Do you remember how we were thought at school that India is a country where people of different cultures live together in peace? This feeling of unity made me feel real proud of my nation, and I’m sure that your case was no different. As we grew up, the reality started trickling down to us gradually. Perhaps the weight of the truth would be too much to bear had it dawned upon us all at once, so the process was gradual. Incidents over the years made us worry silently that our belief of people of different cultures dwelling together in peace might prove to be no more than a lullaby sung to a child to comfort him/her. Yet we silently wished that we were wrong in our worry. Finally, the feeling of pride has transformed into a feeling of pain. That all of us Indians live together in peace has been proved to be a myth-proved so by the wannabe politicos, proved so by those emotionally foolish citizens on whose shoulders these politicos rest their guns, proved so by the mute governments and police and finally, proved and attested by us the regular citizens, the mute spectators to the molestation of national integrity.
Let’s have a look at latest case of sectarian politics in our country. A desperate politician from Mumbai whose infant political party had badly lost the previous B.M.C elections eyes the elections of the next year. He needs votes. Does he come up with an agenda so good that the people would want to vote for him? No. Instead, he attacks the North Indian migrants in Mumbai both verbally and physically. He does so claiming that they do not love Mumbai and that they are spoiling the Marathi culture. He claims to be championing the Marathi cause., all this to garner votes from Maharashtrians. Does the law catch up with this instigator of violence? Yes, it does catch up with him. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before he creates an environment where thousands of poor migrants are forced out of Mumbai, left helpless at the railway platforms of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, staring silently at their dark and uncertain futures. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before a father is left on the railway platform in Bihar with seven children to take care of, with Rs.10/- in his pocket, and without a job. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before a mother is forced to deliver her child in a toilet in Mumbai and a Marathi Ambadas Haribhau Dharrao is dead in the violent protest by his party workers. He is arrested in true filmy style, and is released in filmy style…you know, where the bail comes within minutes of the arrest. This wannabe politico I’m talking about is the nephew of Bal Thackarey, Raj Thackarey. The political party in question is the one that Raj formed after separating from his uncle’s party Shiv Sena. It’s called the M.N.S(Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). I had not heard of it till before the entire circus. Had you? We are so mute and weak as a nation that a wannabe politico choreographs a cheap political drama on lines of regional feelings to garner publicity and a few votes, all at the cost of our fellow Indians.
Today it was the North Indians suffering at the hands of MNS. Tomorrow it could be you and I, God forbid. The virus of regional hatred can be cured by us being united and vocal. Just like love, hatred begets hatred and more hatred begets more hatred. The moment we notice someone trying to attack one set of people from amongst us, portraying that by doing so they are benefitting us by saving our jobs or saving our seats in universities, we must resist. We must resist by being vocal. We must resist by discussing about the ugly event which might turn uglier at our cost, with the people around us. We must resist by joining democratic protests provided we are sure that the protest will be peaceful ones. We must resist, by reacting. We don’t want to be caught up in a situation where there are barriers of hatred within our own country, barriers which we are not allowed to cross. It’s high time that we get aware. Let’s beware of the things affecting us, and the regional card from the hat of politics is just one of them.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
New theme-Religious and Regional Intolerence
There’s something we have been ignoring for a long time. The more we are ignoring it, the faster it is crawling towards our door steps, or maybe crawling would be an understatement. Religious and regional intolerance-that’s what I am talking about. There has been an upswing in the number of cases of religious and regional intolerance in India. Our country is the world’s largest conglomerate of different cultures and religions, and has unfortunately been used as a breeding ground for intolerance by some. So this week shall be dedicated to discussion on Religious and Regional intolerance. Right from the age old disease of rioting to the latest developments in sectarian politics in Maharashtra, I will try to cover all aspects affecting us. See you on the blog. Peace.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
End of the weekly theme
The week has ended and with it has ended our weekly theme of Love & Lust-Problems and Solutions. I sincerely hope that the end of this theme will witness a beginning of discussions on Love & Lust related issues by you in your personal lives, and even on this blog by means of comments if you would like that. Tommorrow I will be introducing an extremely important theme on a topic which we can no longer afford to ignore. Like always, it involves us, it affects us, and therefore it has to be discussed by us. See you tomorrow. Take care. Peace.
In love?
You respect your partner? You don’t look at him/her the wrong way? You envision a dream where you and your partner are walking shoulder to shoulder? So you are in love? If yes, then read on. If no…what the heck, read on anyway so that you can talk about it to others.
Love is a sense of strong respect and good will towards a person. You can love your parents, siblings and friends, but since that perhaps is not what you would like to read here, we’ll discuss love for the special person you would want to share your life with.
To be in love, i.e. to want to share your life with someone whom you respect and wish the best for, is not bad. It’s not a sin. You have every right to like someone, to want to be with that special one till death do you apart. What is bad, what is sinning, is to hurt people, which is the opposite of love.
My definition of love does not involve dating and stuff. It involves a simple, innocent desire to belong. Being the hardcore realist that I have to be, I feel that dating will spoil your chances of being together in the future because in the Indian society, a guy who dates a girl is not considered to be moral and a girl who dates a guy is considered to be all the more immoral, and the impression of immorality is the last thing you would want to set before the eyes of your loved one’s family. It’s always more difficult for the girl, and it’s not just her whose reputation gets tainted, but it’s the entire family’s reputation that’s at stake. People would think twice before asking the hand of the other daughters of the family in marriage because we still live in a conservative society inspite of the global dynamism of our nation. Not too long ago I had witnessed a case where the mother of a boy had rejected his girlfriend, who by the way was from a respectable and affluent family, on the grounds that if the girl had dated her boy, that would mean she was immoral. This is just one case. Relationships being brought to a dead-end because of the notion of the families that if their kid was being dated by a person, then that person had to be immoral, can be found by the dozen.
So what do you do if you are in love? Simple. Work towards making your dream of sharing your life with the loved one into a reality. The best way of doing this is to understand your parents/guardians and his/her parents and guardians and take steps accordingly. Tell your parents that you would want to get married to the person. Convince them that the person whom you love, is good (i.e. suits your parent’s criteria of a good person), and that though you have not dated the person, from whatever you know of the person on a personal account and through others, you believe that you would be happy with him/her and that he/she would make a great family member. The guy must convince his family to go to the girl’s house and ask her hand in marriage, because the girl cannot do that, or at least is not supposed to do that in our culture. Expect the best, but be prepared or the worst. Their reaction may not be very supportive. You may have to pursue them. Do it, but not in all the cases.
You must understand that the diameter of your love’s consequences is not restricted to the both of you, but also encompasses two families, and sometimes two societies and two cultures. You must realize that you have to be a responsible member of the family, a responsible member of the society and a responsible person under the culture. If your love’s consequences are more negative than positive, then you might want to think twice before pursuing it. For example, if your love is bound to bud enmity among two families or two societies or two cultures, then you cannot put yourself before the world. The selfless responsible human being in you must be dominant over the selfish lover.
Throughout this article I have emphasized that love is about respecting your partner and wishing well for him/her. Be selfless in love. Do what you think is best for him/her. If you do this, then one can say that you truly are in love, and I don’t know about the others, but having done so you will have made a fan out of me. What are you waiting for? This might be the end of the article, but it is a beginning of your selfless love.
Love is a sense of strong respect and good will towards a person. You can love your parents, siblings and friends, but since that perhaps is not what you would like to read here, we’ll discuss love for the special person you would want to share your life with.
To be in love, i.e. to want to share your life with someone whom you respect and wish the best for, is not bad. It’s not a sin. You have every right to like someone, to want to be with that special one till death do you apart. What is bad, what is sinning, is to hurt people, which is the opposite of love.
My definition of love does not involve dating and stuff. It involves a simple, innocent desire to belong. Being the hardcore realist that I have to be, I feel that dating will spoil your chances of being together in the future because in the Indian society, a guy who dates a girl is not considered to be moral and a girl who dates a guy is considered to be all the more immoral, and the impression of immorality is the last thing you would want to set before the eyes of your loved one’s family. It’s always more difficult for the girl, and it’s not just her whose reputation gets tainted, but it’s the entire family’s reputation that’s at stake. People would think twice before asking the hand of the other daughters of the family in marriage because we still live in a conservative society inspite of the global dynamism of our nation. Not too long ago I had witnessed a case where the mother of a boy had rejected his girlfriend, who by the way was from a respectable and affluent family, on the grounds that if the girl had dated her boy, that would mean she was immoral. This is just one case. Relationships being brought to a dead-end because of the notion of the families that if their kid was being dated by a person, then that person had to be immoral, can be found by the dozen.
So what do you do if you are in love? Simple. Work towards making your dream of sharing your life with the loved one into a reality. The best way of doing this is to understand your parents/guardians and his/her parents and guardians and take steps accordingly. Tell your parents that you would want to get married to the person. Convince them that the person whom you love, is good (i.e. suits your parent’s criteria of a good person), and that though you have not dated the person, from whatever you know of the person on a personal account and through others, you believe that you would be happy with him/her and that he/she would make a great family member. The guy must convince his family to go to the girl’s house and ask her hand in marriage, because the girl cannot do that, or at least is not supposed to do that in our culture. Expect the best, but be prepared or the worst. Their reaction may not be very supportive. You may have to pursue them. Do it, but not in all the cases.
You must understand that the diameter of your love’s consequences is not restricted to the both of you, but also encompasses two families, and sometimes two societies and two cultures. You must realize that you have to be a responsible member of the family, a responsible member of the society and a responsible person under the culture. If your love’s consequences are more negative than positive, then you might want to think twice before pursuing it. For example, if your love is bound to bud enmity among two families or two societies or two cultures, then you cannot put yourself before the world. The selfless responsible human being in you must be dominant over the selfish lover.
Throughout this article I have emphasized that love is about respecting your partner and wishing well for him/her. Be selfless in love. Do what you think is best for him/her. If you do this, then one can say that you truly are in love, and I don’t know about the others, but having done so you will have made a fan out of me. What are you waiting for? This might be the end of the article, but it is a beginning of your selfless love.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day
So, the D day has arrived. While a few of us are out there celebrating (parents, you did not think it was combined studies your kid is out for, did you?), several other youngsters are out on the roads and in the coffee shops. Some out of them are genuinely looking for love, which they think they'll get in one day, while several others are out in search of some one to have a good time with. Let's have a look at a youngster's Valentine's Day in India.
The boys who have a girlfriend spend the previous few days arranging for money so that they can buy a gift for their loved one and can afford a decent date. Pocket money is seldom enough, but no problem. When will friends be of any use? So they borrow from friends, of course those ones who do not have a girlfriend. The next problem is to be able to go out without having mom and dad know about their mission. So what do they do? Your guess is as good as mine. Combined studies at a friend's place is the perfect option. Once they are on the date, there is the lingering fear of being spotted by someone they know. Add to that the notorious gangs who have fun by looking at the girl like they know her or her family, and that makes for a typical date. Now, what about the guys without a girlfriend? Well, they save up money just in case they find someone. They dress up. The stag gang gets out hunting. A few of them are successful, most of them are not. At the end of the day they blow up their money, return home empty handed, and wish they have better luck the next year.
Of late the advent of Valentine's Day has got stronger thanks to it's commercialization. News channels consider it a sin to not have an exclusive show on Valentine's Day, the greeting cards and gift shops stock up and decorate like it's a festival, the pubs, discoes, coffee shops and even book shops get ready to seduce your pocket.
Finally, is Valentine's Day worth the hype? You don't need a special day to tell your loved one that you love him/her. You don't have to blaze your pockets just because everyone else does. You don't need a girlfriend or a boyfriend just because your friend has one or one too many. It's just a regular day with a lot of commercialization thrown in. It's not mandatory to be a part of the rut just because everyone is a part of it.
The boys who have a girlfriend spend the previous few days arranging for money so that they can buy a gift for their loved one and can afford a decent date. Pocket money is seldom enough, but no problem. When will friends be of any use? So they borrow from friends, of course those ones who do not have a girlfriend. The next problem is to be able to go out without having mom and dad know about their mission. So what do they do? Your guess is as good as mine. Combined studies at a friend's place is the perfect option. Once they are on the date, there is the lingering fear of being spotted by someone they know. Add to that the notorious gangs who have fun by looking at the girl like they know her or her family, and that makes for a typical date. Now, what about the guys without a girlfriend? Well, they save up money just in case they find someone. They dress up. The stag gang gets out hunting. A few of them are successful, most of them are not. At the end of the day they blow up their money, return home empty handed, and wish they have better luck the next year.
Of late the advent of Valentine's Day has got stronger thanks to it's commercialization. News channels consider it a sin to not have an exclusive show on Valentine's Day, the greeting cards and gift shops stock up and decorate like it's a festival, the pubs, discoes, coffee shops and even book shops get ready to seduce your pocket.
Finally, is Valentine's Day worth the hype? You don't need a special day to tell your loved one that you love him/her. You don't have to blaze your pockets just because everyone else does. You don't need a girlfriend or a boyfriend just because your friend has one or one too many. It's just a regular day with a lot of commercialization thrown in. It's not mandatory to be a part of the rut just because everyone is a part of it.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Does he love you?
It's a fact well known but not often discussed, that many of the guys hitting at girls nurse feelings which are dominantly carnal. So, how do you know if the guy who claims that you are the love of his life is speaking the truth or not? Fairly simple. In almost all the affairs that I have witnessed, I found that those guys who were serious about the girl they claimed to love, respected the girl, and kept a physical distance. A serious guy cannot even think of touching the girl until he makes her his till death, by means of marriage (for which he does make sincere efforts) . On the contrary, those guys who thought of their girl as nothing more than a boy's toy, hinted or worst still, pushed the girl for sex, and after their demand was met with, they looked for a new prey. You think I am exaggeratting? Alright, picture the following true event.
A Delhi based girl meets a Hyderabad based boy (whom I unfortunately know through a common friend) through the internet. The boy charms her with sweet talk, which would occasionally be mixed with talk not so innocent. Given the seasoned player that the boy is, she falls for him so hard that she decides to shift her base to Hyderabad. She arrives to our city, he takes her shopping, puts her up in a posh hotel, and...you got it right, has sex with her. The next day he' gone. Frantic calls from the girl are answered by the boy's filthy friends who address her using filthy language. She does not mind. The boy suggests his friends to try the girl for themselves. She is bears the verbal insult. Finally, the boy insults her before his new girl. This proves to hard blow and she gets suicidal. Finally someone convinces her against suicidal thoughts and sends this emotionally wrecked girl back to Delhi. She was 17 years old. Imagine a 17 year old innocent girl being pushed to the edge of life by someone who she thinks is her first love!
Let's discuss a true case of another girl with a different profile. This one is an educated lady working in one of the best M.N.Cs. A co-worker of hers chases her, and she finally falls in love with him. She visualises a marriage with him. He, however starts pushing for sex (very typical in case of perverts). She refuses being the decent lady that she is, and he threatens to break up being the pervert that he is. She gives in to "save" her relationship. Is the relationship saved after sex, like she had hoped. No. Last heard, she was yet to come out of the emotional tornado he had left her in.
The above cases are those of girls with different profiles. While the former case is that of a teenaged student, the latter case is that of an educated, working lady. This shows that women of all kinds can fall prey to perverts if they are not careful enough. If the guy who claims to love you respects you and keeps a physical distance, then you can think of having a future with him in form of a marriage, if the marriage has practical chances of taking place. If the guy gives out signs which are not so innocent, then rest assured that he'll leave you after taking advantage of you. Such cases are always more trying for the girls since there is not only the heart-break to take care of, but also there is the imperishable threat of the girl's name and her family's name being tarnished for a long time. The society is not as forgiving in the case of the girls as it is in the case of the boys.
Now I hope you can tell weather the guy claiming to love you is speaking the truth or not. You might even consider helping your friends in this case. No one has the right to have cheap thrills at the expense of your life. Beware.
A Delhi based girl meets a Hyderabad based boy (whom I unfortunately know through a common friend) through the internet. The boy charms her with sweet talk, which would occasionally be mixed with talk not so innocent. Given the seasoned player that the boy is, she falls for him so hard that she decides to shift her base to Hyderabad. She arrives to our city, he takes her shopping, puts her up in a posh hotel, and...you got it right, has sex with her. The next day he' gone. Frantic calls from the girl are answered by the boy's filthy friends who address her using filthy language. She does not mind. The boy suggests his friends to try the girl for themselves. She is bears the verbal insult. Finally, the boy insults her before his new girl. This proves to hard blow and she gets suicidal. Finally someone convinces her against suicidal thoughts and sends this emotionally wrecked girl back to Delhi. She was 17 years old. Imagine a 17 year old innocent girl being pushed to the edge of life by someone who she thinks is her first love!
Let's discuss a true case of another girl with a different profile. This one is an educated lady working in one of the best M.N.Cs. A co-worker of hers chases her, and she finally falls in love with him. She visualises a marriage with him. He, however starts pushing for sex (very typical in case of perverts). She refuses being the decent lady that she is, and he threatens to break up being the pervert that he is. She gives in to "save" her relationship. Is the relationship saved after sex, like she had hoped. No. Last heard, she was yet to come out of the emotional tornado he had left her in.
The above cases are those of girls with different profiles. While the former case is that of a teenaged student, the latter case is that of an educated, working lady. This shows that women of all kinds can fall prey to perverts if they are not careful enough. If the guy who claims to love you respects you and keeps a physical distance, then you can think of having a future with him in form of a marriage, if the marriage has practical chances of taking place. If the guy gives out signs which are not so innocent, then rest assured that he'll leave you after taking advantage of you. Such cases are always more trying for the girls since there is not only the heart-break to take care of, but also there is the imperishable threat of the girl's name and her family's name being tarnished for a long time. The society is not as forgiving in the case of the girls as it is in the case of the boys.
Now I hope you can tell weather the guy claiming to love you is speaking the truth or not. You might even consider helping your friends in this case. No one has the right to have cheap thrills at the expense of your life. Beware.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Affairs
Affairs here, affairs there, affairs and affairs everywhere! This pretty much has been the scenario in the world of the students since the time of our parents, but the valley of affairs has never had it so good before. Right from the Romeo of the colony to the introvert girl in the class, everyone seems to be diving into this beautiful and shallow valley of affairs. The life saving question they don’t ask before diving is, will this affair be really worth it?It all begins in the same manner. Boy sees girl, gets attracted to her, friends encourage the boy to talk to the girl, he chases her, and she gives in (quite a few times) encouraged by her own friends and there begins the great affair. The vice-versa is also true. In a few other cases, boy and girl break up, the girl’s friend consoles the boy, he feels emotionally attached to her, she feels sympathetic for him, and you’ve got another great affair. The vice-versa is true in this case also.They even end in the same manner. Girl’s parents want her to get married, boy can’t marry her as he’s still a student, they break up (the more stupid ones run away together only to be brought back by the cops in most of the cases, and the most stupid ones attempt suicide...what a waste of great life). The End. So, are affairs really worth it?I’ve seen many people, people whom I adore, fall in to an affair, and forced out of it. It’s not only a saddening experience for them, but also for the ones who wish well for them. The boys always have it easier. They are low for a few days, but things do fall back into place later. For the girls though, there is not only the emotional turmoil to go through, but also if the word of the affair gets out, the society evolves into a living hell for her.A relationship can stand tall only on the foundation of commitment. Commitment does not only mean being faithful to one another, it also means being able to transform the affair into a life long relationship, into marriage. If you noticed, throughout the article I have used the word affair and not the word love. The simple reason for this is that if two people are truly in love, they would surely understand the consequences of their relationship on one another and take steps in the interest of one another. If the boy knows that a relationship with the girl he loves cannot materialize into marriage, he won’t bind the girl in the relationship because more than him, it’ll be the girl who will suffer. If the girl knows that her relationship with the boy can’t culminate into marriage, then she won’t bind him at the cost of his studies and at the cost of his emotions which are bound to be deeply hurt once the relationship ends.It’s high-time that we analyze relationships from a practical point of view, because if we genuinely love a person, we’ll be more practical than emotional about him/her. That perhaps is the reason that our parents are so practical about us, because they love us.Let’s put on our thinking caps. Forget what the movies say or what the T.V says or what the media says. Let’s view this issue from a practical point of view, and let’s ask ourselves, “Are affairs worth it?”
This week's theme: Love and Lust-problems and solutions
Valentines Day is fast approaching. I hear a bell ring there. It seems to be the perfect time to discuss love and lust related issues. On one hand news of people having affairs, affairs falling apart taking the people involved down with them and other such emotional tides are rampant. On the other hand, the concept of one night stands and of friends with convenience(read physical convenience) are gaining comfort with gen-Y, thanks to the lightning fast M.N.C culture, and not to forget the pubbing culture. In this backdrop, this week we shall be discussing issues related to love and lust, wherein we will be vocal about the problems arising therein and the solutions that can arise.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Introducing weekly themes
Hi everyone,
From now on, we will be picking up weekly themes, i.e. starting every sunday, we will start discussion on one area affecting us. This discussion, which will comprise of several researched articles by me and free thoughts and opinions by you, will continue throughout the week, until a new area of discussion is taken up the next sunday. For example, on one week we might be discussing love related issues, on another we might discuss about the education scene of India. You are welcome to suggest topics to be discussed since this blog is meant to be ours together. Here's looking forward to some great exchange of thoughts. Take care. Peace.
From now on, we will be picking up weekly themes, i.e. starting every sunday, we will start discussion on one area affecting us. This discussion, which will comprise of several researched articles by me and free thoughts and opinions by you, will continue throughout the week, until a new area of discussion is taken up the next sunday. For example, on one week we might be discussing love related issues, on another we might discuss about the education scene of India. You are welcome to suggest topics to be discussed since this blog is meant to be ours together. Here's looking forward to some great exchange of thoughts. Take care. Peace.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Republic Day-the commemoration
Below is a prized possession of our nation, a possession which holds the key to most of our problems, personal and national. Can you guess what it is?
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”
This, most of us have not read since we left school, I bet. It is the preamble to our constitution. Beautiful, isn’t it? Why am I discussing the constitution today? The reason is that today, i.e. the 26th of January, 2008 is the 59th Republic day of our nation. The first republic day was celebrated on 26th January, 1950 i.e. the day when the constitution was adopted. So though today is the 59th republic day of the nation, it's been 58 years of Republic India.
Many of us, the citizens of India do not know that on the 26th of January, 1950, India became a republic and adopted a constitution (the preamble of which you have just read.) Many of us do not know that ours is the longest constitution of the world. Many of us do not know that though we won our independence on 15th August 1947, we got true and total independence on the 26th of January, 1950, because King Gorge IV was the head of our country from 1947 to 1950, until the constitution came into existence.
These 58 years of our country’s 60 years have been the rollercoaster ride for our young India. 58 years without the least of dependence, 58 years of total independence. Many things have changed. We have grown from being an agriculture based country to an industry based country, and now to a service based country. The roads, once rough are now inching towards being smooth, just like the roads of our lives. People in the infant India, our grand parents, had to travel several kilometers by walk and sometimes by a swim to get an education. We just have to catch a bus, and the farthest of the schools are a nap away. Electric power was once a dream, and now nuclear power is a reality.
Things have changed in the other way too. A republic is supposed to be a state in which supreme power is held by the people or their elected representatives or by an elected or nominated president, not by a monarch. It’s also supposed to be a society with equality between its members. These are the definitions given by Oxford dictionary. Do we the citizens of this great nation want corruption? If power is indeed in our hands then why is corruption the order of the way? Last week, on the 19th of this month to be precise, the following was the report published by ibnlive.com, the official website of CNN-IBN, India’s leading English news channel. I’m quoting from ibnlive.com, “The World Bank report speaks of financial irregularities, construction of sub-standard hospitals, health centres, and purchase of poor instruments and medicines under the Rs 417 crore rupee Orissa Health Systems Development Project by the state government.” This is regarding the Orissa Health Systems Development Project funded by the World Bank. Is power indeed in our hands? A report published under Transparency Bribe Payer's Index 2006 had ranked India as the most corrupt nation in the world. It’s hard to believe, but the bottom-line is that our nation is corrupt. If power is in our hands, then why the corruption? In an expose by Right To Information (RTI) activists and trustees of the RTI Study Centre, The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) bought computers worth Rs 3.4 crore in 2005. According to RTI, the computers were bought on paper, just on paper. There were no actual computers. So, are we in power? According to a recent six-monthly Indian Express-CNN-IBN-CSDS State of the Nation Survey, 47% of Indian women feel insecure outside their homes. The numbers are the highest in the metros. We obviously do not want this to happen. So where is the power we are supposed to have?
A republic is supposed to be a society with equality between its members. Most of us practice equality, but picture this. Police officers of a higher caste refuse to eat in the same room as police officers of a lower caste. This happened in Bihar after Nitish Kumar became the C.M. As if this was not enough, recently it was reported in the media that children of a school refused to eat food given by the school since the food was being served by two people of a lower caste. Even children! How could the parents do this? People opting for other religions out of choice too are at times troubled. Yes, the preamble does say that we have liberty of faith and worship. Then how come a republic state like ours witnesses such anti-republic activities? Don’t we have the power?
Yes, we do have the power. The problem is that neither do we understand the responsibility that one has to shoulder as a citizen of a republic state nor do we practice our powers the way we should. The examples given above scream this truth in our mute faces. I could as well go on and write an encyclopedia on the anti-democratic events in our democratic country, but I believe we have got the point. Let’s realize the power we have. Let’s be more aware of what’s happening around us. Let’s be more vocal about the issues we feel for, in sync with our constitution. Let’s spread this message around. The Republic Day is a reminder of the fact that India is a republic, lest we forget. Today is the 26th of January, 2008. It’s not the end of 58 years of Republic India, it’s the beginning of the 59th year. Lets start our 59th republic year with the right foot forward. Happy Republic Day.
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”
This, most of us have not read since we left school, I bet. It is the preamble to our constitution. Beautiful, isn’t it? Why am I discussing the constitution today? The reason is that today, i.e. the 26th of January, 2008 is the 59th Republic day of our nation. The first republic day was celebrated on 26th January, 1950 i.e. the day when the constitution was adopted. So though today is the 59th republic day of the nation, it's been 58 years of Republic India.
Many of us, the citizens of India do not know that on the 26th of January, 1950, India became a republic and adopted a constitution (the preamble of which you have just read.) Many of us do not know that ours is the longest constitution of the world. Many of us do not know that though we won our independence on 15th August 1947, we got true and total independence on the 26th of January, 1950, because King Gorge IV was the head of our country from 1947 to 1950, until the constitution came into existence.
These 58 years of our country’s 60 years have been the rollercoaster ride for our young India. 58 years without the least of dependence, 58 years of total independence. Many things have changed. We have grown from being an agriculture based country to an industry based country, and now to a service based country. The roads, once rough are now inching towards being smooth, just like the roads of our lives. People in the infant India, our grand parents, had to travel several kilometers by walk and sometimes by a swim to get an education. We just have to catch a bus, and the farthest of the schools are a nap away. Electric power was once a dream, and now nuclear power is a reality.
Things have changed in the other way too. A republic is supposed to be a state in which supreme power is held by the people or their elected representatives or by an elected or nominated president, not by a monarch. It’s also supposed to be a society with equality between its members. These are the definitions given by Oxford dictionary. Do we the citizens of this great nation want corruption? If power is indeed in our hands then why is corruption the order of the way? Last week, on the 19th of this month to be precise, the following was the report published by ibnlive.com, the official website of CNN-IBN, India’s leading English news channel. I’m quoting from ibnlive.com, “The World Bank report speaks of financial irregularities, construction of sub-standard hospitals, health centres, and purchase of poor instruments and medicines under the Rs 417 crore rupee Orissa Health Systems Development Project by the state government.” This is regarding the Orissa Health Systems Development Project funded by the World Bank. Is power indeed in our hands? A report published under Transparency Bribe Payer's Index 2006 had ranked India as the most corrupt nation in the world. It’s hard to believe, but the bottom-line is that our nation is corrupt. If power is in our hands, then why the corruption? In an expose by Right To Information (RTI) activists and trustees of the RTI Study Centre, The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) bought computers worth Rs 3.4 crore in 2005. According to RTI, the computers were bought on paper, just on paper. There were no actual computers. So, are we in power? According to a recent six-monthly Indian Express-CNN-IBN-CSDS State of the Nation Survey, 47% of Indian women feel insecure outside their homes. The numbers are the highest in the metros. We obviously do not want this to happen. So where is the power we are supposed to have?
A republic is supposed to be a society with equality between its members. Most of us practice equality, but picture this. Police officers of a higher caste refuse to eat in the same room as police officers of a lower caste. This happened in Bihar after Nitish Kumar became the C.M. As if this was not enough, recently it was reported in the media that children of a school refused to eat food given by the school since the food was being served by two people of a lower caste. Even children! How could the parents do this? People opting for other religions out of choice too are at times troubled. Yes, the preamble does say that we have liberty of faith and worship. Then how come a republic state like ours witnesses such anti-republic activities? Don’t we have the power?
Yes, we do have the power. The problem is that neither do we understand the responsibility that one has to shoulder as a citizen of a republic state nor do we practice our powers the way we should. The examples given above scream this truth in our mute faces. I could as well go on and write an encyclopedia on the anti-democratic events in our democratic country, but I believe we have got the point. Let’s realize the power we have. Let’s be more aware of what’s happening around us. Let’s be more vocal about the issues we feel for, in sync with our constitution. Let’s spread this message around. The Republic Day is a reminder of the fact that India is a republic, lest we forget. Today is the 26th of January, 2008. It’s not the end of 58 years of Republic India, it’s the beginning of the 59th year. Lets start our 59th republic year with the right foot forward. Happy Republic Day.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Why this blog?
There are times when we speak about things that affect us, and then there are times when words gradually metamorphize into weak smiles-weak and helpless smiles. We are supposed to be living in a free world, aren't we? Then why the helplessness? Is there no way in which we can affect things affecting us? Is our constitution so weak? We are lucky to have a constitution like ours, the constitution can't be weak. Then what's the problem? Is it...us? Yes, it's us, isn't it? We are so weak that we give up before the dawn, well, most of us do. We are weak, but that does not mean we have to be weak throughout our lives. Imagine a worker trying to construct a grand building all by himself. However determined he may be, at some point in time or another, he is bound to get...yes, weak. Now what if the worker gets other workers, and they get still others? One worker will give strength to another, and together they will complete the grand building. I believe the point has been driven home.
Blog is supposed to be the most hated word on the internet, but it is one of the most loved technologies. that's because it gives voice to the voiceless. This blog that we call "Affected - us" is a power-zone where we, we the affected will be speaking about issues affecting us-social issues, religious issues, political issues, anything and everything affecting us. This is a place where we will be discussing problems, and more importantly the solutions. The change always begins from within, this is the place where we will begin changes that we would like, and we will do it the constitutional way.
Frequently, I'll be posting articles that affect us in some way or the other and I'll be looking forward to your participation by means of your comments. Lets develop into responsible and well-informed and intelligent citizens while we have the chance. If we develop, the nation develops, because the people are the nation. An atom is very small, yet it encompasses unbelievable energy. Everyone is an atom. Even me. See you around. Peace.
Blog is supposed to be the most hated word on the internet, but it is one of the most loved technologies. that's because it gives voice to the voiceless. This blog that we call "Affected - us" is a power-zone where we, we the affected will be speaking about issues affecting us-social issues, religious issues, political issues, anything and everything affecting us. This is a place where we will be discussing problems, and more importantly the solutions. The change always begins from within, this is the place where we will begin changes that we would like, and we will do it the constitutional way.
Frequently, I'll be posting articles that affect us in some way or the other and I'll be looking forward to your participation by means of your comments. Lets develop into responsible and well-informed and intelligent citizens while we have the chance. If we develop, the nation develops, because the people are the nation. An atom is very small, yet it encompasses unbelievable energy. Everyone is an atom. Even me. See you around. Peace.
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