I am here... this is me!

Ahh! let me see... when was the last time I posted something here, March 30th 2009. Well you know life's like that I guess. We seldom give enough attention to things which actually are more closer to ones' heart; as writing is to me. I am not a savant, but it gives me freedom to say and write and do things in my way; a leeway which is seldom given space by the society.

There is so much to write, and I am ambivalent on whether to write personal stuff or politics(usually the punching bag) or may be life in general.

I would say, let's just write; without categorizing the context.

First, The Commonwealth games.

I think it's in Indian culture to be OMG! OMG! untill the very last moments of anything. Wonder how much effort it would have taken for the organizers to put everything together may be a month before the event was to kick off. But they had to drag the preparation., they had to fix the loopholes days before the event. They had to clean the mess which is usually strewn all over the place in Delhi. But anyhow, all is well which ends well. Oh I know this attitude is what makes all such things happen every now and then. So unless each and every citizen takes responsibility, things will remain unorganized.

Another cry during and before the event was, India being a '2.5' world country (you have to give half a point atleast for the development in the last decade or so), is the games money well spent? Or is it just the fantasy of the elite and rich and the upper middle class and the middle class. Hey! that's more than half the country. So if you go by the shambled democracy there, can you argue if this majority wants the games?
Anyhow, the crux is, should the money have been better utilized for housing the poor than the swanky games village.
The answer: Well, it's very hard to say anything. The country has been providing stimulus to the poor since the country got onto its' feet. The country has been trying to get rid of the castism since ages. The country has been trying to be 'secular' for the past 60 years. Has much changed? I don't think so. The conclusion we may try to draw is, the governments should try to imbibe an atmosphere conducive for growth not just pump money, ideals, morals into the society.
What's the point in national integration when the parents themselves are preaching the children how they are better than the rest in the country or how their caste is better or how their religion is oppressed by the other(s). Every Indian wants India to be like USA. A country of endless hope and opportunities. But their lenses can only see the swanky life style and the stylish cars and the huge freeways. What has gone behind that development is overlooked. So my wish is people there in the homeland should be a little more considerate to the person to the left/right.

Second, you know what grinds my gears ?

a) Topic of Religion and Caste.

NDTV, not an epitome of great journalism though,

Anchor to the Commonwealth Games Gold medal winning athletes -

"I remember from your interview earlier in the day you said that all the girls who won the medals have been from JAT family. Tell us about that and then he smiles at them"

SHAMEFUL! . ON national television talking about caste and creed and just because the girls who won the medals happen to be of a particular caste.... seriously!

b) China bashing, alarm over development and it getting rich.

Is it bad for a nation working hard to be rich to assert itself? Don't crib! Get your own house in order.

The man I admire the most

Tata's five-point prescription to make India a superpower:

1. Enforce policy in an unbiased manner. "The best ad I've seen on TV in recent times is, 'Malum hai mera baap kaun hai?"

2. Maintain high standards in everything. "Four hours away, in Dubai, the roads and buildings are better finished, because their standards are high."

3. Conduct business fairly. "A level playing field doesn't seem to exist in India."

4. Corruption has to be weeded out at all levels.

5. Take the long view. "By the time we build an airport it becomes obsolete; when we finish constructing a road, it is already congested."

His holiness, The Dalai Lama delivered a heart-warming and a characteristic spiritual speech at the India Today Conclave 2009. I was mesmerized at something he said some time back talking to Charlie Rose in an interview as well. Charlie Rose asked him about the unrest in the world owing to religion and the so called clash of civilizations. Dalai Lama put it this we, “though I am a Buddhist, I am not attached to Buddhism. If you are too attached to your religion then it props up a biased attitude in a human being. It is not the religion which is evil, rather it is the people who manipulate or kidnap religion and transform it into an evil entity. The same is true for science and for politics as well.”

Even at the recent conclave he mentioned a very important point during his speech, which I believe, is the crux of his message to the world, the message of compassion. He said that we talk about the wide spread poverty and lack of education as the root of cause of misery in the world. But, the one more important thing is the compassion in the hearts of human beings. It is the compassion which paves the way for improvement in the other domains.

Since it was an India Today conclave, Dalai Lama put the onus on us, The Indians, to lead the way towards a pervasive harmony in this world. Comparing Buddhism as the light of the India Culture (in terms of spirituality), he mentioned something very amazing, saying that wherever this light of Indian culture has not reached, that place is still dark (nothing to do with conversion). He said that he is the shishya of the Indians and we must act like the guru to show the path towards compassion and harmony.

Deus Vobiscum!

We are different, in ideals and culture?

The most beautiful thing about our country, India, is the spirit of secularism. Since independence, or should I say ages, India has evolved as a coherence of various cultures, religions, faiths and beliefs. So in the face of every national crisis or catastrophe, we, the Indians, have stood shoulder to shoulder to confront the problem. This unity is evident when a sea of crowd rises up to cheer a a splendid shot during a cricket match or when the whole nation mourns an act of violence by some lunatics on our homeland. When an actor or a singer is performing on the stage, or whenever we get a new prime minister/president, we never question about his/her religion or faith; he/she is just an entity to us. I think this is the most remarkable thing about India. That’s why they say, Incredible India.

We all are individuals in a country of billion people, fighting out each day with our own-selves to make a living for ourselves in this ever-changing world. After 62 years of Independence, we have made great strides in various fields, both in India and on foreign shores. The transition from being an under-developed country to a developing economy with the second highest growth rate, the achievements of Indians has been second to none. Sure this phase has been bumpy with incidents of religious and regional violence. But, the populace is wise enough to understand why such incidents happen. At times we have felt that our leaders have let us down and it seems evident that the people are a little above the curve than the politicians. Yes it’s true that certain individuals are not capable leaders, but one more thing that needs to be introspected is whether what we do every day helps that leader take the right decision? Whether our actions are in the national interest? If charity starts at home then change should also ripple out from homes too. If we enjoyed the “Change is Here” slogan/idea of Obama then we need to implement it into our own lives too so that our generations do not question our intellect. As it is beautifully said by Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change what you want to see in the world?”  That’s what we all need to do; to be a part of the process of a good change and development towards a sensible developed economy. A prime minister/president does not have a magic wand or binoculars to look at each inch of land of the country. It’s our moral duty to secure our boundaries too. If the security forces are protecting the national borders from assholes, then it’s our freelance job to make sure that internally we do not have any such assholes creeping up. If we are Maratha then we have to commemorate Chatrapati ShivaJi by fighting against the injustice than just naming a railway station on his name. Je Apaan Punjabi hone aan, taan punjabiyat dikhao saade desh de against conspire karan waleyaan de against. It’s better than roaming around in open jeeps and shouting out OYE!! at the top of our voices. If we are Kashmiri then we have to kick the assholes holed up somewhere in our state waiting to terrorize the state and nation. Atleast we can do this to help that soldier from Kerala fighting in Siachen.

The government establishment on its part has to make sure that the citizens are motivated and have faith in the politic. One of the answers to the problem is development, pervasive throughout the country. From North to South, West to East. Get every citizen in confidence and involved in the nation building. Traveling across two countries, I have felt that foreigners have genuine respect for our nation and the people. They are mesmerized by our culture and ideals and all the great people we have produced. We have to continue growing and get better each day. We work really hard and let’s continue this effort. The idea is not to reach utopia, but to raise the living standards of every individual in our country.

There is a nice piece of text I read in “World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman. I will rephrase it here.

“When a child in India walks on the road with his father, and looks at a nice mansion across the street with a couple of cars in the parking. He turns to his father and says, Papa! I will work hard and God wiling someday I will be like that man.”

This does sum up our country’s inherent nature.

Jai Hind!   

Crib and Reap the Aftermaths

Know that all significant change throughout history has occurred not because of nations, armies, governments and certainly not committees. They happened as a result of the courage and commitment of individuals. People like Joan of Ark, Albert Einstein, Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Rosa Parks. They might not have done it alone, but they were, without question, the change makers.... these words by Mahatma Gandhi really define us.

Everytime something bad happens in our country, we start the blame game, from politicians to the public, from intelligence agencies to the forces and some blame the religion Seems like this is embedded in the culture of our country, to blame after an untoward incident. Everyone blames and cribs.

But we actually need is Thinking and Introspection. Just two words. And I am sure our inerself is much  wiser than us. If we stop this cribing for sometime and introspect what we have done to make the world a place which we usually imagine in our minds, I am sure we will have the answer of our inability to act and selfishness. I know these things sound philosofical, but it will become a common sense for our next generations. So do now! and make a change and be the change you want to see in the world. You want to end the corruption fine, stop paying 50 bucks at the traffic lights and stand in line to get your licence. You want people to have civic sense, park your car properly at public places. You complain of pollution fine, ask the person next to you to stop smoking or best could be to stop smoking if you puff it.

Do it! not for God's sake!...rather for your own sake!

p.s. : And by the way, I know we will change

"Dear Mr. Prime minister,

I am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train
Compartment which has capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mouse.
Mouse at least squeak but we don't even do that.

Today I heard your speech. In which you said 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'.

I would like to remind you that fourteen years has passed since serial bomb blast in Mumbai took place.
Dawood was the main conspirator. Till today he is not caught.
All our Bollywood actors, our Builders, our Gutka king meets him but your Government can not catch him.

Reason is simple;
All your ministers are hand in glove with him. If any
attempt is made to catch him everybody will be exposed. Your statement
' NOBODY WOULD BE SPARED' is nothing but a cruel joke on this unfortunate people of India.

Enough is enough. As such after seeing terrorist attack carried out by about a dozen young boys I realize that if same thing
continues days are not away when terrorist will attack by air, destroy our nuclear reactor and there will be one more Hiroshima.

We the people are left with only one mantra. Womb to Bomb to Tomb.
You promised Mumbaikar Shanghai what you have given us is Jalianwala Baug.

Today only your home minister resigned. What took you so long to kick out this joker?
Only reason was that he was loyal to Gandhi family.
Loyalty to Gandhi family is more important than blood of innocent people, isn't it?

I am born and bought up in Mumbai for last fifty eight
years. Believe me corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar. Look at all the politician,
Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray , Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh all are Rolling in money.

Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief minister I have seen.
His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi so Congress can fight next election.
Now the clown has found new way and will increase FSI for fisherman so they can build concrete house right on sea shore.
Next time terrorist can comfortably live in those house , enjoy the beauty of sea and then attack the Mumbai at their will.

Recently I had to purchase house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black.
A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligent agency & CBI you and your finance minister are not aware of it.
Where all the black money goes?
To the underworld isn't it?
Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was victim of it.
If you have time please come to me, I will tell you everything.

If this has been land of fools, idiots then I would not have ever cared to write you this letter. Just see the tragedy, on one side
we are reaching moon, people are so intelligent and on other side you politician has converted nectar into deadly poison.
I am everything Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Schedule caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian
Schedule caste, Creamy Schedule caste only what I am not is INDIAN.
You politician have raped every part of mother India by your policy of divide and rule.

Take example of former president Abdul Kalam. Such an Intelligent person, such a fine human being.
You politician didn't even spare him. Your party along with opposition joined the hands, because
politician feels they are supreme and there is no place for good person.

Dear Mr. Prime minister you are one of the most intelligent person, most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR.
First and foremost expose all selfish politicians. Ask Swiss bank to give name of all Indian account holders.
Give reins of CBI to independent agency.

Let them find wolf among us.
There will be political upheaval but that will better than dance of death which we are witnessing every day.
Just give us ambience where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law.
Everything else will be taken care of.

Choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister Sir
Do you want to be lead by one person or you want to lead the nation of 100 Crore people?


by:
Prakash B. Bajaj
Editor, Mumbai-Times of India

This war involves us all

 
Rahul's Shashikala has got the headlines and her share of glory. Now is the time to focus on India. Beyond party lines and boundaries. He is young, charming and holds a position that makes a mark wherever he goes. Why can't he take up the fight against terror, which is bleeding India? If L K Advani can go to Sonia for a book presentation and still remain in the party, why can't Sonia come to Advani for a collective fight against terrorism? Is India smaller than the personal and political egos and fortunes?

When the ISI or HuJI or Lashkar were planning attacks on Indians, we were counting notes in sacks and fighting each other. Isn't it time to at least have Sonia, Advani, Rajnath, Manmohan, Mulayam and Mayawati along with Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi to put their heads together and strategize a time-bound "eliminate terror" programme? For power sharing they come together – sworn enemies of yesterday become born twins on political platforms. To liberate India from the dreaded scourge of jihad and all other kinds of terror we feel shy and instead keep ourselves busy in attacking each other, facilitating the country's enemies.

We are Indians first and stop blaming mussalmans and others for terror. I have a large number of Muslim friends and I know Muslim society in India is uniquely different and as patriotic as any other Indian. And they don't need any certificate from any one. But at the same time we must not hesitate to recognize that terrorism in India is pronounced essentially Islamic in its character and the aim is to have a so called Nizam-e-Mustafa wreaking revenge against Hindus. The Deoband's denouncement of terror is not enough. Their dictates must show an impact on Islamic terror outfits, otherwise its papers and faxes would remain nothing more than a crude PR exercise. It's the bounden duty of Muslim leaders to make it sure and visible that those involved in jihadi barbaric attacks are condemned as un-Islamic and are practically declared non-Muslims like they have done with regard to many others in the past.

A nation's collective will is the biggest weapon against fissiparous tendencies. The US and China have shown that. They too faced Islamic terror, but handled it with a resolve that got united support by the people and all shades of political colours. Indians can fight each other on a hundred issues of political programming or power grab. But on the question of our sovereignty and security we must stand united, as one – and it must be visible too. After all, where would all these leaders take their money and enjoy it if India doesn't survive? Even to enjoy the loot they must have a station to leisure and be free of threats. To say this is too rude and crude, yet, seeing the Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmadabad blasts, what can a citizen pray for? Security and a collective will to converge on national interest.

 And for God's sake if you can't remove this home minister, appoint another capable minister for internal security with independent charge. It serves the interests of the UPA and Congress too. He is just incapable of holding that crucial position. It's against national interest to keep such a non-performing person in North Block who becomes a source of demoralisation and incompetence to security agencies and law enforcers.

Intelligence must be strengthened and the present colonial structure of intelligence gathering has to be completely overhauled with a structure on the patterns of the FBI. Gujarat's new law on terror is awaiting the Centre's nod for the last four years. Why? Is tackling terror a partisan matter?

Israel is willing to help and now that the burden of the Left is removed, the govt must begin a long-term association with Israel to restructure our intelligence network against Pakistan and their hired goons masquerading as Islamists and befriending gullible locals to provide them basic support and shelter.

The terrorist can't work in a vacuum. Hence the police and security network must ruthlessly deal with the local bases of the terror outfits without caring for the human rightists or the defeatist seculars lobbying for the terrorists. Like Punjab in Gill's time, a group of daredevil police and army officers must be assigned to handle terrorism and given an autonomous status with powers to strike independently without awaiting a nod from the political masters. Let them tackle terror and leaders of all parties and ideologies can do the mass awakening campaign – instilling confidence in the general public and making them an active instrument in helping security forces to crack on terror network.

Let's forget every other matter, temple or Setu or masjid or Church. Convergence to remove terror network should be our foremost offering to the gods and that should be our religious agenda too. If Muslims believe that Prophet Mohammad fought against injustice and against the forces of dark evils, let all those who follow Mohammad's teaching come together to defeat inhuman cowards killing Indians in the name of some jihad. This may prove to be the biggest opportunity for a genuine Hindu-Muslim solidarity and can be followed with greater ideas. Being a Hindu I can request all the priests and Mahants and spiritual leaders who go to different parts of the globe for world peace and human happiness, to include in their puja "eliminate terror" preachings and make their followers a part of the terror-busting programme. This is the greatest yoga – call it Rashtra Yoga, yoga of the nation.

If there is a war in our courtyard we do not go to temples worshipping deities as the biggest deity is our nation and her people. Jihad is a Kargil in our precincts. Let the ashrams and the other high-class facilities for nirvana be converged on rousing the morale of the faithful against demons and Ravanas of today.

 Vijaya Dashmi is not far – and let this year's festival be celebrated together with all communities coming to show solidarity with the Indian people rising above religious boundaries to kill the demon of darkness. We are all descendants of Guru Gobind Singh and Shivaji and have produced Rani Laxmi Bai and Bahadur Shah Zafar and Begum Hazrat Mahal and Abdul Hameed. It's the power of togetherness that wins a nation ultimately.

It's time that cricketers and film actors join hands to create a national mood of solidarity. They owe it to their motherland. They are born Indians and have not come here just to make money and earn fame from some other planet. Once an Amitabh, a Shah Rukh, an Aamir, John and Sachin share a dais and say no to communal, divisive elements and urge all Indians to merge their divergences in one Tricolour, it will have a tremendous impact on the nation's confidence and all governments will get a big power push to act decisively.

When people are dying like cattle, it's disgusting to see media houses deeply engaged in thumka jhumka vulgarity and issues that do not represent the nation facing a terror war. They know we can win it, finally and without losing time. But the atmosphere has to be created for that and who can do it better than the media? Indian media has proved it wonderfully during Kargil; it's no different now.

If this terrorism has been exported to our land, we have a responsibility to bury it finally with our hands. Victory shall be ours, without doubt. Let the Spirit de India rise and strike.

Is it all daydreaming? A naive, emotional outburst expecting unachievable goals? Doesn't India belong to us all?

(The author is the director of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, a think tank of nationalist school of thought.)