fatwa against singing Vande Mataram!

Jamiat-e-Islami-Hind and Deoband Seminary organised a conglomeration of Muslim organisations and passed a 25 point resolution. One of the most important and controversial points of the resolution was a fatwa for Muslims against singing the National Song "Vande Mataram".

The sickening fatwas of this kind only go on to aggravate the issues of minority. When A R Rahman said 'Maa tujhe Salaam' was he less Muslim?

Deobandis should have been smarter by now. Jinnah used them as fodder to get power pre-independence and left them with people whom they had vehemently opposed. Same happened with them post-independence when politicians would arrange grand iftar parties but would turn a blind eye to the progress of the community.

This is a political gimmickry by politicians who want to gain power in UP, which would ensure them of, victories in ensuing LS polls for the coming decade.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had written the 'Anandmath' novel describing hermits revolt against an oppressive British regime. The Britishers censored the novel and forced Chatterjee to depict the revolt being against the Mughals by the hermitage. Thereby, sowing the seeds of opposition to the song.

When Subhash Chandra Bose included the song for his INA. Even Rabindranath Tagore advised him against the idea of worship and Bose kept only the first two stanzas wherein, there was no mention of worshipping anyone else, but salutation to the mother. The same song was adopted by the constitution. Many freedom fighters be it Muslims or Hindus had romanticized martyrdom with this song.

It is not a show of patriotism to sing this song. But not singing this song and imposing other 'followers' to not sing it, shows an attitude and mentality of opposition to assimilation with the culture This attitude of maintaining an isolation is the one that needs to be addressed.

PM's security denies a patient entry to Hospital. Patient dies!!!

A man with kidney problems and renal failure died, due to overzealous security guards, during PM's visit for a function at a hospital in Chandigarh. The family had arrived to Chandigarh from Ambala 45 kms away and was turned around from entry points after entry points for 2 hours, since all routes were sealed for the PM's security.

The PM has written to the family of the deceased in Chandigarh, expressing his deep regret over the incident and has moved on! He might compensate monetarily and thats it. The next function he attends might snuff another life, we all move on. THANK YOU very much!

To avoid such a scenario, precautions could be taken. It is preposterous to believe that entry into a HOSPITAL is restricted since a VIP is arriving there! How can we celebrate success and anniversaries of Health centres, with this kind of attitude?

As much as the VIP's, the guards themselves too hate being grid-locked in traffic and would want to fly-past the lesser beings.

VIP cavalcades have caused lots of heartburns to the commoners over the years. There should be, to start with, a no-VIP time during the peak rush hours for the commuters. Say daily from 6 to 7 no traffic would be held up for any VIP.

VIP's can leave early or stay put in their offices for the duration. For extremely-urgent-immediate-attention-deserving-armageddon kinda events they can use helicopters. All of them bundled into one or two and leave.

Nothing more needs to be spoken upon the topic. Since there is actually NOTHING to debate about it. We have cultivated a VIP culture in our lives and we alone are responsible for it.

Cut the commandos to the VIP's and use them for better jobs. Its an insult to their ability to surround these VIP's.

After elections are over aam aadmi is expendable. He, unfortunately, becomes a JAAM aadmi.

A ROBOT Dog! A must see

ROBOT Dog!!!

This is a Robot designed by researchers in Boston Dynamics. This seems to be as good as a living being or may be even better.

Globalisation: What it has brought to us and us to?

Globalisation was a term much dreaded by the middle class folks and was introduced by our current PM and then FM Manmohan Singh in the early 1990's.

He is credited with opening up the economy and is regularly lauded by Congressie sycophants. Although it brought about a huge change in the way India was seen as a market by the world, it was more of a compulsion than a choice.

India did not have enough Foreign Exchange to survive for another 15 days and ONGC had famously not bid for a contract in the Far-East since the government could not lend $7000/- as the bidding fees.

Under these circumstances the IMF had put conditions for India to open up before asking for any loans. India got loans and then had to open up.

It brought a change and change is always uncomfortable for humans.

Globalisation has definitely opened up more avenues than our earlier generations had. The feeling is summed up in the statement that 'I am doing what my father would not even had dreamt of'. This is more or less applicable to every successful person in India today.

What our earlier generation did at the age we are today, is quite different from what we are doing and quite possibly, they may not even had dreamt of a lifestyle like ours.

But then we are counting upon a little percentage of been-there-done-that's. There is a heap of talent unsourced. A good 25% of India which is below the age of 25 years and has its own aspirations. Oppurtunities for all of those is very important or we are sitting on a time-bomb of criminalisation of society.

The trickle down effect, that was so widely believed would happen, has just been busted. The wealth from the top just does not seep until the bottom.

It was advocated that the market economy would make rich people gain wealth, which would be distributed locally which would make prosperity reach the rural part of India.

But when we think of this, another event is reminded when Mukesh Ambani led Reliance had made huge profits owing to the high oil price which had driven profits to the petroleum products made by his group.

Mukesh Ambani had visited the PM and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in relation to a constitutionally valid tax that he was supposed to pay. It was called a Windfall Profit Tax which a businessman has to pay in lieu of a humongous profit acquired by his organisation. Ambani had made a request to relax that tax.

What happened to his request, the media did not highlight nor was reported anywhere. But if we are allowing businessmen to pay lesser tax, then what is the use of the whole trickle down theory?

We are breeding terrorists in the form of Naxalites and Maoists. The have-nots in India are far more in percentage than the 'have's'.

No wonder we had 28% people below poverty line in 1991, now we have 38%

Praful Patel takes over as AIFF President

OK, first the news...

Poor Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, the multi-time Congress MP suffered a heart attack and is recuperating in a hospital in Delhi. My thoughts are with his family and I pray for his fast recovery. Praful Patel, ex-vicepresident and the current acting-president has taken over the responsibility of taking 'care' of football in India.

Now the issue to be discussed.

Priyaranjan Dasmunshi presided over All India Football Federation as President since 1988. That is before none of the under-19 footballers were born. Although, I feel bad for his family concerning his health, but what did he achieve in the past two decades on the helm of affairs of AIFF? Did he not feel ashamed in any way in his tenure for sad state of the sport? My take is if he had really loved the sport he would have quit long ago.

A change in guard is always a refreshing breather. But Praful Patel has presided as acting President and was Vice-president since long enough. Praful Patel for the sake of football in India should come out with his 'master plan' to make the popular sport a successful venture in India.

Give a guy a roll of paper and some space and few moments alone. Next thing you would see that
he has rolled the paper into a ball and is kicking it and dodging imaginary players and is smiling about kicking the ball in an imaginary goal post. The sport needs no introduction or need not be popularised. What needs to be popularised is that it is being managed well enough for people to take it as a career option.

Considering the 'good work' that Praful Patel has done with Air India, one can only hope that the breather that Praful Patel brings does not turn out to be a case of bad breath.

THIS IS IT! Michael Jacksons song recorded before his death

THIS IS IT!

This is the video of the song THIS IS IT! recorded by Micheal Jackson just before he died.

Barrack Hussain Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize!!!

Surprising that Barrack Obama has got the Nobel prize for Peace. It is definitely over the top to give it to a person, who until now has not even been able to, get a fair majority to pass a bill about health care which will be in favour of the poor and needy of America. He has not served enough in his tenure to make significant impact.

He has merely mentioned to reduce the stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

In that case Atal Bihari Vajpayee should be given the Nobel Prize for Peace, since he was the one to declare as soon as India conducted the nuclear tests that India would support dismantling of all nuclear weapons in the world.

And Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not even send troops to other nations to continue to fight a fanatical war. He took the risk of releasing prisoners of national importance for the sake of a few hostages.

There would be many suggestions as to who deserved the Nobel Prize more, but one thing is sure Obama doesnt seem to be deserving it at least for now. His time would have come in future, for its no mean achievement to break the racial barriers and win the presidency.

But, What one does with power is more important than achieving it.

This will do more harm than good for Obama's PR. It will only add more pressure upon him in making policy decisions.

Anyways, CONGRATULATIONS BARRACK HUSSAIN OBAMA on winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Naxalism, Maoism - Biggest Internal Threat to India

Maoists behead a police officer Francis Induwar. Naxalism has given way to the more brutal and inhumane Maoism, which is Communism in its darker form.

It is true that it has breed due to the lack of development in rural India, but it is equally true that violence of any form cannot be ever justified. The 'liberated' areas are no better than when they had state apparatus working for them. It is a huge industry.

The people who support, supporters of killers, of people like Francis Induwar should be ashamed of themselves. This is no definition of being secular in any which way. In fact Naxalites should be brought into the mainstream as quick as possible or they will go the Babbar Khalsa way, where the ISI would be too gleefully rubbing its hands to help them carry more murders.

This calls for more reach within the villages, NREGA should be implemented without its current glitches. At least it would be a good start to wean out its short-comings.

Money should reach villagers, it will have direct effect upon the reach of Maoists. Rural India badly needs an alternative to Maoists.

I&B censored Nehru's relation with Edwina

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is censoring the script of a film by a British filmmaker, Joe Wright, who wants to focus in his film on the intimate relationship that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, shared with Edwina Mountbatten.

The government has cut the script short and has asked the director to stick to an approved script. A govt. official will be present on the sets of the film to make sure the order is implemented.

This brings us to the question, if it is an insult to the legacy of Nehru that his private life is made public, then pity the party workers who think that his credit of building our nation is so fragile that it could crumble under weight of his personal choices.

Nehru's relationship was ensuing during the most tumultuous period in recent history of India. If anything it should only highlight his endurance to have built the nation under extreme emotional duress.

If India had been cut into pieces or had gone the Pakistan way, with a celibate sage at the helm, would the moral apologists be happy?

Every country be it Turkey or Pakistan has a legacy of haloing the personalities of their founding fathers. Information & Broadcasting Ministry is following the much traversed path of broadcasting information by withholding most part of it.

PITY!

Yugratna Srivastava Climate Change UN speech

Yugratna Srivastava, a 13-year-old girl from Lucknow, India addressed the United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York on Tuesday. Yugratna’s speech was cheered on by world leaders including UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon. The girl exudes tremendous confidence in her speech. The video could not be uploaded due to some problem with blogger as well as Youtube. I managed to get this grab on net.

Summit on Climate Change

22 September 2009
Speech of Yugratna Srivastava

Respected UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki - moon, Honourable Dignitaries and August Assembly.

I am 13 years young Yugratna from organisation Tarumitra,
meaning Friends of Trees, which is an NGO of 1600 high
schools and involved in promoting environmental awareness.
I feel privileged to represent children and youth, 3 billion of the
world’s population in this Summit on Climate Change.
I am so much concerned about climate change because
I don’t want our future generations to
question us just as I am questioning

the need of more concrete action on climate change today.

The Himalayas are melting, polar bears are dying, 2 of every 5
people don’t have access to clean drinking water, earth’s
temperature is increasing, we are losing the untapped
information and potential of plant species ,

Pacific’s water level has risen,
Is this what we are going to hand over to our future generations?
Please…….no!

We received a clean and healthy planet from our ancestors and
we are gifting a damaged one to our successors?

Is their any justice in this?

Honourable Excellencies, we need to call for an action now. We
have to protect the earth not just for us

but for our future generations.
If not here then where, if not now then when and

if not us then who?

Please listen to our voices.

The future needs strong vision and leadership!

One month ago, we had a TUNZA International Children and
Youth Conference in Korea.

The 800 participants and several thousands online developed

a statement requesting you as leaders to:
Agree on a more fair, just and action oriented post-Kyoto
agreement adopted and implemented by all countries
Not just formulate policies but also enforce them by
translating them into actions.

1. Please stop the people who are making Mother Earth Cry.
2. Why cut the oxygen generating forests

to create CO2 generating industries?
3. Include carbon and ecological footprint information in products.
4. Adapt to a green economy and sustainable production.
5. Develop a multi-national climate facility to monitor
climate response strategies.

The high tech. society and currency deposits in bank are of no
use if we don’t have a compatible biosphere.
In the awareness, it is not just about
solving an environmental problem….

but it is exclusively about changing the mindset and
attitude of people!

Educate students about the climate change by making
environmental education mandatory at all the levels of learning.
To get a sustainable Earth, we don’t need to stop the
developments. The need is quest and expansion of affordable
eco-friendly technologies available to common man like Energy
Efficient Campuses, Bio-fuels and Renewable energy sources.

I just want to ask all the world leaders two questions:-
1. Do environmental problems recognize any geographical or
political boundaries and age groups? My answer is certainly no.
This is why, we have the UN to talk each other about these
issues. I request you to please include the voices of children and
youth in all your decisions.
2. If national security and peace, and economic growth are
priorities, than why not climate change?
I know that you all are great leaders but overall we all are
humans. We all have a kind heart. I am sure that UN
negotiations at Copenhagen this year will end with
recommendations for good of humanity…and they have to.
Whatever has happened in the past is over.

We just have present and future in our hands.

Let’s act in the present to secure our future.
We have one Mother Earth: Care it and Share it.

Respected leaders, when you all make policies, please think of a
child suffering in greenhouse heat and

think of the species craving to survive.

Mahatma Gandhi said “Earth has enough to satisfy everyone’s need but no one’s greed"

A bird can fly in air, a fish can swim in water,

a leopard can run far faster,

But we the humans have been supernaturally gifted with mind….

a capability to think, change and reform ….

so come on let us all use these abilities to save our birthplace….
our home…. our mother earth!

Thank You !!!

The complete speech is taken from UN archives.

Pace of life: Forever accelerating

As life moves fast, situations we deal with, change faster. 'Yesterday' has long been forgotten, 'tomorrow' has been extensively planned with Plan A and backed up with Plan B, C and D with 'today' falling a casualty to the insecurity of future.

Everyone wants to pack as much as possible within one life span. Everybody wants a bigger garden and better plants and trees. But alas, most forget to pause and smell the proverbial 'roses' from their own garden.

This is not unique to the present generations only. Our forefathers too complained of life picking up pace and so will our future generations. It is important for an individual to figure out the priorities in life and follow them. That would be living life to the fullest.

I remember my collegue talking to the father of my ex-boss. The septuagenarian was complaining of how todays generation has lost its focus on any one issue and keeps fiddling around multiple things at the same time and how people have become overall less attentive and more greedy with an ever increasing list of wants. My collegue the articulate chap that he was, asked the old man, 'How long the people used to live in earlier generations?' His answer was 'Very old, 100 years was not uncommon back then.' THATS WHY!!! my collegue said, now we no longer are gonna live 100 or even 60's are unsure of and so we need to pack as much as possible within the short lifespan we have.

With the advent of service industry and burgeoning population, my take is that our earning lifespan is even more reduced and 50's might be the new 60's. So is it wise to earn now as much as possible and save maximum for the later part of our lives or stick to the traditional route? TAKE YOUR CALL! but in either case do not forget to count your blessings and do smell the roses in your own garden!

Last day of man before dying

Last Day Dream [HD] from Chris Milk on Vimeo.

This is a good video. It shows the events that one would remember as one lays on the death bed. The thoughts that would flash through your eyes as you are just about to close your eyes.

Congressie obsession with trivial issues - Shashi Tharoor

Congress is whipping its technocrat-turned-politician super diplomat Shashi Tharoor. The whipping is not due to some faulty policy decision or a governance related issue. Instead this time he is being held responsible of insensitivity towards the party diktat of austerity. His tweet which was in a response to a fellow bloggers question whether he will join the austerity drive was "Yes, I will travel cattle class in solidarity with the holy cows."

Some think the holy cow was Rahul Baba. So Jayanti Natarajan lambasted Tharoor as being insensitive. Tharoor had a problem with his tweeting earlier too, when a circular had asked government employees to not use internet from their offices. Security threat you see?

I wonder why the neta's are so paranoid about Tharoor tweeting that they are out to "out-tweet" him.

Shashi Tharoor's tweet does display his arrogance or in a way shows that he considers himself to be above the 'cattle class' It might have been an unintentional or misunderstood tweet. The limitations of 140 character speeches and brevity, one could say.
Congress on the other hand can only trip over by blowing this non-issue into a national debate. This speaks of the push-pull politics within the Congress too where in a technocrat is fawned upon by the seasoned neta's who have toiled hard in a different manner than Tharoor or Montek or Nandan.
This trivial issue has brought into focus the sameness in the difference between BJP and Congress. What a paradox :)

Misplaced Austerity drive a complete HOGWASH!

Ha! The austerity drive kick off is completely misplaced. It is not something the ministers need to do only during recession or drought period. They can continue doing it even in good times a la George Fernandes or Mamta Banerjee, who never made headlines for their austere living.

Neta's and their entourage are taking these drives only to the states where elections are due. This indicates a lot of unsaid things about the intent of the drive. I wonder why the change in heart has come at the very end of the recession. Or may be they wield so much power that once they started their drive, the recession has turned around and global stock exchanges have started to boom again!

They drive with their secretaries and black cats and sycophants in their Pajero's and Mercedes, then take a part of their travel in AC first class railway compartments and project as if have made a huge sacrifice. Such tokenism is a bigger insult to the masses who are reeling under drought and starvation. In Mahatma's land, a tokenism of this kind is a big insult to his teachings and his followers.

The arrogance of Sharad, Shashi and Sharma - for following simple ways of living alike their other billion plus cousins in this country - underlines the attitude with which the politicians look at the cattle class that we all form. They forget it is the cattle class that pays for their AC accommodations. Just as the cattle's are reared and used unabashedly, but worshiped intermittently, so is the case with people who are entitled to only vote not get them.

We have a law to restrict the number of cattle that can be put in a railway bogie while being transported. Alas! I hope the austerity drive helps somehow to get a law for the restriction of number of humans packed in a bogie as well. My challenge to Rahul Baba, take a train in Mumbai during peak hours in the direction of the rush in a Second Class compartment. Then your Dalit night-outs will have more legitimacy.

Abhishek Singhvi has sung paeans about Sonia Gandhi and is a perfect example of a sycophant. Sonia Gandhi would do good by cutting her entourage shorter. It will save a lot of money from the exchequer. The difference between business class ticket and economy class ticket is insignificantly miniscule compared to the wealth politicians have amassed from the exchequer.

One question we all seem to miss is, since Independence the Nehru Gandhi family has earned only the salary meant for the MP's or the salary of a Prime Minister. Even if we take into account that amount cumulatively. How on Earth can they spend on education abroad for all and still each claim to have crores and crores of 'White money' declared in their pre-election wealth declaration?

Although the act by Sonia Gandhi is a deviation from the norm, it does not deserve to be sung out in the form paeans and paeans of her 'sacrifice'. Other issues of importance should make headlines rather than this example for the projection of GOP as a peoples party.

Cosmetic tokenism is hogwash, true performance is the acid test. May be Congress knows where it stands in the elections after the consistent farmer suicides. So all these things follow.

_________ || GANAPATI BAPPA MORAYAA!!! || _________

वक्रतुंड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥

This is the video of the first Aarti of Ganapati Bappa at Lalbaugcha Raja which means 'King of Lalbaug'.

Lalbaugcha Raja started by the local fisherfolk has grown leaps and bounds into a major festivity. It is said that prayers offered to Ganpati Bappa at this place do not go unanswered. The collections are famous for anonymous contributors who deposit wads of crores of cash and sacks of jewellery in the Dakshina Peti or collection box after their wishes have been fulfilled.

The Lalbaugcha Raja Organisers conduct an auction of the festive deposits of fruits, coconuts, jewellery, Lords jewellery, etc; at the end of the festival, which staunch devotees are said to drive to humungous prices. A Coconut costing Rs.15/- offered at the festival and then auctioned by the organisers goes on to fetch thousands of rupees. The faith that the people have in this magnanimous festival is exceptional. The Organisers transparently, use the money collected from the festival towards charitable organisations and for helping the poor and needy.

'Lalbaugcha Raja' is a crowning glory for the Ganesh Festival in Mumbai.

For more details visit http://www.lalbaugcharaja.com

SATYAM, MAYTAS and ASATYAM

MAYTAS Infra has been declared as loss-making and the Raju's have virtually lost the hold over the company. The wheels of destiny have come full circle for Ramalinga Raju. Whether he is punished by law or not, nature has taught Raju lessons the hard way.

Satyameva Jayate... true.

But it is a fact that it took a recession and a fall in land prices, to trigger the avalanche in Satyam, for the truth to come out.

What lessons have we as a society learnt from this episode? What lessons has the regulatory body and the government learnt from this? What are we doing to avoid future Satyams from happening?

Are we sure, Satyam is the only company that has indulged in this practice? If we are not, then are we awaiting truth to prevail according to its own convenient time for other Satyams or are we waiting for another recession to throw the skeletons out of the other cupboards?The regulatory body needs to learn a lot from this.

The faulty system has shown how ill it is. Satyam was a symptom of a larger malaise. Where we take the issue from here, depends upon us.

Raju's of the world would want to create another Satyam. Its our job to not let them do it.

FIA, Force India and India

FIA or the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, has had its plans for India disclosed long ago. They desperately wanted to make the sport popular in a country like India. F1 is big money spent and big money earned. Even if the Indian audiences in multi-millions watch the sport on TV, then it amounts to a huge revenue.

Chandrababu Naidu had almost finalised an F1 track in India near Hyderabad before he lost the state elections. Maharashtra government under Sushilkumar Shinde had jumped to the idea of having a F1 track near Mumbai-Pune expressway but that was during the lock-in period FIA had with Andhra Govt. Next it is known that Sushilkumar Shinde had to deal with the impending elections in the state. Finally Delhi also wanted to be the host to it. Narain Karthikeyan was included in F1 amid all these circumstances. This clearly shows the sports body's intentions to make a place in India. They added China also in their calendar during the same time.

Team Force India indeed could have been called Force Kingfisher, but let me be a cynic and I want to believe that having India in the name of the team maximises the reach of the sport. This might be a more driving force in the 'naming' rather than, love of the owner of the team, for his country.

As soon as the Sports Minister of India, talks of not allowing the sports company to have soft loans amounting to some Rs. 550 crs from RBI, the very next race is won by Force India after standing nowhere in earlier 30 races.

Mr. Mallya, how about having all the athletes of Indian Olympic team endorsing your brand of Kingfisher and you spend a fraction of the money on them rather than what you spent to put FORCE INDIA on F1 map? It is a sure shot recipe for more glory for India in Olympics.

F1 needs a huge infrastructure which will not even be used the year round. With airports for huge Cargo planes which carry the teams and the cars, hotels for the teams as well as the spectators visiting, et all.

When our ex-sportsperson are driven to prostitution, a few bucks from a "true sports-loving and patriotic person" like you should better go for them. SAY WOT, Mr. King of 'only(?)' Good Times?

Sri Lankan Armed Forces involved in extra-judicial killings

Water scarcity and rain-water harvesting.

By many a projections, it is described that 'Water is going to be the Oil of 21st century.'

But what makes the situation more grim is that there can be an alternative for oil, but not for water.

Water wars are already not unimaginable. We have had states fighting for Water from inter-state rivers. It is only a matter of time that this goes international. Water and food-scarcity are far more urgent issues than the importance they are given.

Environmental refugees due to the lack of availability of natural resources are going to be huge challenge for policy-makers the world over in the not-so-distant future. For a billion plus population like India Roti, Kapda, Makaan, mobile can take a back-seat.

Potable water will be an alarming issue. No amount of distillation processes of sea-water will be able to replace fresh water resources.

To start with, rain-water harvesting facilities could be made a compulsion for new constructions along with earthquake resistant designs. In a country with a large experience of earthquakes and water scarcity, these things do not need Einsteins to give a thought. Ah! I wish the people who heed only to 'phoren babas' information get such a solution from them, our netadom & babudom will then grab it with both hands.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah and India

A lot has come out in the media about Jaswant Singh's book on Mohammed Ali Jinnah. It is an undeniable fact that India needed to demonise Jinnah, so that Nehru could bask in the post-independence glory.

Jinnah's grandfather was a Hindu trader who converted to Islam. Jinnah as a student, had fought a case against the British Raj for Lokmanya Tilak in the Supreme Court at London. Tilak was unable to fund his trip to London and could not find a lawyer to help his litigation there. Jinnah, then as a foot soldier of Congress, had helped Tilak but lost the case. Jinnah was more an Indian leader than a Muslim leader before Gandhiji embarked from South Africa.

Mahatma had worked in the media in South Africa. Being an editor of a newspaper, he knew the power of media. What Gandhiji wore, where did he go, what did he do were the stories carried by the media when he settled in India. He used the media to feed the masses and make a cult out of himself. He has to be credited of being successful in invoking a mass awakening like no other leader could do. The same media blitzkrieg is followed even after independence for the congress leaders. Most recent being to show where Rahul Baba spent a night, when he wants to get married, how he blushed, etc, etc;

The cost of Mahatma Gandhi's rise was that other leaders - Jinnah, Savarkar, Bose, Annie Besant - were gradually marginalised. Gandhi arrived in 1915 in India and the Muslim league and RSS were formed in the 20's. This was a result of the power struggle which the other leaders were subjected to take for the second position after Gandhi's Congress.

Jinnah had left for London in the 1930's and returned only in early 1940's when the Quit India Movement failed and there was a sense of the British actually leaving India due to WWII.

Jinnah had wanted a more federal republic with three tier administration - a Centre, a group of provinces and the provinces. While Nehru was against the idea of group of provinces. He wanted a more centralised system - the Centre and the provinces. This admonition of the group of provinces was seen by Jinnah as Nehru's unwillingness to share power, which finally led to a brutal and inhumane partition.

Ill-prepared partition was a mistake for whom Indians would love to put the blame upon Jinnah solely, but truth cannot be more farther from this. Both the sides were signatories to it. It is said that, it was not until 1946 that the idea of a partition took root. But there are reports of Muslim League propping up the idea of Pakistan from 1940.

Congress acted under the duress of 1946 'Direct Action' (known as Calcutta killings - Calcutta was governed by Muslim League) which had led to widespread rioting and killing by the Muslim League. Congress was subjected to accept the 'Two Nation Theory'. If it had not accepted then there was a threat of Direct Action being repeated wherever Muslim League came in power. Neither Nehru nor Jinnah had envisioned the bloodbath that took place due to partition and both had later acknowledged it as a mistake.

In Indian context, the whole responsibility was put upon Jinnah. One thing to be noted here is that "HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE WINNER". Raja Vikramaditya Hemraj becomes Hemu; Hitler is the villain, when there are reports of US and UK looking the other way when they had full knowledge of the concentration camps; US is absolved of its nuclear bombings; the only truly secular society in the Arab world is destroyed - the act being claimed as liberation of Iraq - and it ends up as a chaotic polity; and there are many more examples. Jinnah's case was similar.

Jaswant Singh has made a good observation that the partition has turned out to be futile. It has not served its purpose. Most importantly, he cites history, refers to the reservation introduced in 1906 which are comparable to the Sachar committee report. He cannot be held completely wrong in his conclusion that, another partition cannot be ruled out if we keep following the same path.

In its quest for power, BJP could have lapped up the scholarly and well-researched article. This would only have made the Congress a little defensive, since any lessening of the saintly Halo around the Nehru-clan would have had gone in favour of the BJP. Alas, they did not milk the opportunity, while they also lost one of their least rewarded most deserving loyals, by expelling Jaswant Singh who worked for 30 long years of his political life for the party.

In another perspective, BJP by rejecting to admonish Nehru and Patel have exercised a higher moral and ethical practice, so very rare in present day politics. It also suits them the best.

Kothi Raju or "the Monkey King"

Kothi Raju which literally means "The Monkey King"

This man seems to have amazing acrobatic skills. Now if only his skills could be used for better representation for the nation in international arena. Hope the system wakes up to utilize the abilities of this man. He can definitely do similar to, if not better than, the famous Spiderman from France, Alain Robert.

Swine Flu

The Swine Flu or the H1N1 influenza seems to have become a major epidemic in India now.
At last count the no. of deaths has been 10 with the most no. of people being of the age below 14 or above 50.

There are various sites which talk about the do's and dont's for it. One parent site is www.swinefluindia.com This is supposed to have the latest information.

I just dread of the time when the virus enters the public domain. I fear for the people traveling in our over-crowded buses, trains and other public transports. For the people living in the slums and off the roads; the poor labourers in cities and the already impoverished farmers in rural Bharat, people already distraught due to the drought; people who already dont have minimal requirements of life having been fulfilled. Once the pandemic starts to have its victims, the number will only grow exponentially. The WHO seems to be of the view that about 33% of Indians will be affected by the flu. That makes a very bad 30 crore people. Even if 0.1% of that amount is fatally affected, then the toll would be about 3 lakh lives. Not to consider the other 50 lakh that would be psychologically affected.

The flu had not come out as a full blown up epidemic in India until now, which can be attributed to the warm summer season that just passed off. The northern plains have not reported much of the flu cases, again due to the delayed or mostly absent monsoon. Western countries reported the flu just before the start of summer for them, then the numbers has not risen dramatically. When the winter season slowly takes over the second wave of the flu attack will be felt. Pray to God that it doesn't cause much damage. The only way to beat this menace would be to observe better hygiene. WASH YOUR HANDS, REGULARLY. That is if there is enough water after the bad-monsoons.

But before panicking just consider this information. More people die in India due to tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, leptospirosis than the more hyped diseases like AIDS, H1N1. In fact more people die due to accidents than the total toll of swine flu globally.

Observe Caution YES! Panic NO!

There are reports that a few people are selling off masks procured for free from the Govt. hospitals to slum-dwellers for a handsome charge of anywhere between Rs. 50/- to Rs. 200/-

Now, isn't there a thing known as conscience for these people?

Sharda Temple - Shardadesh. Present day PoK

Sharada Peeth was the famous temple of goddess Sharada (Saraswati) in Kashmir - also called Kashyappur named after Rishi Kashyap - on the banks of NeelumKishenganga river (known as Kishenganga in India). Its ruins are now in the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan near the Line of Control(LOC). Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple.

It was a centre of Hinduism and eminent Sanskrit scholars of India. It is at this temple that Sri Sankaracharya received Sarvanjyapeetham chair. It was once a celebrated center of learning. It was a centre of great Sanskrit scholars and was a famous centre of Hinduism.

Sharda, Takri (from which gurmukhi is derived) and kharoshthi scripts are said to have originated at Sharda.

The great Jain scholar Hemachandra requested grammar texts preserved here so that he could compile his Siddhahemacandra grammar.

The great Vaishnava saint Swami Ramanuja traveled all the way from Srirangam to refer to Bodhayana's vritti on Brahma Sutras preserved here, before commencing work on writing his commentary on the Brahma sutras, the Sri Bhasya. Gotheng Brahmins are the traditional priests of Sharda Peeth.

Kalhana mentions that in Lalitaditya's reign (8th century AD), some followers of a king of Gauda (Bengal), come to Kashmir under the pretence of visiting the shrine of Sarada.

The temple was last repaired by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir.

The Sharada idol at Shringeri Sharadamba temple was once said to have been made of sandalwood, which is supposed to have been taken by the Sankaracharya from here.

NOW THESE HOLY TEMPLES ARE BEING USED AS TOILETS AND BUNKERS BY THE PAKISTAN ARMY.

The pic was taken down originally from this link.
http://www.pbase.com/hgharib/shardatemple

Babies rapping their way to Fun - Evian Ad

An excellent advertisement from Evian. Babies having fun, skating and rapping their way out.

Joke : Let's talk

This is an excellent joke I got in an email.

Let's Talk

A stranger was seated next to a little black girl on the airplane, when the stranger turned to her and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just opened her coloring book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "Since you are a Negro, do you think that President Obama is doing a good job?" and he smiles.

"OK", she said.

'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass.

Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"

The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."

To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss President Barack Obama... when you don't know shit?"

Michael Jackson's Last Rehearsal Video

Michael Jackson's Last Rehearsal Video footage at Staples Center. This was a complete dress rehearsal on Tuesday 23rd June 2009, just two days before his death. On Wednesday Michael rehearsed, but it was reportedly only about formations and choreographs and not much dance.

This video has been released by AEG Live which also has documentary footage of 100's of hours of the rehearsals.

The series of 50 stage shows 'THIS IS IT' in London's O2 Arena would have been a fitting culmination to the career of the Legendary King of Pop... but alas Life had different plans stored for him...

MJ
R. I. P.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link or Rajiv Gandhi Setu

Bandra- Worli Sea Link had been mired in controversy since the word go. BJP MLA Nitin Gadkari had proposed it in the late 1990's and was opposed by environmentalists and fisherfolk equally for the viabilities of this bridge. Ever since its conception, it was imagined to be a wonder creation, which would become a landmark for Mumbai.

The day of its inauguration dawned and it did become a great engineering marvel unvieled for commuters, who could cut short their trip by a good 40 - 45 minutes and skip over a couple of dozen traffic lights. The hype around the bridge was justified in this sense. The construction of the bridge too involved a meticulous approach with engineering teams from a host of countries contributing to it. The amount of steel involved in the construction is supposedly equal to the circumference of earth.

The following are some of the features of the bridge:

•8-lane-wide
•Sea link length- 5.6-km, 3.8 km over the sea
•Cement used- 90,000 tons
•Save Rs 100 crore a year in vehicle operating costs

No surprise when UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was inauguarating the bridge. An infrastructure milestone for our country like this, should have been dedicated to the country by some official of the Indian Government, the Prime Minister or the President of the country? Oh, the UPA Chairperson is more powerful than them. OK...

Although the bridge was delayed a good 4 years and the cost escalated to Rs. 1634 crores from Rs. 350 crores, I was feeling a sense of pride on looking at the images of the bridge. It is after all, the first over-the-sea bridge in India.

As an anti-climax to the event, the sense of pride gave way to a sense of disgust by the evening of the inauguration when it was announced that the Sea-link would be named as Rajiv Gandhi Setu.

OMG! Union Minister Sharad Pawar, whose NCP sees existential problems and who wants to make a comeback to the Congress, proposed this idea during the inauguration and it was picked up by Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan. So the name of the bridge is being sacrificed at the altar for helping Sharad Pawar to rejoin Congress. The opposition jeered at it and Shiv Sena wanted to name the bridge as Veer Savarkar Setu or something else. Fair enough!

But haven't we got enough of this Gandhi surname in India? Institutions and roads named after the"Gandhi" family?

Shakespeare did say "Whats in a name?" and he did put his and only his name under that very statement, but may be if he sees the dizzying, ever growing list of Gandhi-parivar dedicated projects, then he might think over his statement. After all the name 'Gandhi' carries a lot of weight for sycophants.

Following is the list of some of the Government schemes and projects named after three members of the Nehru Gandhi family, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, which has been submitted to the Election Commission by the eminent journalist A.Surya Prakash as an Annexure to his complaint.

This list includes most of the projects, schemes and institutions funded by the Union Government and the Governments in the States. Although, I do not expect anyone to go through the whole list.

1 Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana;

2 Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission;

3 Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers, Department of Women & Child Development;

4. Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana;

5 Indira Awas Yojana

6 Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme;

7 Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission

8 Jawaharlal Nehru Rojgar Yojna

9.Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojna;

10 Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Funded by World Bank

11.Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana

State schemes:

1 Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami Affected Areas,

2.Rajiv Gandhi Social Security Scheme, Govt. of Puducherry

3.Rajiv Ratna Awas Yojna;

4 Rajiv Gandhi Prathamik Shiksha Mission, Raigarh;

5 Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission, Madhya Pradesh;

6 Rajiv Gandhi Mission on Food Security , Madhya Pradesh;

7. Rajiv Gandhi Mission on Community Health, Madhya Pradesh;

8 Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corp.;

9 Rajiv Gandhi Tourism Development Mission, Rajasthan;

10 Rajiv Gandhi Computer Literacy Programme, Assam

11 Rajiv Gandhi Swavlamban Rojgar Yojana, Govt. of NCT of Delhi

12.Rajiv Gandhi Mobile Aids Counseling and Testing Services, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

13.Rajiv Gandhi Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana, Maharashtra;

14 Rajiv Gandhi Mission for Water Shed Management, M.P.;

15Rajiv Gandhi Food Security Mission for Tribal Areas, MP

16.Rajiv Gandhi Home for Handicapped, Pondicherry;

17 Rajiv Gandhi Breakfast Scheme, Pondicherry;

18 Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Divas, Punjab;

19 Rajiv Gandhi Artisans Health & Life Insurance Scheme, Tamil Nadu;

20 Rajiv Gandhi Zopadpatti and Nivara Prakalpa, Mumbai;

21 Rajiv Arogya Sri programme, Gujrat State Govt. Scheme;

22 Rajiv Gandhi Abhyudaya Yojana, AP;

23 Rajiv Gandhi Computer Saksharta Mission, Jabalpur

24 Rajiv Gandhi Bridges and Roads Infrastructure Development Programme;

25 Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Niwara Prakalp, Maharashtra Govt

26Indira Gandhi Utkrishtha Chhattervritti Yojna , HP;

27 Indira Gandhi Women Protection Scheme, Maharashtra Gov;

28.Indira Gandhi Prathisthan, Housing and Urban Planning Department, UP

29.Indira Kranthi Patham Scheme, Andhra Pradesh ;

30Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana, State Govt. Scheme;

31 Indira Gandhi Vruddha Bhumiheen Shetmajoor Anudan Yojana, Maharashtra

32.Indira Gandhi Nahar Project, Jaisalmer, Govt. of Rajasthan

33.Indira Gandhi Niradhar Yojna, Govt. of Maharashtra;

34 Indira Gandhi kuppam, State Govt. Welfare Scheme for Tsunami effected fishermen;

35 Indira Gandhi Drinking Water Scheme-2006, Haryana Govt.

36.Indira Gandhi Niradhar Old, Landless, Destitute women farm labour Scheme, Maharashtra Govt.

37.Indira Gandhi Women Protection Scheme , Maharashtra Govt.

38.Indira Gaon Ganga Yojana, Chattisgarh;

39 Indira Sahara Yojana , Chattisgarh;

40 Indira Soochna Shakti Yojana, Chattisgarh;

41 Indira Gandhi Balika Suraksha Yojana , HP;

42 Indira Gandhi Garibi Hatao Yojana (DPIP), MP;

43 Indira Gandhi super thermal power project , Haryana Govt.

44 Indira Gandhi Water Project, Haryana Govt.

45.Indira Gandhi Sagar Project, Bhandara District Gosikhurd Maharashtra;

46 Indira Jeevitha Bima Pathakam, AP Govt;

47 Indira Gandhi Priyadarshani Vivah Shagun Yojana, Haryana Govt;

48 Indira Mahila Yojana Scheme, Meghalaya Govt

49.Indira Gandhi Calf Rearing Scheme, Chhattisgarh Govt.

50.Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Vivah Shagun Yojana, Haryana Govt.

51.Indira Gandhi Calf Rearing Scheme;

52 Indira Gandhi Landless Agriculture Labour scheme, Maharashtra Govt.

Phew! Please forgive me, for my inability to do justice to all the the other remaining thousand names of roads, ports, parks, etc; that have been left out. But, please do help me to understand the justification of 'Shri Rajivji's' contribution towards the infrastructure program in Mumbai during his rule(governance?). Readers interested to know a more detailed list of the names of a few other projects/institutions/roads/parks/awards/etc; upon the trio's name should log on to http://asuryaprakash.com/annexure1.html

DANGEROUS MJ - King of Pop... a Legend

In the morning, I got to know of the sad demise of the King of Pop... MJ - Michael Jackson was no more. He died of Cardiac Arrest...

Like a gush of wind all the memories of my childhood snapped in front of my eyes...

I remember when Abhijeet had first shown me a pic of MJ when we were at Carter Road... the first song that I had known of him was Black or White, that was when MTV had just started to take roots in India and Cable television was in its infancy.

Black or White, Remember the Time and the best of all THRILLER... the videos of these songs transformed the choice of a generation from Bollywood Hindi movie song buffs to Pop music followers. These songs with the videos of MJ's moonwalk and turnarounds brought break dance to the living rooms and bedrooms of many. I remember how Abhijeet, Rekir, Saurabh and myself used to pour talcum powder on the marble flooring at Abhijeet's house and attempt moonwalk. I remember how much I have tried to practice the turnarounds, which later brought the "chakkri"(bending down and circling on one foot) step, then the wind-mill that Abhijeet taught me.

Those were from a different era altogether. I remember how I used to discuss with Shomu about the dance steps for a dance competition. Then the dance on Black or White, I remember how I used to dance with Vinit and Vin'da on MJ's songs. I remember how I had written lyrics of the Earth song writing line by line listening from my old tape recorder. I remember how proud I had felt when Vinit was called the Michael Jackson of Dombivli, although the audience was anything but a pop culture audience.

I remember how although, we had a XII semester exam the next day, I had declared to my friends that I am getting down at Andheri to try and have a look at MJ while he is entering Andheri Sports Complex for his concert. I remember how Kalpesh and Anil joined me and how Rajkumar had also agreed. We waited for hours together trying to search each car and van for Michael. We got to see a host of Bollywood celebrities, but it was a huge dissappointment to leave after poor Rajkumar got his pocket-picked.

There are a few select mood-changers that I had and MJ's songs were one of them. Anytime to uplift my gloomy mood, MJ's songs were the best prescription. BAD, Beat It, Billy Jean, Earth Song, History, Stranger in Moscow, Blood on the Dance Floor, Ghost .... man oh man... what a contribution to Pop music that MJ has had.

To his detractors, he was all his life ….
a Male with a female voice
a Performer than a singer...

a Black man with a white skin…
a Father of a purported child with child molestation allegations…
a Pope for the masses although without a church…
a Rich man with a neverland ranch, but was bankrupt which drove him to Bahrain…
a Christian who converted or had to convert to islam...

He had his share of misfortune as well. But, which celebrities agonies are not amplified over and over through and are not caused due to the media? He had his bad names and times too, but to remember him for anything less than music would be a disservice to music itself.

Here is a joke about MJ that I recollected. It was a stand-up comedy performance by Johny Lever at a Film Fare awards function.

Jab Michael Jackson Bombay mein aayein…
Airport se jaate hue zopadd patti mein utare aur bachhon ke saath khelne lage….
Zopadi ke log unhe maarne ke liye daud rahe thhe…
“pora palavnaari party aalii re” chillate hue (kidnapping party has arrived)

Phir unka show thaa andheri sports complex mein….
Main baahar khada thaa tabhi ek dadiji ne mujhe poochaa…
“kya siddhivinayak ki line yahaan tak aayi hai?”
Maine bola nahi yahaan ki line siddhivinayak tak gayi hai…
“Kyun koi baba aayein hai kyaa?”
Main bola haan Michael baba aayein hain…
Woh boli "unhone koi chamatkaar kiya hai kya jo itne log aayein hain?"
Haan maaji chamatkaar kiya hai.. pehle kaale thhe ab gore ho gayein hain….
Phir main andar gaya toh dekha jo ladkiyaan patli see andar gayii thee pet fulaa ke peeche khadee thee…

Maine poocha kya hua itni jaldi?… woh boli “TOIL E T….. :(”
Itne logon ke liye toilet kahaan hai… TOILET nahi hai.. :( :(

Phir dekha Michael jaise hi stage pe aaya toh ladkiyaan…

"M-I C H A E L - I LOVE YOU" chilla ke behosh ho gayii…
Maine kaha arre itni badi fan? Dekh te hi behosh?
Uski friend ne kaha "kahaan ki fan? Doopahar se kadhee thii, khaana nahi paani nahi kuchh nahi… chakkar aa gaya…"

Tab maine bhi socha apna bhi koi Pandurang Dhumal Lezhim leke America jayegaa,
Lezhim bajate hue…. Woh gayegaaa…

Jee Ji re Jee ji Re Jee Jee ji (Johny lever sang a song with a lezhim music)
toh wahaan ki ladkiyan bhi bolengi…

PANDU I LOVE YOU…

I L O V E Y O U, P A N D U

To end the post what better than the Gem

"Heal the World"

Theres a place in Your Heart

And I Know That It Is Love

And This Place Could

Be Much

Brighter Than Tomorrow

And If You Really Try

You'll Find

There's No Need To Cry

In This Place

You'll Feel

There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways to Get There

If You Care Enough

For The Living

Make A Little Space

Make A Better Place...

Heal The World

Make It A Better Place

For You And For Me

And The Entire Human Race

There Are People Dying

If You Care Enough

For The Living

Make A Better Place

For You And For Me

Inside the cockpit of a plane meeting Captain Saudamini

The year was 1995 and I had just appeared for my SSC exams. The results were awaited, vacation had been enjoyed thoroughly and plans were being made upon how to approach the colleges for collection of forms.

My Dad's company Mahindra and Mahindra, had arranged a career counselling session by an educationist from Mumbai University. During the whole discussion, the counsellor had been extrovert, motivating and persuasive. She had made a passing remark while talking to girls saying "Do you want to be like Saudamini Deshmukh, who is one of the few women pilot's in India and keeps travelling?" That's it. That's all I remember. But, somehow the name, SAUDAMINI DESHMUKH had registered in my mind. I would recall the name everytime I would see column's on career counselling in newspapers. I would wonder what would be the purpose of me remembering that name.

It was 15th June 2009, earlier this week. I was scheduled for a flight from Mumbai to Bangalore at 8:30pm. With the usual melee that happens when I am leaving Mumbai, I got late again and got stuck in traffic again and the missed the flight... yeah this was a first - missing the flight.

Scheduled in a flight the next day, I was all belted-up to take-off and the PAS announced the name of the pilot Captain SAUDAMINI DESHMUKH. I decided to take a shot at trying to meet her. Thinking all the while that probably this is the purpose the name had registered my mind and all. I waited until I had to disembark from the flight and approached the Flight Stewardess asking if the Captain is the same SAUDAMINI DESHMUKH who writes articles and was one of the first few women pilot's in India. They replied in the affirmative and asked me to wait for a while until everyone alights from the flight, so that they could arrange a meeting with her.

The flight got empty of passengers and the air hostess conveyed to the Captain saying a passenger wants to meet you. I had thought she might just decline or might be preoccupied to talk much to me. I was waiting for her to come out of the cockpit.

But Voila! I was escorted inside the cockpit, I went in, spoke to Captain Saudamini for a few minutes introducing myself and thanking her for being an inspiration to many. She was very warm in addressing me and her enthusiasm was particularly contagious. Although I was jaded with the long wait at the airport and the flight, I felt freshened up and excited. After the niceties were exchanged and she enquired about me and how I had come to know of her, I thanked her for the meet and left the cockpit. The actual gravity of event hit me after I was out. I had just ENTERED THE COCKPIT OF AN AIR INDIA - AIRBUS A320 FLIGHT!!!

Wow, I felt, although the experience was not an unique one nor the Captain would be known to many people, but I guess these small things about life is all that we need to celebrate. Someone whose name had amusingly registered in my mind for years together and whom I would remember for as unrelated thing as career counselling, gave me a chance to enter the cockpit and talk about the details there.

As they say it was a double whammy for me, meeting Captain Saudamini and entering the cockpit of a plane although being just a passenger. For once I could not stop thanking the traffic for my missed flight earlier.

Belief...

Without 'Belief' human kind might have been an uncontrollable beast..

Belief is what makes a human a person. The definition of a person would be in the 'belief's' he has.

Belief characterises a person's character, determines his identity and shapes his destiny.

Everything that has been constructed or has been destructed has one common thing, the belief of the doer. The doer believed in what he did.

Different humans will naturally have different beliefs. All seems well, until the different beliefs infringe upon other's belief's and clash with each other. However noble or divine or perfectionist the belief's might be, the clashes make them seem ugly and rotten and useless and absolutely imperfect.

It would be idealistic and Utopian to have a 'Belief' that there would be a world order, wherein humankind will have a common belief and better sense would prevail in humans which might help them to live in 'harmony with each other'.

Belief, until that time will have different forms and we need to wait for 'that' Utopian scenario, when all will be held together under an umbrella of a common belief.

It would not be wrong, to say human kind started with having one common belief and when there were aspertions cast upon it, then migration away from that belief would have happened, which led to more diverse belief's and ultimately concluded in having altogether different and contrasting belief’s.

But that sort of a conclusion is not an end in itself.

Humankind is again moving towards a common belief, since that would be the product, of transforming the world into a global village. As communications increase and indifferences cease, a common belief will take shape and that would be the UTOPIAN society we are looking forward to. But such a thing, will again be a temporary situation, since humankind will again evolve into finding newer pastures, probably out of this earth and forming newer beliefs.

UTOPIA it can be said,
more than being an Utopia,
is a temporary situation,
to give birth,
to another hope,
of another Utopia,
by humankind,
as he continues to evolve,
in his insatiable quest,
towards UTOPIA!

Bihar's Super 30: 100% success in IIT-JEE again

Professor Anandkumar at his Ramanujam School of Mathematics

Super 30 is unique and an extremely noble concept.

This is an arrangement where in the extreme poor students from the margins of society can make their way into the prestigious institutes of India like the IIT's.

The main architect of the concept is Anandkumar from 'Ramanujam School of Mathematics'. His efforts in bringing out the best from his students and uplifting them from extreme poverty are commendable. He alongwith an IPS officer - Bihar's Additional Director-General of Police Abhyanand, who teaches physics at the institute brought this concept into a reality.

The Super 30 works in this way:
Students after their 11th standard are supposed to appear for an entrance exam, the team of teachers from the 'Ramanujam School of Mathematics' screens and shortlists a group of 30 students. The students who are extremely poor but have a promising virtue to study and clear IIT-JEE are selected.

He then nurtures the students with his coaching and provides them with free food and free lodging. Yes, he takes care of the students for free! The students stay in his house and his mother cooks for them from the start of the course in September until the exams are over in April-May.

While his brother chips in with funds, still the burden is largely shared by Anandkumar who generates income from the school where other students from affluent family attend classes. He had to teach in the past in other teacher's classes too to make money for the Super 30.

The results have been astonishing. Super 30 started its journey in 2003, 18 out of 30 students were successful. The next year, the number of students successful went up to 22. In 2005, it improved further to 26. Continuing the trend, 28 students made it in 2006 and 2007. However, in 2008, the result was an amazing 30 out of 30.Super 30 had hit the bull’s eye. It was ‘a dream come true’ for Anand and his team.

Super 30 has done it again in 2009. It has been 30 out of 30 for the second year in succession.

The team also has got contributions from their past students who completed engineering from IIT's. The set-up has given out hope for the children of the marginalised, like the children of the carpenter, brick-kiln worker, labourer, rickshaw-puller etc who have made it to the prestigious institute of IIT.

Anandkumar had been an enthusiastic student of Mathematics in his days. He was studying in the Patna Science College and had taken huge strides in his field as a student. He got a chance to study in Cambridge, but could not follow up his dream due to lack of funds. Being brought up in penury after the death of his father and having lost his date with destiny, Anandkumar had nurtured the dream of coaching poor students to glory.

The team had its moment of well-deserved adulation when many a documentaries were made about it by foreign crews. Discovery channel had a specific interest in the story and had tracked a team for one full year. The documentary created by the channel had won prestigious awards all over the world.

We come across many a distressing stories about our country, but reading about Super 30 and its founders Anandkumar and Officer Abhayanand makes one feel proud about their contribution. Instead of mingling into mindless politicisation of the upliftment of poor and affirmative actions, if the law makers of this land encourage and endure more Super 30 groups, India will make strides in progress.

The official website for Super 30 can be reached at http://www.super30.org/

Update1:

Bihar's Super 30 in Time magazine best list

PATNA: Super 30, Bihar's free coaching centre which helps economically backward students crack the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE), has been selected by The Time Magazine in the list of The Best of Asia 2010.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bihars-Super-30-coaching-centre-in-Time-magazine-best-list/articleshow/5931582.cms

My Shooting Experience in Germany

This is my first shooting experience in April 2007 at a firing range near Meitzendorf, Sachsen - Anhalt, Germany.
In the first shot visible I had hit the target, so the people were applauding it goes upto the second round in the video...I missed the target the second time.

RACISM IN AUSTRALIA!!! Update7 Attacks now seem like a backlash

Seven youth brutally attacked Indian student Sourabh Sharma, on a late night Werribee train and took "delight" in what they were doing, according to police.

Sourabh Sharma

These are a few images caught on CCTV in a train in Victoria State, Australia. The CCTV footage shows a group of guys beating up Sourabh Sharma. The recording of the bashing makes it clear, that the assault was unprovoked and thoroughly mischievious on the part of the group that thrashed the hapless student.

The complete CCTV footage is available here.

The footage shows Sharma, 21, being repeatedly punched and kicked in the head by the gang, who stole his phone and backpack containing $650.

The Federation of Indian Students of Australia say they know of 60 serious assaults in Melbourne in a few years. Many go unreported.

Update -1: There has been another case, where in, four students from Andhra Pradesh have been thrashed in a racist attack in Melbourne.

The students, who were bashed up in the racial attack, were away to the hospital when more horrifying situations unfolded. Unknown intruders broke into their houses and stole everything available. "They have no clothes or anything left in the house and the students are really feeling insecure and unsafe," said Gautam Gupta, President of the Federation of Indian student Association (FISA).

Meanwhile, the condition of the 25-year old Shravan Kumar, who is fighting for life in a hospital, remains critical and doctors are "not very optimistic" about chances of his recovery.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Houses-of-assaulted-Indians-burgled-in-Australia/articleshow/4588083.cms

Update-2:

Another Indian student Baljinder Singh, 25 was attacked on Monday night when two men carrying weapons approached.

The attackers demanded money and as Singh was searching through his bag to hand over his wallet he was stabbed in the abdomen. Singh screamed for his life, his attackers laughed and fled the scene.

"I bent down and one guy stabbed me," Singh said adding "I just wanted to save my life and yelled "just don't kill me." "They just laughed when they stabbed me in the stomach. They laughed at me...I was screaming 'don't kill me, don't kill me'."

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Another-Indian-student-stabbed-in-Australia/467468

Now, it seems that the news of the attacks is spreading around and there are oppurtunistic attacks against Indians in particular.

Update-3:

The attacks have now reached increasingly alarming proportion. A fresh attack has been reported upon an Indian student Rajesh Kumar.

Rajeshkumar, age 25, suffered burns after a suspected petrol bomb was hurled at him in his home in Sydney. Rajesh Kumar was quickly covered by a blanket by his flatmate after the attack yesterday, an act which saved him from further injuries.

The ghastly attack took place when Rajesh Kumar was sitting on his bed in the front room of his rented house. An unknown person reportedly threw a small petrol bomb through his window. The explosion and the ensuing fire burned 30 percent of Kumar's body.

Another student Baljinder Singh, stabbed by two attackers early this week, has been released from hospital today.

http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/$All/727FC4DC54228872652575C5001A6942?OpenDocument

Update-4:

Five teenagers have been charged for two separate attacks on Indian students in Melbourne.

A 17-year-old male from Glenroy was charged with attempted murder over the attack with a screwdriver - by gatecrashers at a party in Hadfield, in Melbourne's north, on Saturday night -upon 25-year-old Sravan Kumar Theerthala who is battling for his life. An 18-year-old man from Heidelberg West was also questioned in relation to the attack, but has since been released.

The police have also charged four minors from Melbourne's west over the brutal bashing of Sourabh .

The teenagers have been charged with offences including affray, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury and robbery. However, Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said there was no indication that a rise in assaults and robberies against Indian students in Melbourne's west was due to "race hate".

He said there was a perception that Indian people were weak prey for criminals. "We think they are vulnerable, we don't think it's racial, we think they are a weak target," Walshe told The Herald Sun.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200905291331.htm

Update 5 -:

Shravan kumar seems to be out of danger now and has moved his limbs. But, Doctors are unsure of his complete recovery.

Update - 6:

The spate of attacks on Indian students continued, when Nardeep Singh a student from Ludhiana who arrived to Australia just a month ago was attacked on Tuesday morning by miscreants when he was on his way to college. He is a nursing student at the Chisholm Technical Institute, Melbourne.

The group of 5 people reportedly asked him for cigarettes and when he said that he did not have any, they asked for money and on again being refused, one attacker stabbed him in the chest. He managed to escape and reported to a Police Station.

Nardeep's friend said that he was bleeding excessively and is being treated in Melbourne Hospital.

Update - 7 : Now, this is seeming like an extended backlash from the White-Supremacists or the opportune thugs. Attacks on Indians are just increasing by the day and with all round media coverage, the effect is just being magnified.

A 23-year-old Indian student was beaten up for the second time in a fortnight by a group of youths in Melbourne, the 11th person from the community to be assaulted within a space of a month in Australia. Another students car had been torched by drug-addicts reportedly late Saturday night.