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;
This is the preamble of Indian constitution. It forms the basis of the the concept of social equality. No citizen can be discriminated against on the basis of his/her race, religion, region, language, caste, creed or gender. Time and again this principle has been violated. The latest violation (or rather series of violations) have been committed by Raj and MNS.
They have objection to anything and everything that is not Marathi. They object to poor migrant workers from UP/Bihar, they object to use of Hindi in posters and in shops, they object to use of word Bombay for Amchi Mumbai. Everybody have right to protest and object but it should be done in the limits of civil society and law of the land. One's right should not be used in such a way that it infringes on the right of others. I have no problem with Raj if he protests peacefully. But, the manner in which he does this is simply unpardonable. You cannot rough up a elected MLA in assembly because he is taking oath in Hindi. You cannot force a hawker to close his stall because he was not born in Maharashtra. You cannot vandalize theaters just because the movie refers to Mumbai as Bombay.
Just today, I read that he has threatened to disrupt SBI recruitment process if non-Marathis were selected. He should remember that it is State Bank of INDIA. The Govt. of India is there to look out for the needs of all Indians. By disrupting these exams and creating a law and order problem he is not helping the poor Marathis. If he is so concerned about the welfare of Marathis then he should open up his own bank and hire only Marathis, go and work in Vidharbha were poor farmers are committing suicides. At a time when thousands of persons are in such poor conditions, he is more concerned about language used in assembly. And he calls himself savior of Marathi culture.
The way he is going forward, I don't think that day is quite far when he will deem even Jana Gana Mana as hurting the sentiments of Marathi Manoos. He would demand that the Indian Army be named Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sena and that the woman wing be named Veermata Jijabai Sena. He would demand that Mumbai be declared the capital of India. Mumbai HC (with Raj as the only Chief Justice) be a authority even higher than SC. All the non-Marathis pay a tax for the welfare of Marathis. All seats in colleges and schools should be first filled by Marathis and the remaining seats be given to whatever useless scums are left. Marathis have first right of use of all resources.
We need to stop him. If we don't then we are going towards the Balkanisation of India. A country as diverse as India cant survive Balkanisation. What is the guarantee that he won't demand complete independence of Maharashtra from India? Hate and violence have domino effect. If this lawlesness continues in Maharashtra then it is quite possible that we may see attacks on Marathis in other parts of India. We can't afford another faultline through our social fabric.
There is no harm in promoting Marathi but there is no need to use force to do so. Marathi culture and language is quite rich. It does not need the clutches of violence and hatred to survive or prosper. Mumbai is what it is due to the hardwork of all Mumbaikars, be it Gujarati or Marwari businessmen, Filmstars from all over India, migrant workers from UP/Bihar, local population, South Indian academicians, Bengali artists, everyone. I cannot imagine Mumbai without Bollywood (Bachchans, Khans, Kapoors, Burmans, Kumars, Rahman, Gulzar, Mani Ratnam, Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Sonu Nigam, Mannadey, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bengali Babes, etc. ), Tatas, Ambanis, Bajajs, Parekhs, Birlas, Godrej, Wadias, Mehtas, Patels and Shahs of BSE, Udupi restaurants and nariyal-paniwallahs at Chowpatty, IIT-B (with many prominent non-Marathi faculty), panwallahs and grocery stores of persons from UP/Bihar. It is not a question of whether Mumbai can survive without them or not, its a question whether Mumbai wants to survive without them or not.
Its high time govt. showed Raj his place. He should be sent to jail and this policy of dividing India should be stopped at the earliest. We can not allow politicians to break up India for petty political gains. There should be no place for such persons in a civil society leave aside in politics.
Jai Hind!!!
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Friday, 13 November 2009
Every dark cloud has a silver lining
Last week, we saw several incidences that were really disturbing. The culprits were spread evenly across India and political spectrum. West Bengal to Karnataka, Maharashtra to Jharkhand. BJP to Congress, Independents to Smaller Parties, Left to Trinamool. Newly elected legislators fighting in assembly, legislators holidaying in resorts while their constituencies are groping with flood relief, a CM accusing Union Minister of conniving with Maoists, an all out inquiry in the assets of an ex-CM. Just when we thought we had seen everything, Ashok Chavan led government in Maharashtra sprang another surprise. R R Patil was back as home minister just before the anniversary of Mumbai attacks.
Corruption cases are not new to Indian politics. We have had Bofors and Coffingate, Chara and Hawala. So, why this hue and cry over Madhu Koda? The reasons are quite simple. He is the first independent to become Chief Minister. This means that there is very high probability that the parties who were supporting him were at least aware of his dealings if not involved in. This puts Congress in the dockyard. Also, if he assembled millions during his two year tenure as CM of a poverty ridden state Jharkhand, then how much would have other politicians, who have been ruling (or atleast been MPs) for decades.
The work of legislators whether independent or belonging to any party is to work for the people in the constituency they represent. Just as Madhu Koda was guilty of siphoning off public funds for his personal use and hence neglecting the needs of the people, Karnataka BJP MLAs were also guilty of neglecting the people in their hour of need. North Karnataka recently faced a very severe flood. What is needed now is strong leadership and efficient governance. But Reddy brothers think that their quest for power is more important. They bought the government to a standstill. MLAs were holidaying in Goa and Hyderabad when they should have been working in their constituencies. And to top it, Reddy brothers are also facing corruption charges in AP. BJP High Command, instead of punishing them for indiscipline and corruption, rewarded them by accepting their demands and transferring out of Bellary and Gadag honest officials who were helping Lokayukta in unearthing the nexus between miners, politicians and officials. Yeddyurappa even shunted his principal secretary to placate them. In normal circumstances I would have scoffed at this opportunism, but I think BJP and Yeddyurappa took a decision which, would harm them but is good for Karnataka. Karnataka can not afford elections at this time. Yeddyurappa is very popular in Karnataka and if elections are held now, then BJP would emerge as a strong contender even without Reddy brothers, but he did not choose this path. Now, I have sincere hope that once the state recovers substantially from flood situations, then some action will be taken against the MLAs, who deserted the people in their hour of need.
But the act of MNS MLAs belittles even the shameless Reddy brothers. Its high time Raj and his cronies are brought to book. They need to know that all Indians are equal and any attack on them on the basis of their place of origin is an attack on the constitution of India, on the very concept of India. Shiv Sena started it with attacks on South Indians in 60s and 70s, Raj revived it with attack on North Indians and topped it with attack on Hindi, our lingua franca. He objects to MLA taking oath in Hindi, next what? Object to singing Jana Gana Mana, because it is not in Marathi? Object to Sachin sharing dressing room with Suresh Raina? Object to Ambani brothers fighting in SC instead of Bombay HC (ohhh and object to it still being Bombay HC)? Issue ultimatum to Mani Ratnam to retrospectively change name of his movie Bombay to Mumbai? He needs to be shown his place. There should be no place for useless, good-for-nothing, publicity seeking, warmongers.
And how can we expect Maharashtra Govt. to straighten him? R R Patil, the new home minister, thinks that incidents like Mumbai attacks of 26/11 happen in a big city like Mumbai. Compared to those, incidents in assembly are really nothing. So, no need to worry. Be like an ostrich. Forget everything. It is really sad that a home minister who had to be removed after huge public opinion against him has not only been rehabilitated but also been given the exact same position as before. What effect will this have on the morals of police forces?
Lastly, we all know that at present we are facing serious challenges from within in the form of Maoists. Finally, government has waken up and has started some offensive. But a lot has to be done. Still Maoists hold a large sway in many districts. The very fact that they could hold a Rajadhani express hostage for hours tells about their power. Also, during the hostage drama, CM of WB, Buddha babu, expressed concerns over the link of Maoists and Union Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee. If this is true, then it means that Maoists already have a knowledge about the movement of troops and their deployments. This poses a very serious security threat. Mamata is all set to grab power in WB assembly elections next year, so this would mean that Maoists would have a free hand in WB after that. On the other hand, if false, it means, that Left has fallen so much in their hunger to cling on to power that they are leveling baseless and serious charges. Either way, it means that either present CM or the next CM is not fit to be CM.
The way I see it is these instances have brought to front the degradation of Indian politics. But these instances have also given me hope. I hope that quick and swift inquiry in Koda's assets would deter other politicians from doing something of his scale. It should also serve a reminder to the people that by not giving a proper mandate we are allowing ourselves to be exploited. Yeddyurappa has shown quite maturity in choosing the interests of Karnataka over his own interests. He should back these with good handling of flood relief activities. The shameless act of MNS MLAs may force the govt. to finally take some action against him. The central govt. (especially PM Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Chidambram) have shown a genuine interest in solving the Maoist problem.
When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.
JAI HIND!!!
Corruption cases are not new to Indian politics. We have had Bofors and Coffingate, Chara and Hawala. So, why this hue and cry over Madhu Koda? The reasons are quite simple. He is the first independent to become Chief Minister. This means that there is very high probability that the parties who were supporting him were at least aware of his dealings if not involved in. This puts Congress in the dockyard. Also, if he assembled millions during his two year tenure as CM of a poverty ridden state Jharkhand, then how much would have other politicians, who have been ruling (or atleast been MPs) for decades.
The work of legislators whether independent or belonging to any party is to work for the people in the constituency they represent. Just as Madhu Koda was guilty of siphoning off public funds for his personal use and hence neglecting the needs of the people, Karnataka BJP MLAs were also guilty of neglecting the people in their hour of need. North Karnataka recently faced a very severe flood. What is needed now is strong leadership and efficient governance. But Reddy brothers think that their quest for power is more important. They bought the government to a standstill. MLAs were holidaying in Goa and Hyderabad when they should have been working in their constituencies. And to top it, Reddy brothers are also facing corruption charges in AP. BJP High Command, instead of punishing them for indiscipline and corruption, rewarded them by accepting their demands and transferring out of Bellary and Gadag honest officials who were helping Lokayukta in unearthing the nexus between miners, politicians and officials. Yeddyurappa even shunted his principal secretary to placate them. In normal circumstances I would have scoffed at this opportunism, but I think BJP and Yeddyurappa took a decision which, would harm them but is good for Karnataka. Karnataka can not afford elections at this time. Yeddyurappa is very popular in Karnataka and if elections are held now, then BJP would emerge as a strong contender even without Reddy brothers, but he did not choose this path. Now, I have sincere hope that once the state recovers substantially from flood situations, then some action will be taken against the MLAs, who deserted the people in their hour of need.
But the act of MNS MLAs belittles even the shameless Reddy brothers. Its high time Raj and his cronies are brought to book. They need to know that all Indians are equal and any attack on them on the basis of their place of origin is an attack on the constitution of India, on the very concept of India. Shiv Sena started it with attacks on South Indians in 60s and 70s, Raj revived it with attack on North Indians and topped it with attack on Hindi, our lingua franca. He objects to MLA taking oath in Hindi, next what? Object to singing Jana Gana Mana, because it is not in Marathi? Object to Sachin sharing dressing room with Suresh Raina? Object to Ambani brothers fighting in SC instead of Bombay HC (ohhh and object to it still being Bombay HC)? Issue ultimatum to Mani Ratnam to retrospectively change name of his movie Bombay to Mumbai? He needs to be shown his place. There should be no place for useless, good-for-nothing, publicity seeking, warmongers.
And how can we expect Maharashtra Govt. to straighten him? R R Patil, the new home minister, thinks that incidents like Mumbai attacks of 26/11 happen in a big city like Mumbai. Compared to those, incidents in assembly are really nothing. So, no need to worry. Be like an ostrich. Forget everything. It is really sad that a home minister who had to be removed after huge public opinion against him has not only been rehabilitated but also been given the exact same position as before. What effect will this have on the morals of police forces?
Lastly, we all know that at present we are facing serious challenges from within in the form of Maoists. Finally, government has waken up and has started some offensive. But a lot has to be done. Still Maoists hold a large sway in many districts. The very fact that they could hold a Rajadhani express hostage for hours tells about their power. Also, during the hostage drama, CM of WB, Buddha babu, expressed concerns over the link of Maoists and Union Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee. If this is true, then it means that Maoists already have a knowledge about the movement of troops and their deployments. This poses a very serious security threat. Mamata is all set to grab power in WB assembly elections next year, so this would mean that Maoists would have a free hand in WB after that. On the other hand, if false, it means, that Left has fallen so much in their hunger to cling on to power that they are leveling baseless and serious charges. Either way, it means that either present CM or the next CM is not fit to be CM.
The way I see it is these instances have brought to front the degradation of Indian politics. But these instances have also given me hope. I hope that quick and swift inquiry in Koda's assets would deter other politicians from doing something of his scale. It should also serve a reminder to the people that by not giving a proper mandate we are allowing ourselves to be exploited. Yeddyurappa has shown quite maturity in choosing the interests of Karnataka over his own interests. He should back these with good handling of flood relief activities. The shameless act of MNS MLAs may force the govt. to finally take some action against him. The central govt. (especially PM Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Chidambram) have shown a genuine interest in solving the Maoist problem.
When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.
JAI HIND!!!
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Jinnah and Partition
Partition is a dark chapter in the history of India and Pakistan. Our independence came at a great loss. There was so much bloodshed that some think more blood was spilled during communal violence related to partition than in the freedom struggle itself. Women were raped, children were maimed, even old were not spared. There was chaos everywhere. The situation was so grim that everybody was fearing that this will result in civil war in both India and Pakistan and international community may have to enter to defuse the situation. Both the countries have evolved from that situation but even now the very mention of independence brings along with it the gory images of violence of partition. And ironically, it is one topic where both India and Pakistan seem to share same thought that Jinnah is responsible for it.
(Before writing any further, I would like to clarify that in this post, the terms Hindus and Muslims dont represent the whole of the community but those persons who are fanatics and though small in number, claim to be the voice of the community. They are the group of persons who are responsible for stereotyping of the respective communities.)
Firstly, I don't agree with this thought. Jinnah was a powerful Muslim League leader but he was not so powerful that he could have carved Pakistan on his own. Too much credit is given to him. Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu, Rajendra Prasad and many more were equal to him in stature (if not higher). They all may have made efforts to stop him but the fact remains they all failed. Was Jinnah stronger than the British Empire? We could force Churchill to accept giving independence to India but not convince Jinnah to leave the idea of Pakistan? Couldn't we have given him (or Maulana Azad or any other Muslim) the post of PM to dispel his doubts of India turning into a Hindu state? Was the idea of a federal republic with less powers at centre even worse than partition?
In India, Jinnah is seen as a demon, who single handedly divided the country, who sowed the seeds of mistrust between Hindus and Muslims, who is responsible for all the ills being faced by us. This is one of the few topics wherein all the parties are united. (The only other topics I can think of are criminalisation of politics and perks enjoyed by politicians) The reason for this unison is very simple. Congress has to demonise him, otherwise it will have to accept that it, and more importantly Nehru, is also responsible for the biggest massacare in Indian history. Also, it would have proved quite troublesome to court Muslim vote bank. Hence, they blame Jinnah. It would seem that BJP should have taken this opportunity and tried to embarass Congress on this issue. But, even it chose to side with Congress on this topic. This dilemma of the right wing can be traced back to the time of Godse, when some RSS leaders helped him privately while disowning him publicly. The reason for this is that they sensed a chance to use this to polarise Hindus against Jinnah (read Muslims). They chose Communalism over Nationalism.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, the very thought that India's esteemed leaders are also responsible for their existence as independent state is close to blasphemy. After partition, Pakistan was having problems in trying to unite itself. Its leaders chose hatred towards India as the binding material. In these circumstances, they could not place Nehru, Patel and Gandhi on the same level as the martyr Jinnah, who fought for Pakistan till end. Also, we need to understand that the very existence of India as a secular nation is a slap to the two nation theory. If Pakistan accepts that even Indian leaders are responsible for its independence, only than can they break free from the shackles of partition. Only then can they think about future. At present, Pakistan is united only while opposing someone, be it India, US or Musharraf. This negative approach towards nation building must end. And what better way to end it than to undo the first step of this approach.
I have read many articles and blogs wherein the question being asked is how does it matter now? The man died 60 years ago. Whether he was saint or satan doesn't change the things now. But I beg to defer. Partition resulted in not just massive loss of life but also the social fabric of the subcontinent was changed forever. There is still distrust between Hindus and Muslims. Both blame each other for violence. Muslims still consider that they are treated as second rate citizens of India. Hindus think that Muslims should go to Pakistan. This mistrust can only be reduced if both the sides accept that what happened was not because of any one party. They themselves are also responsible. I am not saying that if we accept that other leaders were also responsible for partition than there will be no more communal violence but atleast the general level of trust between the two communities will increase. Hindus need to accept that Jinnah is not the only one who divided our motherland. (Honestly, I don't get this concept of Akhand Bharat because never in our history where we united from Baluchistan to Assam, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari under a single ruler except when under the Britishers, at which time even Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar were part of British empire, so where exactly does this concept of Akhand Bharat come from?) Muslims need to accept that the fact that their parents didnt leave India even in those turbulent times shows how much they trusted their Hindu neighbours.
The main problem is that we as a nation shy away from debate. This topic is so important that we should have debates about this. But those debates will only benefit if we enter these debates with an open mind. Banning books, raising slogans or staging demonstrations does no good, it only raises the suspicions of the fence-sitters. If the leaders are so sure that Nehru or Patel had no role in the partition, then they should be open to debate.
I may be wrong. My ideas may be flawed. But I am certain about one thing, unless one heals the wounds of the past, one cannot progress to the future.
JAI HIND!!!
(Before writing any further, I would like to clarify that in this post, the terms Hindus and Muslims dont represent the whole of the community but those persons who are fanatics and though small in number, claim to be the voice of the community. They are the group of persons who are responsible for stereotyping of the respective communities.)
Firstly, I don't agree with this thought. Jinnah was a powerful Muslim League leader but he was not so powerful that he could have carved Pakistan on his own. Too much credit is given to him. Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu, Rajendra Prasad and many more were equal to him in stature (if not higher). They all may have made efforts to stop him but the fact remains they all failed. Was Jinnah stronger than the British Empire? We could force Churchill to accept giving independence to India but not convince Jinnah to leave the idea of Pakistan? Couldn't we have given him (or Maulana Azad or any other Muslim) the post of PM to dispel his doubts of India turning into a Hindu state? Was the idea of a federal republic with less powers at centre even worse than partition?
In India, Jinnah is seen as a demon, who single handedly divided the country, who sowed the seeds of mistrust between Hindus and Muslims, who is responsible for all the ills being faced by us. This is one of the few topics wherein all the parties are united. (The only other topics I can think of are criminalisation of politics and perks enjoyed by politicians) The reason for this unison is very simple. Congress has to demonise him, otherwise it will have to accept that it, and more importantly Nehru, is also responsible for the biggest massacare in Indian history. Also, it would have proved quite troublesome to court Muslim vote bank. Hence, they blame Jinnah. It would seem that BJP should have taken this opportunity and tried to embarass Congress on this issue. But, even it chose to side with Congress on this topic. This dilemma of the right wing can be traced back to the time of Godse, when some RSS leaders helped him privately while disowning him publicly. The reason for this is that they sensed a chance to use this to polarise Hindus against Jinnah (read Muslims). They chose Communalism over Nationalism.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, the very thought that India's esteemed leaders are also responsible for their existence as independent state is close to blasphemy. After partition, Pakistan was having problems in trying to unite itself. Its leaders chose hatred towards India as the binding material. In these circumstances, they could not place Nehru, Patel and Gandhi on the same level as the martyr Jinnah, who fought for Pakistan till end. Also, we need to understand that the very existence of India as a secular nation is a slap to the two nation theory. If Pakistan accepts that even Indian leaders are responsible for its independence, only than can they break free from the shackles of partition. Only then can they think about future. At present, Pakistan is united only while opposing someone, be it India, US or Musharraf. This negative approach towards nation building must end. And what better way to end it than to undo the first step of this approach.
I have read many articles and blogs wherein the question being asked is how does it matter now? The man died 60 years ago. Whether he was saint or satan doesn't change the things now. But I beg to defer. Partition resulted in not just massive loss of life but also the social fabric of the subcontinent was changed forever. There is still distrust between Hindus and Muslims. Both blame each other for violence. Muslims still consider that they are treated as second rate citizens of India. Hindus think that Muslims should go to Pakistan. This mistrust can only be reduced if both the sides accept that what happened was not because of any one party. They themselves are also responsible. I am not saying that if we accept that other leaders were also responsible for partition than there will be no more communal violence but atleast the general level of trust between the two communities will increase. Hindus need to accept that Jinnah is not the only one who divided our motherland. (Honestly, I don't get this concept of Akhand Bharat because never in our history where we united from Baluchistan to Assam, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari under a single ruler except when under the Britishers, at which time even Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar were part of British empire, so where exactly does this concept of Akhand Bharat come from?) Muslims need to accept that the fact that their parents didnt leave India even in those turbulent times shows how much they trusted their Hindu neighbours.
The main problem is that we as a nation shy away from debate. This topic is so important that we should have debates about this. But those debates will only benefit if we enter these debates with an open mind. Banning books, raising slogans or staging demonstrations does no good, it only raises the suspicions of the fence-sitters. If the leaders are so sure that Nehru or Patel had no role in the partition, then they should be open to debate.
I may be wrong. My ideas may be flawed. But I am certain about one thing, unless one heals the wounds of the past, one cannot progress to the future.
JAI HIND!!!
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Dance of Democracy
On Monday, Election Commission set the ball rolling for election to the 15th Lok Sabha. This election will be the biggest in terms of no. of voters participating. It is also expected to be the most expensive ever. But most important, this will be (or at least should be) a big test of Indian youth's faith in democracy.
At present, we are facing a long range of problems. Terrorism, Global recession, Unrest in neighbouring countries, Mistrust among various groups on basis of religion, region, language, etc. , Global Warming and Pollution, and many more. In these times, we (the common people) have the important task of choosing the persons who we think are capable of leading us. We have to make the elections a success, if we want to see India as a success story.
Firstly, we have to understand that voting is not a right but a duty. Unless and untill, we participate in this process, we can't expect that the leaders will change themselves. We have to be the change we want to see. In the past 1 year, i have come across three movies telling us the same thing, Mumbai Meri Jaan, A Wednesday, Delhi 6. Naseerudin Shah in A Wednesday rightly said that it is our house and we have to clean it. The question is how to do it??? One of the easiest way is use your power to vote. Mumbai Meri Jaan showed us the spirit which we need to maintain in these times. And when we think of all the shortcomings that India is having, we need to first look into ourselves to get rid of our own kaala bandar before pointing fingers at others.
It is true that we can't change the situation in one elections but we need to make a start. The cynics always say all are bad, there is no use using article 49-O, because those votes don't count for anything. But we need to see the broader picture. If in a constituency, the number of votes in Form 17-A is significant, then won't the parties try to capture those votes??? The parties will listen to only those who can vote for them. If u want to be listened then do the needful.
Also, we need to make sure that we don't vote on the basis of caste, creed, region, religion, etc. If you believe in a party's idealogy, vote for it. If you think a particular person is best suited to lead us, then vote accordingly. But make sure, you factor in everything while doing so. It should not be that in wanting a good person as PM (or CM, Mayor), you are choosing a bad person as your MP, MLA or corporator. The first priority shall be to get rid of all these criminals in the politics.
The other big set of lousy politicians are the celebrities. Govinda, Dharmendra, etc.have been doing nothing during their tenures and we still keep on electing them again because we like them. There is nothing wrong in filmstars joining politics. But the problem lies when they just become MPs but don't even attend Parliament (which as such has so less meetings). We have examples of Sunil Dutt, Jayalalitha, N T Rama Rao, etc. who have converted completely from being cinestars to politicians. Being an MP should not be seen as a part time job of filmstars and businessman.
Lastly, let all of us join hands to make India a superpower. Lets be the light of hope for democracy in our volatile neighbourhood. Let us make sure that we all vote and vote against all that is wrong. Lets swear to stand up for a better India. Swear to weed out corruption, religion, criminals, and good for nothing celebrities from politics.
JAI HIND!!!
At present, we are facing a long range of problems. Terrorism, Global recession, Unrest in neighbouring countries, Mistrust among various groups on basis of religion, region, language, etc. , Global Warming and Pollution, and many more. In these times, we (the common people) have the important task of choosing the persons who we think are capable of leading us. We have to make the elections a success, if we want to see India as a success story.
Firstly, we have to understand that voting is not a right but a duty. Unless and untill, we participate in this process, we can't expect that the leaders will change themselves. We have to be the change we want to see. In the past 1 year, i have come across three movies telling us the same thing, Mumbai Meri Jaan, A Wednesday, Delhi 6. Naseerudin Shah in A Wednesday rightly said that it is our house and we have to clean it. The question is how to do it??? One of the easiest way is use your power to vote. Mumbai Meri Jaan showed us the spirit which we need to maintain in these times. And when we think of all the shortcomings that India is having, we need to first look into ourselves to get rid of our own kaala bandar before pointing fingers at others.
It is true that we can't change the situation in one elections but we need to make a start. The cynics always say all are bad, there is no use using article 49-O, because those votes don't count for anything. But we need to see the broader picture. If in a constituency, the number of votes in Form 17-A is significant, then won't the parties try to capture those votes??? The parties will listen to only those who can vote for them. If u want to be listened then do the needful.
Also, we need to make sure that we don't vote on the basis of caste, creed, region, religion, etc. If you believe in a party's idealogy, vote for it. If you think a particular person is best suited to lead us, then vote accordingly. But make sure, you factor in everything while doing so. It should not be that in wanting a good person as PM (or CM, Mayor), you are choosing a bad person as your MP, MLA or corporator. The first priority shall be to get rid of all these criminals in the politics.
The other big set of lousy politicians are the celebrities. Govinda, Dharmendra, etc.have been doing nothing during their tenures and we still keep on electing them again because we like them. There is nothing wrong in filmstars joining politics. But the problem lies when they just become MPs but don't even attend Parliament (which as such has so less meetings). We have examples of Sunil Dutt, Jayalalitha, N T Rama Rao, etc. who have converted completely from being cinestars to politicians. Being an MP should not be seen as a part time job of filmstars and businessman.
Lastly, let all of us join hands to make India a superpower. Lets be the light of hope for democracy in our volatile neighbourhood. Let us make sure that we all vote and vote against all that is wrong. Lets swear to stand up for a better India. Swear to weed out corruption, religion, criminals, and good for nothing celebrities from politics.
JAI HIND!!!
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
I SWEAR...
I Swear that this time I will stand up.
Not for what i believe in, but for what i don't.
This time I will vote. Not for, but against.
Against my own helplessness.
Against my own laziness.
Against two words called chalta hai.
Against short cuts in queues.
Against cheating in exams.
Against Kharcha Paani in offices.
Against powerless inquiry commissions.
Against powerful vote banks.
Against religion in politics.
And politics in religion.
Against illegal constructions.
And legal loopholes.
Against every cynic. Every non-believer.
Against the belief that nothing will change.
Against the feeling that my
vote cannot make a difference.
Against every excuse for not voting.
And I will do this without fear or shame.
Because only by voting against all that
is destroying our today, will I give my
children to vote for something tomorrow.
JAI HIND!!!
Not for what i believe in, but for what i don't.
This time I will vote. Not for, but against.
Against my own helplessness.
Against my own laziness.
Against two words called chalta hai.
Against short cuts in queues.
Against cheating in exams.
Against Kharcha Paani in offices.
Against powerless inquiry commissions.
Against powerful vote banks.
Against religion in politics.
And politics in religion.
Against illegal constructions.
And legal loopholes.
Against every cynic. Every non-believer.
Against the belief that nothing will change.
Against the feeling that my
vote cannot make a difference.
Against every excuse for not voting.
And I will do this without fear or shame.
Because only by voting against all that
is destroying our today, will I give my
children to vote for something tomorrow.
JAI HIND!!!
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Hai Hai ye Strikes!!!
Last weekend all the hapless Oil Sector Employees had to report to work. POUR SOULS!!! Office on saturday and sunday in PSU and that too after shouting slogans week-long... And to top it the govt. along with the horrible, good-for-nothing media was blaming them all week for paralysing the whole country....Nobody was ready to listen to them, and to make things worse they actually terminated some officers....for what??? for not attending office??? is that such a serious offence??? I am sorry if i am offending anyone (specially some of my friends who are in these PSUs) but i personally dont believe there was anything wrong in what govt. did.
Firstly, let us see what exactly were the grievances of the oil sector workers that led them to go on strike. I have heard some different versions regarding this but the main reason it seems was some part of Justice Rao Committee's suggestion regarding pay scale revision. I dont know whether they are earning enough of not, but the thing is if you are not satisfied by the package provided by the current employer, you are free to join any other company who you think can provide you better opportunities.
I may be wrong but i think OIL PSUs are one of the best providers of facilities to their employees, on par with many MNCs (which the employees deserve given the fact that they are generating so much revenue). But they should also know that they are working in a critical sector which affects the whole economy of the country. In the absence of supply of petrol, diesel there was shortage of these fuels everywhere (whether natural or artificial is debatable). Buses had to be taken off the road, petrol pumps were shut down, some industries also faced shortage and had to scale down their production. The situation didnt' become much grim because of another strike, transporters. But the fact is the twin strike of transporters and OIL PSUs meant that the whole economy was brought to a standstill. Each day that the OIL PSUs didnt function resulted in losses to the tune of crores of rupees. Who is responsible for this loss?
OSOA (OIL Sector Officers Association) also says that the govt. is indulging in blame game and is trying to malign them with the help of media, who wont listen to them. Again I may be wrong, but the way i see the media it is not in much control of the govt. and it wont leave even one chance of some sensational news item. In these times when there are so many news channels, couldn't they find even one news channel who were ready to show the truth?
Another major complaint of OSOA is the termination of some of the employees. I believe that if the employees have the right to strike, in order to press their demands then even the employer has the right to terminate their services. The employees are not doing a favor to govt. by working for them and the govt. is also not doing a favor by giving them salary and perks. It is a professional setup where each should respect the other and understand the other's situation. If the strike was just then so was the termination. What is wrong in kicking an employee who doesn't want to work. And, since the employee was not happy with the current package being offered and was not ready to work unless his demands were met and govt. was adamant it wont be increasing the package, the only option was either the employee leave the company or the company sack the employee. In either case the other party should not feel agrieved because they are also responsible for the consequences. I can agree to the fact that those who were terminated were a small fraction of the total public which went on strike and they may feel bad, but they bought it upon themselves. If they would have reported to work, there was no chance of them being terminated. And if they were prevented from going to work against their wishes, then that should be probed and the persons responsible for that should be punished.
Lastly, i dont know wheter the strike was just or not, whether the govt. was right or wrong but i know that the common man has to suffer whenever such strikes take place.
I, strongly believe that employees have the right to stall work if they feel they are being negelected or are not getting what they deserve. But once they are refraining from work, they should also be ready to be sacked because the employer also has a business to run.
Firstly, let us see what exactly were the grievances of the oil sector workers that led them to go on strike. I have heard some different versions regarding this but the main reason it seems was some part of Justice Rao Committee's suggestion regarding pay scale revision. I dont know whether they are earning enough of not, but the thing is if you are not satisfied by the package provided by the current employer, you are free to join any other company who you think can provide you better opportunities.
I may be wrong but i think OIL PSUs are one of the best providers of facilities to their employees, on par with many MNCs (which the employees deserve given the fact that they are generating so much revenue). But they should also know that they are working in a critical sector which affects the whole economy of the country. In the absence of supply of petrol, diesel there was shortage of these fuels everywhere (whether natural or artificial is debatable). Buses had to be taken off the road, petrol pumps were shut down, some industries also faced shortage and had to scale down their production. The situation didnt' become much grim because of another strike, transporters. But the fact is the twin strike of transporters and OIL PSUs meant that the whole economy was brought to a standstill. Each day that the OIL PSUs didnt function resulted in losses to the tune of crores of rupees. Who is responsible for this loss?
OSOA (OIL Sector Officers Association) also says that the govt. is indulging in blame game and is trying to malign them with the help of media, who wont listen to them. Again I may be wrong, but the way i see the media it is not in much control of the govt. and it wont leave even one chance of some sensational news item. In these times when there are so many news channels, couldn't they find even one news channel who were ready to show the truth?
Another major complaint of OSOA is the termination of some of the employees. I believe that if the employees have the right to strike, in order to press their demands then even the employer has the right to terminate their services. The employees are not doing a favor to govt. by working for them and the govt. is also not doing a favor by giving them salary and perks. It is a professional setup where each should respect the other and understand the other's situation. If the strike was just then so was the termination. What is wrong in kicking an employee who doesn't want to work. And, since the employee was not happy with the current package being offered and was not ready to work unless his demands were met and govt. was adamant it wont be increasing the package, the only option was either the employee leave the company or the company sack the employee. In either case the other party should not feel agrieved because they are also responsible for the consequences. I can agree to the fact that those who were terminated were a small fraction of the total public which went on strike and they may feel bad, but they bought it upon themselves. If they would have reported to work, there was no chance of them being terminated. And if they were prevented from going to work against their wishes, then that should be probed and the persons responsible for that should be punished.
Lastly, i dont know wheter the strike was just or not, whether the govt. was right or wrong but i know that the common man has to suffer whenever such strikes take place.
I, strongly believe that employees have the right to stall work if they feel they are being negelected or are not getting what they deserve. But once they are refraining from work, they should also be ready to be sacked because the employer also has a business to run.
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