The Fate of Education in India

Last few weeks have been controversial for the Indian education sector. Narayan Murthi stated that most of the IITians are not industry worthy and the reason for this, according to him, is the mindless mugging and innumerable tricks learnt at the coaching centres. IITD director came with a thought that there was a need to rethink over the entrance tests. Concerned to this an article of Chetan Bhagat appeared. He says that it’s so difficult to run education without profit. And when profit takes the upper hand, education downslides. He hence concluded that there was need of private players like Infosys to launch themselves into the education sector. And lastly, Maharashtra government launched a state wide search and fact finding mission in the schools and junior colleges to find out how many students had been inflated by schools to siphon out government money. The analysis is still awaited.

I being a teacher am a part of this sector as well. And every day after each lecture, a thought always crosses my mind that whether I’m helping my students to become engineers or just graduates with degrees which would fail to serve them in their life.

Ours being a new college, we certainly have not received the cream of the students but reading Mr. Murthy’s comments about majority of IITians being in the same league gives me little solace and a lot to wonder. I wonder what exactly has gone wrong with our education system. I’m no expert but I’d like to make some observations of my own.

What I’ve observed in my students that they have lost inquisitiveness. They accept everything on face value and never question nor argue over anything I teach! Experts are talking about lack of quality research in India. How will that be possible if the questions have dried in the school days? Kids who are not interested in anything from Akbar to Atom cannot be expected to research on Strings when they grow up! It’s not that they are dumbos or fools but they are really not interested in knowing how anything happens. They are happy with what is going on. They neither want to be part of something new nor want to effect a start themselves. And it’s sadly everywhere! Observation + inference gives knowledge. When the first two are fast depreciating how can the third exist?

I strongly admire the government’s wish to get all kids to have compulsory education upto middle school (class 8^th). But can anybody explain how that can be achieved and justified by never failing them upto class 8^th and that also by assisting them with having no examinations at all. As far as I know, if I’m told at the beginning of any race that I won’t lose and I would get a bag of goodies if I just participate, I would cease to take enough efforts to win. So will be the story of maximum students. How can this goodie bag not bring complacency and help to lose concentration and eventually the interest to know. Education is no privilege which can be enjoyed. It’s a right which has to be earned. Yes, help may be provided in earning the right but to serve it on the platter and spoon feeding will spoil the menu!

Next is the idea of free higher education. Free education in government schools can be understood as it aims at students from under-privileged families to get a foothold in the disparaging society. But providing technical education at a sum as paltry as Rs 1000 is not digestible. Even if the government wants to help the students from underprivileged social and economic background, they shouldn’t give it for a sum like this. When the money factor is detached from education, students stop valuing it. A commodity (education) which is available for the price of a pair of jeans is certainly going to be valued in the same manner    . Charge them Rs. 10000 and see how many more students start valuing their education!

In India across the rural and urban framework what stands as a symbol of unity in the education sector are the coaching or tuition classes. Yes, the same which Mr. Murthy so dislikes. The whole town of Kota is dedicated to this cause as are few whole nagars in Delhi and Chennai. It is very hard to say that apathy of teachers towards teaching brought the success of tuitions or the tuitions brought the lack of interest in the teachers. Whatever be the cause it’s the ultimate truth that students cannot dare to think about succeeding in any exam without tuitions! And tuitions being a business where survival depends on the success rate of the students, the tuitionwallahs are forced to resort to methods which will teach shortcuts to answer quickly and efficiently. And this really takes a toll on the overall knowledge of the student. Personal attention should be showed to weaker students. But all that should be done by the teachers of their respective schools and colleges in the institution’s premises free of cost.

Whosoever has given any exam knows that it is more a memory test than a test of one’s knowledge. When I was in X^th, there used to be questions where we had to apply our analytical reasoning to at least 30% of the questions. But it’s all gone now. Everyone is hell bent to find more and more ways to shower marks on the students for what they haven’t exactly done. These freebies weaken the entire moral fabric of the students and the zeal to work hard to achieve success is decreasing rapidly. I’ll again say make them think. Life is not as easy as the examinations nor will the career they would undertake. As Aamir Khan said in 3 Idiots that one would be able to scrap through the examinations and get a degree but will be raped for his entire life.

Another problem with the students is that they are becoming aimless. Their lack of thinking has made them like a flock of sheep. They are following just the trend. Engineering has almost done away with basic sciences, arts and commerce as educational options. Who are unfortunate not to get into engineering (40% in PCM being the criteria it’s not that hard), take BBA, BCA or some other professional course. Medicine is the only course which still has a large pool of quality students who love their studies. In most other courses, majority of the students are just pushing through. They neither understand nor enjoy their studies. In the name of providing higher and technical education we are not creating intelligent horses but drab and unworthy white-collar mules. This reminds me of one encounter I had with a boy from Bihar at IUCAA, Pune.

The guy was a brilliant physicist. We just got into talking and I asked him in passing that even though Bihar produces a large number of IAS and IPS officers and has a major share in the applicants clearing various competitive entrance examinations from Banking to Railways, how it has such a miserable literacy rate. He replied that the Biharis are indeed an intelligent set of people. They find out right in the school that whether they have the potential to be an IAS or a cowherd. He also added that whatever profession they choose, they excel in it and try to be right at the top. He also lamented at the condition of other states’ students who because of lucrative educational facilities, fall prey to them and become the white collar mules I mentioned before. They are too proud to do a job below their belt and ill-equipped to perform the tasks which their degrees mention they will be able to perform!

I’m right now a novice and may not be able to rectify the system as a whole but would surely try to instill my views and thoughts into my students. Even if one in 300 wakes from their deep slumber, it will render a change. I learnt it quite late but I hope my students understand it early (Alas! They are fast losing this faculty)!

Pakistan: Life After Osama

It’s over a week now since Osama Bin Laden, world’s most dreaded terrorist, was killed at Abbottabad, Pakistan. It is still hard to believe and I for one waited for the news that the killed man was not Osama. No, I’m certainly not an Osamaphile but it is very difficult to believe that a man, such as him, will be killed in a gunfight that lasted only 40 minutes and that also in his own den.

But the amount of mourning going on in the Muslim world and especially in Pakistan does confirm his death. Also the constant bickering of Pakistani government, ISI and the Pakistani Military over the issue does favour the death of Mr. Bin Laden.

About two years ago I had written a piece on this very platform about how Pakistan was ailing with a disease called Islamic terrorism or Jehad and will sooner or later need amputation.(Pakistan: A grievous unsolvable jigsaw) Well it seems their most trusted aides, USA, have at least started to hover the knife over their head if not start the actual operation.

It would be foolish on anybody’s part to accept that the Pakistani upper echelon had no idea whatsoever of the ‘safe house’ just under their nose in a town where the military academy is just 500 metres away. Because if that be the case it would be wise for all the powers-to-be to step down immediately. But we all how that country is. It is a two-mouthed snake which feeds from both group of FIIs, Foreigners and Fidayeens, alike. It makes no sense when one day they say that they have been able to curb terrorism on their land and on the other day the chief perpetrator and instigator is found killed in the hospitality lounge of Abbottabad.

A joke that is doing the rounds is that whether or not Pakistan celebrates the death of Osama. Because since they have been party to the ‘War on Terror’, they should be happy but on the other hand they can’t as you don’t celebrate on the death of your guest and esteemed friend. This dilemma is killing them and hence they are coming out with all kind of bullshit theories and explanations. They are threatening India and even to some extent US.

It is now proven beyond doubt that the entire Pakistani machinery and not only the infamous ISI are not a party to the ‘War on Terror’ but are actually on the other team. They are the 12th player for that team or maybe are even in the playing 11. And this is known to US, their chief feeders. And that explains why they didn’t bother to inform their ‘friends’! From the 1950’s, US has fed them and used them as an outpost to counterbalance the rise of India, Iran and the erstwhile USSR. What they never imagined that they were creating a Frankenstein!

Pakistan nurtured well under US supervision and now has turned to new fathers, China, for further nourishment. It’s a failed state which has siphoned gazillion dollars into its system just to save it from India, which has not attacked them in any of the past 64 years. Instead of using the dollars for making a prosperous state, what they have done is created a country which no further needs any help to go downhill. It’s a country of poor and undereducated which suits in the best interest of the Jehadis. It’s in totality a fucked up nation. I’d thought that India may get a chance to play an important role in bringing Pakistan back from chaos and disaster. But it seems we will not get that chance. In between the jehadis of all hues, USA, China and their own butt headedness, they are not going to remove their hands off the ‘self-destructing’ button that they have pressed.

The death of Osama gives the nation to review its policies. But it seems they are never going to understand. God help the innocent souls of Pakistan who are neither a party to Obama and nor were party to Osama.

Kabir City: An Alternative To Ayodhya

30th September, 2010 was a day worth tons of Gold. It’s not because Ramlalla got his abode back. It’s also not because High Court gave a 3-point decision in which no one emerged as winner. But because of the restrain and composure shown by the Indian common man. It’s a known fact that “Crowd has only heads and no brains”. So, it was a welcome change on the part of the “brains” who didn’t turn the “heads” into a violent “crowd”. Fearing the backlash whole India stood still and took precautions not to venture during or after the verdict. It was one day in the last few weeks when CWG bashing took a backseat. The so called guardians of the society have only one motto:

हम हमारी रोटी सेंकते हैं।

देश और दुनिया गई चुल्हे मे!

So, why not prove them wrong like this always and show that we are one strong unit and don’t need their provocations.

So far so good. But the 3-pronged verdict is not a verdict. It’s a compromise in disguise. It has been done to make everyone happy and to stop violence. I haven’t liked it since the first day as this verdict is bound to be challenged. It has only delayed the process by another 25 years which our Judiciary is bound to take. I thought about writing that day itself but I was among the doubting Thomases who thought the calmness to be the lull before the storm. Seven days hence, I can safely say that there is going to be no storm or as Pritish Nandi has said that India has learnt the art of forgiving.

The verdict will surely be challenged in the Supreme Court because the concerning parties are not happy. And I believe they should do so. But the questions that the verdict has cropped up in my mind are:

• i)        How can the Judges or Team Saffron be sure that Ramlalla was born at the exact place where the idols have been placed? People may think me as an antagonist but I still don’t believe in the veracity of existence of Lord Ram. And even if he existed, to correctly point out the co-ordinates of his birth place thousands of years later is not possible. Even the ASI has found out a temple dating back to 10^th Century only. I would rather go with Justice Khan’s statement that this place is part of the larger area (or rather I would add the whole city) which is believed to be the birth place of Lord Ram.

• ii)      If the judges have decided that the land belongs to Ramlalla, what’s the point in giving 1/3^rd of the land to the Muslims? It’s better to give the whole land to Ramlalla. Nirmohi Akhara shouldn’t also get anything.  Everything should go to the custodians of Ramlalla. And it should be their prerogative what they do with the land.

• iii)    Why didn’t the Court clearly mark out the boundaries of the three parts? If we look at the map, it would be difficult for all three parties to utilize their respective areas without adjustments. And these people who have been at loggerheads for decades are supposed to find an amicable solution to distribute the land. Is this a joke or something?

• iv)    If the disputed structure, which passed on as a Mosque for so many years and now suddenly is against the tenets of Islam, was built on the ruins of a temple there shouldn’t be any problem. Land utilization cannot be termed a crime. But if indeed a temple was broken down, that’s a felony. There is no doubt in that. But in this case the felony was done by the Badshah of India in 15^th century. And I don’t think he or his amirs could be brought to case. Because if that be so, we have to do away with so many essential structures which came during the reigns of the Mughals and the British. And not all are fair and clean!

v)      All said and done. It’s high time that the perpetrators who brought the mosque down should be punished. Even if the mosque was an encroachment, it’s not the duty of Team Saffron to bring it down. That’s a punishable offence and the punishments should be done. But the million dollar question is when will it happen and if that happens will the peacemakers of now will remain the same?

Because of my views, I’ve always been termed an Anti-Hindu. I would like to clarify that I’m neither an Anti-Hindu nor a Pro-Islamist. I’m just a common man who loves to be human. Many have asked why I only ask for justice to Muslims and not to Hindus. I ask for both. I want Afzal Guru and Azmal Kasab to be hanged. I want Laden and Dawood to be killed. I want the perpetrators of various attacks on temples and trains to be booked and given the severest sentence. Along with this I want those people to be punished as well who want to create factions in the society on the name of region, religion, caste and whatever they like.

No religion, no community preaches animosity or hatred. All are based on love and compassion. Mohammad Iqbal has rightly said:

मज़हब नहीं सिखाता, आपस मे बैर रखना।

हिंदी है हम वतन है, हिंदोस्ताँ हमारा।

This idea of Kabir City has been in my mind for long. Instead of creating a grand temple or a mosque why not utilize the vast land for the benefit of the society. Let’s make an educational institution, a multi-specialty hospital, a high-utility market, a children’s park and few other utilitarian structures on the land. The entry to the place should be unrestricted and devoid of any religious overtures. And such a place can have only one name, “KABIR CITY” because Kabir was above all religions and was loved by all. He preached what we still fail to emulate in our lives. This might be a fitting tribute to him.

I know my thoughts are hypothetical and utopian but maybe they will end this “Mandir-Masjid” problem and start a new era of brotherhood and integration.

To end, I will quote a line from Gandhiji:

“There is Ram in RAMzan and Ali in DiwALI”.

Let our life be like that only.

Common Worst Games

In another 10 days, Common Worst Games or Common Wealth Games as they are known to all of us will start in दिलवालों की दिल्ली. But a million dollar question every sport lover is anxious to know is that will this game ever happen! The visiting delegates from other countries have already cited innumerable problems in association with the games.

India is not known to be a very clean country. Citing stray dogs, shit and urine on all places imaginable, paan stains on the walls etc. etc. is not a new matter for most of us. But seeing all this in the quarters that you are supposed to occupy as a guest is unacceptable. And that is what the team from Scotland found in their living quarters. The cleanliness freaks (अब क्या बोलें। हिँदूस्तान में सफाई। Unthinkable!) cleaned it themselves. One official (Lalit Bhanot) went on record to say, “It is not such a big issue which we should be ashamed of.. Westerners have different standards (of hygiene), we have different standards. Well Mr. Bhanot do you sleep with dogs shitting all around your place? I don’t and the rest of India doesn’t either!

Another problem is of traffic congestion. Well this cannot be removed. The last time Delhi organized Asian Games in 1982, they got a lot of flyovers. This time they are getting good roads. Yes, if you go there, you will find only potholes but think about the great future that lies ahead. So, keeping vision 2020 or say 2220 in mind, the roads have been dug. Sooner or later they will be filled. I am sure the organizing committee will take ample care of the tract of road, they have reserved for CWG vehicles. I can assure the honourable guests that they won’t face any hassle or bumps on their way to the stadiums. Yeah, the common public will be stranded and made to travel on longer and circuitous routes. But मेज़बान can do that much for his मेहमान! What say?

Another worry is the under preparedness of the various stadiums and the recurring mishaps on those which seem to inch completion. We Indians love opulence and grandiose in whatever we do. This mentality came with the people who are directly connected with the organizing committee. So, we started making grander and grander stadiums without even thinking who was going to shoulder the excess burden or what was going to happen to these grand venues after the games finishes. It’s going to be चार दिन की चाँदनी, फिर अंधेरी रात. But a country which is accustomed to do an opulent marriage without thinking about the consequences on its pockets didn’t care. This resulted in structures which were ill timed and mostly hastened to finish. This led to construction of collapsible bridge resulting in the injury of 17 people. Already leaks, drainage problems, turf problems and many other problems have occurred. I hope if the games start by some means, the roofs of all the stadiums stays intact for the whole period of the games. Touchwood!

Next trouble is Corruption, Red-tapes and the Dance of Bureaucracy. India is a country run by babus and peons. It was highly unsurprising when CWG was not spared from it either. These people have the habit of delaying things. They just don’t believe in completing projects in time. Forget about completing in advance. The files will go in a merry-go-round and rotate as much as it can. And when it completely loses its merriness, it will be executed. By then the rates would have risen astronomically and babus would with a last ditch effort encash the situation in the favour of their hidden deep pockets. They also win enough accolades for setting the ball rolling. By any chance, if the event becomes successful they would get an award or else a transfer to a sick department to make it sicker. It’s not that only these administrators are tainted. Lalit Modi and Jagmohan Dalmiya have been in news for all the wrong ways of making money. I’m not supporting their wrong-doings but at least the game of cricket is still alive and kicking like never before. All thanks to these two gentlemen. But our babus are hell bent to kill all other sports that have mistakenly being placed in their hands. Voila!

Last but not the least come the organizers i.e. Shri. Suresh Kalmadi, Shri. M. S. Gill, Smt. Sheila Dixit, Shri. Lalit Bhanot and a few others. These people are no doubt one of the best in the administrative business. They come with credentials which are astounding and incredible. But the way they have handled or rather mishandled the whole games is a pity. Not only they have failed but also misguided the taxpayer. They have completely duped us. No RTI will be able to clear the doubts that are going through our minds. I would request them to render a public apology for the mess they have created. Anyways these people are habituated to give unrelated idiotic statements on anything from Ayodhya to Godhra to Poverty to Unemployment to Power crisis to Rotting of food grains. But ये सब हमारे घर की बातें थी। अब सारी दुनिया हम पे किचड़ उछाल रही है| This was neither expected nor acceptable because of these overqualified personnel. Now they have to do बंगाल का काला जादू to get the games started. I hope whenever we dare to do such a gala event next time, we chose a team which is sports minded and not politics minded. Looking Forward!

During the CWG-Youth games in Pune 2 years ago Jigar stole everyone’s heart due to its simplicity. Hope Shera does the same even after his opulence has gone for a toss. Amen!

P.S. : Why can’t India get a young Sports minister. The last ministers have all been old or not related with sports. Sorry Sunil Dutt ji but sports were not your forte. Uma Bharti was another mismatch. But the incumbent is totally unsuccessful. He gives statements on matters which are unrelated to him. His statements are always awkwardly foolish and he is habituated to disrespect people. Gopichand and Sushil Kumar’s Coach being among the few at the receiving end. So, please get a young guy who has at least played Gilli-Danda!

Underpaid नेतालोग

Last week was quite eventful. Shashi-Sunanda (the just friends) married, Pakistan accepted Indian aid u(s)nder pressure, Sehwag hit a six that blew credibility and honesty of the whole Sri Lankan team, and etcetera etcetera. But the news which remained on the chartbusters was our own नेतालोग asking for a 500% pay hike!
In the last month and a half I have seen what factor salary plays in one’s life. So, I can completely understand the agony of the नेतालोग. They were truly underpaid by a huge margin. Even now they are short by a good 20001 rupees. It is really humiliating for the neta to get less than the babu. And that also by such a huge margin. Anyways they always get the credit for all good that happens through their overestimated underperforming ministries. If something (always) wrong happens, that is the fault of the common man, rotten system, opposition and the eternal and most loveable foreign hand. Even these excuses seldom give him the reprieve. He is the one who receives the brickbats and now even the shoes! (Garlands have become costly and people prefer to get rid of their old footwear in an effective way!) So, I believe it’s his eternal right to receive a higher pay than the babu who always stays away from the limelight. आखिर उनकी भी कोई इज़्जत है !
This is not the only reason why the pay should be hiked. The entourage that always surrounds a neta has to be fed and cared. It’s a simple everyday observation that the more delicious and aromatic the eatable is, the more flies it attracts. Similarly an MP is bound to have a lot many co-workers (चमचे). Now with the escalating costs every day, it is hard to feed these people. Government has dealt this issue nicely by using scientifically approved cost cutting techniques (decrease the number of employees) but then our dear 545 + 250 MPs are the best and different from the rest. So, common man’s techniques are undesirable in these circumstances!
People are raising a huge furore over the issue of their free travel facilities. But they must understand that the नेतालोग have to fly business class and travel AC-1st class for three obvious reasons. First, they are not cattle class. Second, their time is precious and shady deals needs to be done in confinement. Lastly, they have promised to return after 5 years. So, if they show their faces earlier than that, there would be questionnaire waiting for them from every passenger (read Voters) they meet. Moreover, if we start charging them, they have to do few more acts of social work (corruption) to cover their expenses. So, for the better good of the society it’s a welcome decision.
Also, the burden of the social work that they have taken really hurt their shoulders. In the service of the society, they waste themselves without caring for their health. They become overweight, develop ailment in every possible body part and become insomniac. So, a contingency fund has to be build up for them so that they can continue to serve the country till their very last.
Another trouble which has prompted our dear नेतालोग to ask for the pay hike is the unavailability of funds through the havala route. These mediawallahs are always against them. Whenever the नेतालोग try to do a ‘havala’, these mediawallahs do a ‘tehelka’. The IT-department is also not behind. The innocent नेतालोग are not even allowed to take gifts (बेचारी mayawati) and donations. They are charged the dreaded income-tax for the money they receive, which actually is the immense love shown by the common man. So, this time they decided to earn some tax-free money through legal means. So, why oppose!
Also, this has also shown the world the fast decision making capacity of our parliamentary system. Otherwise every bill goes through the देखते है, सोचते है, करेँगे, जल्दी क्या है phase. This also showed the harmony and unity among our नेतालोग. In case of any other bill, it’s so difficult to bring them together but this bill is a real winner. I hope the bill will be passed in one sitting. (Well done Laluji. It would have been difficult without you.)
पैसा ऐसा चीज़, ख़ुदा से उनीस बीस !
Jokes apart, the mockery that these people have done of our democracy is worth a concern. Let’s not forget this when we meet them again for the 2014 general elections.
Jai Hind!!!

Honour Killing: A By-Product of Modern India

We live in a modern country called India. We are developing. We fired a rocket to moon. We are the biggest film industry. We are intelligent. We are the next big thing. We are blah blah blah. But are we really that modern, that great????
On one side we have reaped the fruits of outsourcing, our scientists are world renowned, we grow our own food grains, we produce our own steel, we do many other things but on the other side we have illiteracy, female infanticide, dowry deaths, khap panchayats, hatred in the name of religion, region, language and any other nonsense anybody can invent. These things show that the modernity has not reached into all strata of the society. The latest product from our great honourable society is, “Honour Killing”. And this is what I’m going to talk over now.
Every week there is at least one Honour Killing in the badlands of India. But what worries me the most are the Honour Killings from the so called modern urban areas. Whether Rizwanur Rahman or Nitish Katara or now Nirupama Pathak, the list is endless. Politicians are also a party to it and giving into the demands of the Khap Panchayats and are trying to get same-gotra marriage banned. There is even a demand that marriages in the same village be banned as well. In short, what they are demanding is that love marriages should be marriage. Inter-caste, inter-religion, inter-region marriages are already a taboo in this so called modern India! But I ask whether loving someone is such a big crime that they have to be killed! And that also by their own near and dear ones. Why can’t parents accept what their kids want?
I would request all the powers who are concerned to get out of their old rotten shells and embrace the modern world. Please stop moral policing and interfering in other people’s lives. Beware of the fact the Supreme One is watching and that day is not far when you have to pay back for your heinous crimes. No Panchayat, Association, relative and even a parent has the right to impose his/her dictum on a grown up adult. You may suggest what you want but can’t force it down the throat. Choosing the Life-Partner should be the right of every individual and that should be respected.
Please break the shackles of caste, gotra, religion, region and accept love. This is what every religion has taught which have been remodeled by the so-called custodians to their own favour.

Love & let love flourish…

Terror Strikes Again

13th February, 2010 now will be remembered as a “Black Saturday” in the history of Pune. Bloody bastards who think themselves warriors of religion struck terror in Koregaon Park. The locality is posh, peaceful & cosmopolitan and is frequently by foreigners. Osho’s ashram is close to the Jewish Chabad and the German Bakery (place of incident), a popular hangout, makes it a picturesque location of communal harmony. And such locales have always been on the target of these incongruous bastards.
Anything nice & peaceful across the world pricks like thorns in their eyes. Many were saying that these terrorizers were afraid to do something on a large scale after 26/11. But I always believed the calmness to be the lull before the storm. Few days back an incident was averted in busy Howrah station as well. Now it seems these rascals are turning their attention towards tier-II cities! I always believed that cities like Kolkata, Pune, Vadodara acted as their backup centres from where they got their technological help. {Last time around all wires lead to these cities!} But now it seems they are going all out!
I strongly condemn these actions but it seems that very less can be done by us. These people dream of breaking our country because of the amount of unity among is decreasing day by day. The way we are distancing ourselves on issues of religion, languages, caste, this, that, … is actually helping them.
The Pune blast is another example. While the state police was trying to ensure that beleaguered Senamen don’t create any nuisance, the terrorists got a free hand & struck! When will these people understand this simple thing! If they continue with their activities, it would not be difficult for the outsiders to blast the hollow & derelict shell!
With my condolences to the deceased, I sign off with the impossible hope that this terrorism stops!
Jai Hind!!!!
P.S: Watch this video from Krantiveer where Nana Patekar talks about the modern India. The movie is of 1993 but the situation from then has not improved but worsened!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-DNavQ5l9w

Today’s Show: Shiv Sena vs India

‘My Name Is Khan’ failed to release.
The reason:
Shahrukh Khan, the film’s hero, had innocently said that Pakistani players should have been allowed to play in IPL-III. Shiv Sena thought otherwise and decided to protest. They as usual have threatened to hold a Sena-type protest i.e. destroying public property and resorting to mass scale hooliganism and vandalism.

Resorting to violence is not new to Sena. Their leaders i.e. the Thackreys have always liked to hit and make their point. They actually don’t know any other way to make them known. Right now they are in a corner. They have lost the elections again even though the incumbent government fared really poor in the last term. Nephew Raj has floated a new party, the dreaded MNS, which works on the same lines and is eating into their vote share. {The immediate beneficiary of this catfight is Congress & NCP. Almost half of the Mumbai MPs in this Loksabha election won by very thin margins thanks to MNS! } Balasaheb had taken a vow, in 2004, not to cut his beard until BJP-Sena won the assembly elections. He has to wait at least another 5 years for that. Add to that losing important leaders like Chhagan Bhujabal & Narayan Rane. Now even BJP has openly decided to leave the coalition. So, Sena needs issues to stay in limelight. What to do! That is how their style of politics runs. People will forget them otherwise and they know that.
From the very beginning the party’s motto has been very regional or specifically local i.e. Mumbai is for Marathis! So, sometimes they protest against the Madrasis, sometimes Bengalis and lately North Indians. Pakistanis have been their favourite as well (They tried to blow them up in 1993!). Lately they have been interested in Australians as well.
Now coming to the MNIK issue.
Even before SRK went against Sena’s diktat, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani & RSS had crossed their lines as well. They all voiced that Mumbai is for all Indians! Now that is going to irritate a Marathi loving party. But Sachin is himself an ardent Marathi Mumbaikar, the most famous and most revered actually. So, he was just reprimanded. Ambani was also left out. RSS chief is again Marathi. But this time Sena lashed at Ram Madhav, a North Indian. A little scuffle happened but calmed down. And then SRK praised the Pakistanis! {He has Wasim Akram as his team’s bowling coach. God knows what happens to it! Many of us actually want to see the likes of Afridi, Malik, Asif & Aamer in action!} That was enough for the Senamen! They started burning effigies, posters and then decided to boycott the movie. They even termed him as traitor and even pulled other Khans into it {It was not the ingenious idea of US authorities to stop SRK at Newark airport then! Khan is a taboo word in Sena dictionary from time eternal}. But Rahul Gandhi’s whirlwind Mumbai tour just swept the feet out of Sena. He travelled in a local train! Goddamnit nobody in Sena, leave alone doing it, has ever thought about it even in their dreams. Even SRK gave some reconciling tweets. Sena decided to drop the issue. All seemed calm. Everyone was happy from SRK to financiers to the common spectator. But Mr. Pawar, after suggesting us to drop sugar from our tea, went to meet Balasaheb. What tea he drank there and what the hell he mixed in Balasaheb’s tea is beyond us! But the next day MNIK destruction tirade was back in action! Maratha unity’s great example!
Pawar said that he wanted the cooperation of Sena for smooth conduct of IPL-III. Good intention! But my question is why he went to Matoshri? He should have gone to the Mantralay. Isn’t it where Maharashtra is ruled from! Sometimes seeing the way our politicians reel around Balasaheb, it seems that Subhash Nagre’s (Sarkar) resemblance with Balasaheb goes much beyond the looks! He actually rules Mumbai. And he has proved again. No multiplex owner has garnered courage to stand against his diktat. The repeated offer of security and help by the state government has gone unheeded. Some have even said that the police fail to do anything when Sena attacks.
I’m not chaperoning Sena policies but the truth lies that everyone is afraid of the attacks. It’s high time when we have to shed our inhibitions and stand up against Senamen. It’s us who have to do everything as the government is going to be a mute spectator even if they come and destroy the whole mantralay. In Vidarbha, the Senamen fail to inspire as people here don’t pay much attention to them. Same treatment has to be meted to them elsewhere as well. Otherwise they will continue to take out their petty frustrations on different issues. Today it’s SRK, tomorrow it can be anyone. If required let’s give them the taste of their own music.

नफरत जो सिखाये वो धर्म तेरा नहीं है |
इंसान को जो रौंदे वो कदम तेरा नहीं है |

Let’s believe in these lines by Sahir Ludhiyaanvi and try to live them. Let’s stop these divisionalists or else we have to suffer like this forever! Let’s uphold the sovereignty and integrity of our country and make ‘Free India’ a reality that our forefathers dreamt of.
In the end I quote from Nikhat Kazmi’s review of MNIK in ‘The Times of India’:
But eventually it’s Rizwan Khan who walks out with you, branding the fundamentalists as ‘liars’ and telling all those who doubt his integrity: “My Name Is Khan and I am not a terrorist, a non-Mumbaikar or an unpatriotic Indian”.
Jai Hind !!!!
Jai Maharashtra !!!

Separate Vidarbha: Is It Really Required?

20th January, 2010, Vidarbha observed a complete strike to support for the formation of a separate state. The demand is not new but the recent outburst is provoked as a result of the Telangana uprising.


Before moving onto the demand and its validity, let’s spare some space for what exactly is Vidarbha.

According to the Nagpur gazetteer, the state of Vidarbha has been there for over 2000 years and derives its name from a king of the same name. The present day Western Vidarbha i.e. the districts of Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Wardha and Buldana were prosperous regions and had some great rulers in the Satvahanas and the Vakatakas. The eastern part i.e. the districts of Nagpur, Bhandara and Chandrapur were part of the famous forest Dandakaranya. This part later came to be known as Jhaadimandal. But after decline of the Vakatakas in late 5th century AD, the prosperity declined and Vidarbha continued to be subjugated by different rulers.

The modern city of Nagpur was established by Bakht Buland, the Muslim Gond king, who had his capital at Devgad in modern Chhindwara district. He founded the city of Nagpur by joining the twelve small hamlets formerly known as Rajapur Barsa or Barasta some 300 years ago. His death brought his empire into trouble. Claims for succession ensued bloody battles. His dowager queen, Ratankunvar, asked for help to the famed Maratha warrior, Raghuji Bhonsle. In return of his help, she gave him one-third of her empire, chiefly the area around Nagpur.

Raghuji was a formidable soldier and statesman. He was in principle a commissioner of the Chhatrapati Shahu of Satara and had the tax collection rights of areas from Vidarbha to Bengal. Throughout his lifetime he fought many wars across India from Varanasi to Tanjore & Pune to Murshidabad. His conflicts with Alivardi Khan, the Peshwas and the Nizam are well known.

With him the Maratha culture came to Vidarbha. Soon, Marathi became the language of prominence but Persian kept its presence felt. Muslim influence in Vidarbha was prominent from Mughal times. The western part of Vidrabha was under Nizam rule and was called as Berar. With the advent of the British, all the Maratha patriarchs lost their control and Nagpur was no exception. An over ambitious Appasaheb bought the Subsidiary Alliance in return for his annexation to power. The British after assuming control carved the state of Central Provinces (CP) comprising present day Chhatisgarh, present day MP sans Indore & Gwalior and Eastern Vidarbha with Nagpur as the capital. Later Berar was taken away from the Nizam and the state was duly renamed CP & Berar. This continued to be the case until the reorganization of states on linguistic lines in 1960 when Vidarbha joined the other Marathi speaking parts of erstwhile Nizam regime and Bombay presidency to form Maharashtra.

Now Vidarbha comprises of 11 districts viz. Gondia, Bhandara, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Garhchiroli, Wardha, Amravati, Akola, Buldana, Washim and Yavatmal. Along with these, the leaders of the statehood agitation want to include 4 districts of MP viz. Seoni, Balaghat, Chhindwara and Betul in the new state.

Vidarbha has traditionally been agrarian. Western Vidarbha, more known for farmers’ suicides, is still chiefly agrarian. Eastern Vidarbha is endowed with large deposits of minerals and especially coal. This has given this area a chance to industrialize. Unlike Mumbai-Pune, large scale industries are still a rarity here. But a large number of small scale and medium scale industries, mostly steel-based, are in huge numbers. The chief export of Vidarbha is Electric Power. With three power plants and one more coming up, it is the basic power provider to the entire state of Maharashtra. Even the Bhusaval plant has proximity to Vidarbha. And these power plants will form the backbone of the Vidarbha economy if the state is formed.

One thing is at least true of the agitators i.e. the step-motherly attitude of the Maharashtra leaders towards Vidarbha. Even though the region has so many natural resources, its under-development remains a reason to ponder. Same parallels can be drawn with Chhattisgarh which faced similar apathy. Even though we produce almost half the power, power cuts are regularity here. Surprisingly, under the Zero Load-Shedding (ZLS) scheme, Nagpur pays more surcharge than Pune which has no power generation facility! Recently, an Orange research institute was located to Nanded for reasons unknown to anyone (Chief Minister’s constituency). Over the years the Hiwali (Winter) session has brought only parties for the elites and road blocks for the common man in Nagpur. Every year, lots of dharnas and rallies are held for the 14 days the MLAs come for their winter holiday. But the result of these agitations has always come to a nought. Farmers’ suicides, decline in agriculture, failure to open new industries, closure of many medium and small scale industries, etc etc have plagued the whole region. The region especially in and around Nagpur have seen recent growth due to MIHAN. But, even it has not brought us into the economic map. It has at least sky-rocketed the real-estate prices.

Other chief export of Vidarbha are the engineers. We produce them in quantity without providing enough quality. And most of them are generally lost to the hungry city of Pune where they turn up as IT pros. If we could have tapped the potential and utilize, we could have developed the whole region. Arts & Sciences are slowly becoming non-existent and are dying day by day. If Pune University is among the top 5 in India, Amravati and Nagpur universities are fighting for the last spots. If the present situation continues maybe they will win it without contesting!

Culturally Vidarbha is more cosmopolitan than Western Maharashtra, Konkan and Marathwada. The region is totally peaceful and language, religion, region, caste, creed or any other kind of nonsense difference never evokes any response here. The recent Naxalite menace in the jungle areas is certainly a matter of concern. But this issue is not locally created and is more the problem across all jungles in India. A more centre high-handedness is required in this matter.

The Maharashtra government has seemed to be a government which has only belonged to the city-state of Mumbai. Whatever development the state has achieved has all been concentrated there. When Mumbai started saturating, Pune was the next beneficiary. All other regions were left out. Marathwada, the region that has provided most of the CMs, is the most backward. But South-West Maharashtra i.e. districts of Solapur, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur took the reins of development in their own hands. They didn’t form a new state. But utilized the economic constraints in their favour and turned the region into a developed region. Now Kolhapur has more per capita Mercedes ratio than any other city (except Mumbai) in the state! And the development was done only in the agrarian front as it was the only front available there. We, having all the basic infrastructural facilities, have failed to develop. What could be the reason?

The chief reason is actually the lack of leadership. The leaders over their did actually kick ass and made prosperity happen. We have a dearth of quality leaders. Here every political leader doles out colleges which in turn dole out engineers! Even though our leaders have always said that they are sidelined, how many of them have actually tried hard to get noticed! While they get chief ministerial berths both in state and centre, we get Dairy, Animal Husbandry and Non-Conventional energy sources! And our leaders make merry on these. In the recent state government the Forest Ministry has gone to a Sanglikar. But, leaders of Vidarbha, with so much of forest cover, didn’t protest! The chief leader of the statehood agitation now was a union minister in the last cabinet. But he failed to bring a single project back home. And now when he is sidelined in the present cabinet, he is back with statehood demands. Nice way to get noticed!

He has classed all Vidarbhaites to be either ‘Vidarbhavaadis’ or ‘Vidarbhadrohis’. But, I would like to mention another class, the ‘Vidarbhapremis’. As a Vidarbhapremi, I would not like a separate state. The quality of leadership prompts me to say that the new state under such under-achievers will be further under-achieving. Of the new states formed, only one i.e. Chhattisgarh has sustained development. The North-Eastern states feud over cheeky matters, Goa has uncertain leaders, Jharkhand has seen 7 governments in 9 years, Uttaranchal is ok (But the chief leader was caught in a sex tape which made me forget even Tiger Woods sexcapades). Until and unless the leaders prove that they can actually develop the region, I personally don’t believe in handing them the reins of a village leave alone the state.

The two leaders who have actually worked hard for the development, one who brought infrastructural changes and other the Cargo Hub i.e. MIHAN, are not even party to this nonsense. All the leaders of the agitation are those who have been wronged by their respective parties and seem to work for their personal gains rather than the collective good. One even talks of joining hands with the Naxals! It seems a political gimmick on their part just to grab attention. Let’s condemn these actions and request the concerned leaders to relinquish the idea of the statehood and work for the region’s development.

To change the system, we have to stay in the system. The tide of development has to be turned into our favour. The demand for statehood has actually given us to get noticed and the chance to lay down our demands and get them fulfilled. Active leadership is the need of the day and this should be channelized to negate the existing apathy and convert the reluctance into reforms. We have the necessary education potential, the natural resources, the benefit of our central location which brings great transport facilities, MIHAN & Power. Now what is required are leaders of acumen who will rise above party and personal restrictions and turn these resources into weapons to destroy under-development and poverty. It should be made understood to the top brass that Vidarbha needs attention, care & love and not negligence, sympathy and apathy.

When a brother doesn’t take care of you, you don’t sever ties with him. You talk and sometimes coerce him to give you your proper dues. Maharashtra and Vidarbha are two brothers joined at the hip. Let’s not do the surgery which will cripple both of them. Let’s allow them to be united and work for the development of Vidarbha.

I’m happy to see MH-31 on my vehicle. VD-01 is neither required and nor should it be forced.

Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra !!!

Marathi: Is It Threatened

Threat to Marathi has become one of the biggest poll issues in the forthcoming Legislative elections. And with Raj Thakre at the helm of this affair, the matter is not likely to die down soon. The matter is not a new one and actually was started by his uncle, Balasaheb Thakre way back in 1966. Since, then the matter had not died but was not an important matter of concern until it all flared up with the starting of a new political outfit, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, in 2007 by Raj.
But is it really threatened? I have been always troubled by this matter and am just trying to put what I think about this.
One truth which nobody accepts is that Marathis are reticent to share their culture. You would find all sorts of Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Rajasthani, South Indian delicacies in most restaurants in the country as well as abroad. You are sure to find a Punjabi Dhaba, a Udupi Restaurant and a Bengali Sweet Mart in every big city throughout the country. But it’s rare to find Kolhapuri chicken, Shrikhand or Puran Poli outside Maharashtra. You won’t find a restaurant specializing in Marathi food if you go to some other big city outside the state. The only food that has become popular is panipuri but even it’s not called by the same name everywhere! Have we ever thought that we can get a Kashmiri shawl, a Kanjeevaram, a Tangail or a Benarasi in Maharashtra but it’s difficult to get a “Paithani” outside? Most people actually don’t know about it! We witness festivals like Bengali Durga Puja, Onam, Pongal, Chhath, Baisakhi ans what else right here in our Marathi cities. I know Durga Pujas in Nagpur which are being organized for about 70 years and have seen Ramlila in Pune. But the greatest Marathi festival, Ganesh Puja is non-existent outside Maharashtra. It’s still in the nascent stages in the national capital. It’s not that we don’t have enough Marathis outside but the true fact is they are not interested in spreading their culture. This kind of insular behaviour makes one susceptible of others. We must not forget that we have evolved from same Aryans who migrated here thousands of years ago. This way we have created a wall of suspicion and insularity around us. Thus whenever some crap brings the issue of cultural pollution, we straight way see what is being shown to us. We don’t know the North Indian culture and neither do they know ours! It’s time to change things. (The problem is global. We think the Europeans and Americans are uncultured and they think vice-versa).
The sheer negligence to Marathi in the cities is another factor which has led to the situation that the present day politicians are cashing on. Local people in cities are negligent about Marathi Cinema, art, music. People are actually ignorant about the extent of Maharashtra. People in west don’t know the existence of Gondia while people in Vidarbha don’t know where Karad is! Bid, Jalna, Parbhani, Osmanabad are not the names which crop up automatically when you count the districts in Maharashtra. It’s easy to fool people who are not aware of their surroundings. The politicians are totally Mumbai centric and they seldom think about what’s going elsewhere and when the need arises they simply bring out issues which are only valid in and around Mumbai. Media too has to be blamed as it hasn’t evolved itself beyond Mumbai and gives extensive coverage to this nonsense.
The immigration is not at all there in villages of Marathwada. People there haven’t seen much of a North-Indian yet and haven’t heard much Hindi outside Vividh Bharti. (I am not mentioning Television as electricity is scarce there!) It’s the cities like Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur where you find people speaking in Hindi. Lack of opportunities and the standard of living has so much degraded in their states that they are forced to look for greener pastures. But the question is why always it’s Maharashtra and especially Mumbai. Why don’t people move to other states? The basic reason is the over development of Mumbai during British times. Also, the locals refrained from working in many areas. For example labourers are generally Chattisgarhis, Biharis and Oriyas. The supervisors are generally Keralians, Punjabis and Bengalis. Business for some reasons bloom in the hands of Gujaratis, Marwaris, Parsis and Sindhis. These are the areas the locals didn’t venture much. To add to that Mumbai has been always cosmopolitan and the language has been always more inclined towards Hindi (So, while Marwaris in Barabazar, Kolkata speak Bengali, their brethren in Mumbai don’t do that. But again you will find them doing the same in Pune i.e. they speak Marathi). This has helped people to settle here without unsettling their roots. One another reason is Bollywood. The biggest Hindi film industry is not in any Hindi speaking state but the tinsel town is here in Maharshtra. The forefathers of Hindi Cinema found it more conducive to be nurtured here instead of anywhere because of the amount of liberty they got here. Don’t forget even though, the cinema was started by Dadasaheb Phalke, a Marathi, it was nurtured by the Punjabis and the Bengalis in its initial stages. The charm of tinsel town has brought many youth to the city. Some have been successful and some have not. Nevertheless they have settled here. Same is the case with the people who came with the wish of making money.
It is true that the Railways examinations have been a bastion for UP and Bihar fellows but it has more to do with their sincere efforts and not with any favouritism. Isn’t it true that this job is never the first choice among Marathi youth? With the amount and standard of education available in the state, clerical jobs are not a favourite. Moreover Railways being a national property and each railway zone spreading into two or more states, the demand for giving jobs to locals is laughable. Even if the exam is held in Kalyan for Central Railways, the recruits will in future have to serve in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka if and when transferred. Railways have been a major factor for mass movement of people around the country. Biharis, Oriyas and Bengalis working for erstwhile South Eastern Railway (SER) have reached Maharashtra due to their work. And there’s something in the Maharashtrian soil which doesn’t allow you to go back once you move here. So, across the state you will find people from all the neighbouring states who once having arrived here have never went back! And they have never been a nuisance. Instead mixing of cultures has helped in making Maharashtra what it is! As Shahid Kapur’s character correctly says in Kaminey that the migrants are like “Sugar” which when added to the milk increases its sweetness.
Actually it is nothing more than a political gimmick. The tirade has started because the migrants have started nurturing political aspirations which has become unbearable for few. A political party has fielded some 30 or more migrants as their candidates in the forthcoming elections and this is unacceptable to a few. You would observe that the tirade is never against other non-marathi migrants as they are not politically active. The same happened when Sonia Gandhi was to become the PM!
Instead of fighting out we should maintain the linguistic unity and upheld the motto of “Unity of Diversity” for which our country is respected throughout the globe.
Also there should be steps taken to propagate Marathi in the state and in the country. Fairs propagating Maharashtrian culture (literature, cuisine, handicraft, art, music) should be organized in the state as well as in other states should be staged. The people should be made aware of their heritage. The media has a very big role to play in this. Its time they move beyond Mumbai and Pune and delve inside the state. Ganpati festival has to be celebrated pan India like Durga Puja. Learning Marathi should be made compulsory in all schools and all boards. It’s nothing new as it is in place in many states. In state level jobs more preference should be given to the locals (anyone who is a legal resident of the state irrespective of his mother tongue). The cold shoulder that is extended to non-marathis and the reticence shown in sharing the culture should be stopped by all and sundry. Until and unless the natives of Maharashtra don’t welcome people with a warm heart, the migrants will feel alienated and this trouble will continue. (It is not impossible as my parents make karanji, anarsa and chakli in every festival and our neighbours like the Bengali sweets. We share everything and they are my actual family. Without their support my parents wouldn’t have been able to live happily for 30 years in Maharashtra. To add to it, we are not going back!)
In the era of globalization, nothing can be claimed to be somebody’s own property. Can Sachin and Lata be labeled to be only Maharashtrians or Amitabh, Tatas and Ambanis should be labeled with migrant’s status only. These people have not only made Maharashtra proud but are national synonyms for rpide, success and development.
So, let’s break free the bonds and join hands to boot out the politicians who want to create linguistic differences. These are not only the enemy to the common man but also to the state and the country. Let’s join hands to make “Aapla Maharashtra”, the most prosperous and happy state in the country.
Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra !!!

India: Six Decades of Independence

India has completed 62 years of independence from the British rule on this 15th August.
Well truly speaking we were under a foreign rule ever since Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan way back in 11th century. But we had accepted them and the subsequent Tughlaqs, Lodhis and Mughals as our brethren. They amalgamated into the society so well that nobody actually felt they were under any oppression. It was largely due to the way the rulers ruled especially Akbar. But after Aurangzeb came to power situations began to change drastically. It was the first time when a spirit of nationalism arose among the Marathas, the very first in the history of India. It was short-lived and actually turned more towards imperialism with the decline of the Mughals.
So, when Robert Clive arrived in Murshidabad in 1750’s, India was not like that we know now. It was fragmented on the lines of religion, language, caste and what else. The British were always thought to be meddlers from outside and they never could be woven into the social fabric. An uprising did occur in 1857 but in it personal interests played a more important role than the nationalist ones as is proved from the non-participation of Punjab, Scindia, Nizam among others. It cannot be altogether rejected as a sepoy mutiny but neither could it be called a war of INDIAN independence.
But the British did push us into the modern era albeit for their personal gains. The railways, telegraph, land & socio-economic reforms along with large scale industries would have taken a long time to come were it not for the British. But eventually, especially after the 1905 Bengal partition, nationalism arose in India in spite of all the differences nature could provide. And then came the day when we gained our freedom after lot of struggle and sacrifices.
But the India that we got after such a struggle comprised of 500 odd states excluding the British India. To add to our troubles was the reluctance of states like Nizam & Junagadh to join us as was the indecision on the part of Kashmir. But with the persistence and expertise of leaders like Sardar Patel, we were able to complete the union using both words and bullets as and where required. Eventually on 26th January 1950, India was declared a republic.
But these six decades have not been without turbulence and it all started few months after independence when our brother, the newly carved out Pakistan attacked Kashmir and ever since this is one problem we haven’t been able to solve even after three full-fledged wars and numerous pseudo wars. To compound to the problems there have been numerous religious and ethnic conflicts which have gained momentum after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. We have suffered from breach in confidence from China in 1962 that broke Panchasheel to attack us. Pakistan and Bangladesh (which was incidentally helped by us in gaining freedom in 1971) are known to harbour terrorists who have repeatedly tried to disrupt our socio-economic system time and again. Ethnic and political reasons in Nepal, Bangladesh and Srilanka have also compounded our problems by pouring in a lot of refugees.
But we have never yielded in these six decades and hope will not do anytime in the future. We have kept successfully kept our social fabric intact and have progressed economically so much that we are teemed as one of the potential superpowers in making.
Nowhere in this world will anyone find states divided linguistically. The cultural diversity in India along its length and breadth is non-existent even in the vastly big Russia spanning over two continents. The way we can bounce back even when pushed to the wall is just remarkable. A special mention in this regard should be done of the Mumbaikars, the valiant and energetic of the lot.
Even though we live in a kind of a furnace with unstable inflammatory countries outside and boiling states inside, we have been able to sustain development and create indigenous revolutions like the Food revolutions of the 1960’s and the economic ones of 1990’s.
We have been able to excel both in cultural and scientific front as well. People ranging from Sachin Tendulkar to Pt. Ravishankar , Satyajit Ray to J R D Tata, Homi Bhabha to Amitabh Bachchan are popular all over the world and have brought laurels to the country.
In spite of the differences, discrepancies, corruption (Transparency International regularly puts us in the 70s of their annual list), needless communalism & regionalism, illiteracy and poverty we have been voted as the happiest country in the world. Slowly and steadily we are approaching the pinnacle of success which our great leaders had aimed of. Its noteworthy to say that no other country which gained freedom in the previous century, with the exception of China, Singapore and few others, have not attained such success levels. While diversity has caused many nations to crash, we have gone from strengths to strengths and will do so in eons to come.
JAI HIND !!!

Pakistan: A grievous unsolvable jigsaw

Pakistan has become a matter of concern for the entire world. The whole country is under shambles and is biting dust like never before. The Islamisation of the country started by Gen. Zia-ul-Haq has made the country more religion minded but has made it a prey to the fundamentalists and the terrorists. Terrorism has become the most exported and bankable business in Pakistan.
Though the country is a party to the ‘War against Terror’, it now harbours hundreds of terrorist organizations which have formed a state within the state. Add to that ISI and the high handedness of the army generals, which have actually made Rawalpindi (Millitary Head Quarters) as the virtual capital of Pakistan, and we get a rickety state as seen never before. The terror machinery gets enough structural facilities which help them to exist and function efficiently there.
What is surprising that India even after having tens of different languages, religions, caste and other differences stands in the way to progress to the 21st century (a few skirmishes here and there do happen which can be controlled) while Pakistan being a mono religious country has led it to become a failure and is basically leading it to medieval era.
(This page of Times of India would be a better read: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=default&Enter=true&Skin=TOI&GZ=T and go to page 17 of the Mumbai edition dated 08/03/2009).
But the biggest troubles in recent times in India have been always due to Cross- border terrorism (latest being Mumbai 26/11) which Pakistan has declined as soon as possible even though they are supposed (Pakistan rejects vehemently) to harbour anti-social elements from Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel to Maulana Masood Azhar and Bin- Laden. IsI is rumoured to help even LTTE and nurture the terror machinery in Bangladesh. The North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) once a peaceful place under Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, has now become a safe haven for terrorists and is no doubt any close to non-violence which he preached!!!
But now the state is itself under threat with Swat valley falling to pro- Taliban elements and the recent heinous attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Pakistan’s Islamic utopia has failed and now the nation has to be rebuilded so that the sub-continent can be saved as we all know a rotten potato ruins the whole sack. I bet neither Jinnah nor even the subsequent rulers (even Zia) of the country would have thought that their nation building will ricochet in this manner and they will have a free fall into the pit which they were creating for others!!!
It is now needed that the international community takes heed of this matter and help the troubled souls solve this urgent matter with utmost priority. We just can’t sit pretty and let the country go to the butchers. And I feel India has to play the biggest role in this process as we are the most affected with whatever happens there. But care should be taken that we don’t get a Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam or Iraq in return.
Let God help us to bring peace to Pakistan and douse the violent fires that are slowly destroying the country and help us to solve the jigsaw which has been tampered to an unprecedented level. Let the wounds be healed before they become septic and need for amputation arises.
Amen!!!

Jai Ho !!!

Congratulations Slumdog Millionaire for winning 8 Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards.
This award was special for India as the movie is based on slums on aamchi Mumbai and the Music was by the maestro A. R. Rehman. A. R. Rehman won two Oscars one for the song (JAI HO) and other for the music score. Apart from this it won:
1)Best Director
2)Best Picture
3)Best Cinematography
4)Best Sound Mixing
5)Best Editing
6)Best Adapted Screenplay
This has brought immense joy to the entire country. Apart from that the best Short Documentary has also gone to an Indian story, Smile Pinki.
Although Rehman has won for his music, I would like to say that this is not the Rehmanian music that we are accustomed to. This is quite a few notches below his usual best. But anyways it has helped India to appear on the global stage. Although the movie is a Hollywood movie, it wouldn’t have been what it is without the Indian actors and the indispensable Mumbai locales. The movie didn’t boast of a khan or a bachchan but had Anil Kapoor who did a great job. Although Dev Patel was the hero, I personally liked the kids. Especially the kid and juvenile Salim were lot better than the adult Salim. They had that shrewdness in their eyes which was missing in the adult Salim. Overall the movie had a charm and a new way of telling the story which set it apart from other movies of its kind.
I hope the Indian Popular awards will take notice of this and have few good movies on its nomination list instead of the movies they usually do…..
JAI HO !!!!!!!!!!!

Mumbai Meri Jaan!!!!!!

Well the Mumbai blasts have rattled the whole world !!!!
So, has it me.
The places were the one which we used to go for evening walks when i was there in summer during my stay at TIFR. The place was a source of making new friendships as I made many a new friends. But these bloody terrorists have just spilled hatred and enimity.
I see no point in Pakistan's logic of stateless terrorists and actually support our ministers who have asked if they dropped from heaven (Hell to me!!!!!).
Pakistan has always blackmailed us that any attack can lead to nuclear war. But these repeated attacks of terrorism have already started to cause a immense disorder in the very nucleus of our country. It is high time now that we stop listening to their nonsense and do some sensible thinking and punish them hard.
It's time we rise above the much politicised Caste, Religious, Economic and any other barrier mankind can think of to create differences and fight against this as one.
We shouldn't allow communalist forces to come and destroy the sovreinity and integrity of the great country of ours!!!!!!
At last a large hurrah to The NSG's, Army, the deceased Mumbai Policemen and the people of this country.
But the politicians especially people like Raj Thackeray and V. S. Achyuthanandan should deserve a Boo -ooh.
Jai Hind!!!!!!!!
Vande Mataram!!!!!