029 AtoZ

A Great Opportunity, A Serious Danger

2011-08-25T02:22:00.000+05:30

This is the sanest response to the current situation in India, that I have found so far. It's neither for nor against Anna Hazare and his team, but tells us to look at it more objectively and with a larger perspective in mind. This has been written by Shankar Gopalakrishnan (shankargopal@myfastmail.com) and C R Bijoy (cr.bijoy@gmail.com), with the help of many other people, many of whom have

A Conversation That Never Took Place… Or Did It?

2011-07-14T14:17:00.007+05:30

PA To Minister, “Sir a revolution in India seems imminent, just like in the Middle-East. People had always known that corruption existed, but now with RTI they finally have proof. CWG, 2G, RadiaJi, and now fueling the nation's unrest are those like Annaji and Ramdevji… We got to do something.” “There’s a saying: when in the midst of corruption’s cloud, terrorize it out.” “Means?” “Means use

The Illusion Of Being Normal

2011-07-05T19:23:00.005+05:30

Statistics, they say, are like bikinis - they show and titillate, but refuse to reveal the vital. Well, here’s a case where that wisdom is reversed. And the case here is about normality. Everybody wants to be normal, to blend in, to be like others. Nothing wrong in that after all even monkeys do that and we have the right to deny our evolution and try be like our ancestors. For wanting to be

A Letter To My Fellow 'Anna-Hazare' Loving Indians

2011-04-10T13:13:00.005+05:30

My dear fellow countrymen, Congratulations on two victories – the world cup and the anti-corruption movement headed by Anna Hazare. Now that the media brouhaha on both is over, would you care to talk some real issues and take some real steps? It was heartwarming to see thousands of you taking to the streets. Activists and affected people who have been screaming louder for decades were surprised

RESISTANCE, LEAKS AND THE GREAT INDIAN MIDDLE CLASS

2010-07-24T15:30:00.003+05:30

“Even the wind is providing resistance,” jokes Himanshu Kumar, about the difficulty of his cycle yatra. His face has a dark tan and his partner Abhay Sinh Rathwa complains, “Even when we have a downhill climb, he has to stop to take a leak.” RESISTANCE and LEAK are the two operative words applicable to their cycle yatra. What he is doing is no less than an attempt to leak the government’s

Green Zone - Gritty Indictment of War

2010-04-12T09:46:00.000+05:30

Review of 'Green Zone' i wrote for IANS. Copyright, IANS. Film: 'Green Zone'; Cast: Matt Damon, Yigal Naor, Khalid Abdalla, Brendan Gleeson, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan; Director: Paul Greengrass; Rating: *** 1/2. War is never inevitable. Peace should always be. Going back into the history of most wars, be it Vietnam, or the film's domain, the Iraq war, we realise this truth. That most wars are

How Many Deaths Before Too Many Die

2010-04-10T13:54:00.000+05:30

Shoma Chaudhury, in her usual impeccable style, analyses what's going on. This is published in Tehelka this week: http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne170410how_many.asp How Many Deaths Before Too Many DieWE CAN PHYSICALLY EXTERMINATE THE MAOISTS, BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE BIG, REBUKING QUESTIONS THEY HAVE UNLEASHED AROUND US?SHOMA CHAUDHURY Managing Editor Hapless

The Hurt Locker - Overhyped And Dangerous

2010-04-09T11:14:00.001+05:30

A review of The Hurt Locker I wrote for IANS. Copyright, IANS. Film: “The Hurt Locker”; Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty; Director: Kathryn Bigelow; Rating: *** Let’s begin with the obvious. “The Hurt Locker” (THL) is a decent, racy thriller with a steady, engrossing pace and camera work reminiscent of the “Bourne” series. The film’s fault, however, is that it was handpicked

Gross Miscarriage of Justice in Chhattisgarh

2010-02-04T10:53:00.000+05:30

This outrage happens in India, a democracy. Will the courts of this country please stand up and correct this gross injustice? The piece below is from Sadanand Patwardhan's blogpost: http://searchlight-is-on.blogspot.com/2010/02/raipur-free-run-for-absconder.html. Raipur : Free Run for An Absconder. “Dantewada : Accused roam freely, Victims in custody”,covered the drama of an accused and Salwa

FAMINE, WAR, GENOCIDE and INDIA: Dr. Binayak Sen on Malnutrition- India's Biggest Problem

2010-02-01T12:53:00.000+05:30

Dr. Binayak Sen in this speech given at the Tata Insititue of Social Sciences, Mumbai India, on December 14, 2009, talks about a shocking truth about India. 33% of Adult Indians are Malnutritioned. 43% of Children in India are malnutritioned. In the Scheduled Tribes more than 50% people are malnutritioned. Among Scheduled Castes more than 60% people are malnutritioned. World Health Organisation

Wanted - More Natural Calamities So US Could Take Over The World

2010-01-28T16:03:00.000+05:30

If the US, after the cold war got over, is anyways going to take over the world as is evident from the article below and our cowardice at legitimising their illegal activities be it in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa or now in Haiti just because they are rich and 'sophisticated', then I pray to Nature to introduce calamity all across the world periodically and thus help America bring 'peace (peaceful

Article: India's selfish elite holds the Republic back

2010-01-28T10:46:00.000+05:30

In "THE SOCIAL CONTRACT" written written in 1762, Jean Jacques Rousseau argues that individuals voluntarily give up a few of their rights for a safe and secure existence under the rule of law they establish. However, the balance is tipped, when this 'invisible' contract is not maintained by either parties i.e. the ruler or the ruled. India forms and poses myriad problems. In India, the

Indian winter: Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh

2010-01-25T16:58:00.000+05:30

While India's own media does not care about it's own people, it is heartening to see that Channel 4 spent a month to bring out this report. The footage is disturbing if you are a sensitive person. But that is what is happening in the beautiful state of Chhattisgarh. Having seen it myself, I can vouch for it. Source: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/indian+winter+maoist+

Dissent - One Wo/man Against Many

2010-01-24T22:33:00.000+05:30

21 years ago, in Tiananmen square in China, in 1989, one man stood before 4 tanks, shopping bag in hand, preventing the soldiers from moving forward. In a time that was back at that time, he could have easily been killed as had been 3000 or more like him. Yet, thanks to a moment of insanity, both for this man and for the soldiers that did not kill him, he survived. And though we do not know who

A Gandhian's Take on Himanshu Kumar

2010-01-24T11:00:00.000+05:30

Rajiv Vora ji, a veteran Gandhian, was in Dantewada during Himanshu's fast. I personally had a great time interacting with this articulate and highly experienced man. Here, he denounces both maoist and state violence and pens a poignant piece on his views and experiences in Dantewada, something he has flashed to Gandhians across the world calling for their support. He quotes Gandhi who had once

The Tribal Gandhi of Dantewada

2009-12-26T20:29:00.000+05:30

Himanshu Kumar is no Gandhi. Yet, he has Gandhian aspirations to the extreme. While Gandhi wanted to bring independence for the nation, Himanshu wants to bring peace and justice to the millions of tribals across the nation. By a quirk of fate, the place he chose for his ashram, Dantewada, 17 years back, is today at the heart of conflict. Maybe it was destiny that a man who shares his birthday

Avatar: Story of Tribals Through The Ages

2009-12-21T10:52:00.000+05:30

Warning: Those reading this review to know ‘more’ about the film’s spectacular special effect, better visit a million other places that rave about it. This is about the story of ‘AVATAR’. THIS IS ancient history: a human race reaches a particular place on the planet, settles down and over thousands of years builds a

A Young Lawyer Appeals For Justice

2009-12-17T01:15:00.000+05:30

Those of you who have been reading my blog posts regularly, know about the back story of Kopa Kunjam (a tribal leader now falsely accused of murder) and Alban Toppo (a lawyer working towards tribal rights). Even if you don't, you can read this open letter by Toppo and it will give you enough info. He writes, "I have been subjected this kind of brutality for working for poor and powerless. It is

Letter To President, Prime Minister & Home Minister Of India

2009-12-14T12:09:00.000+05:30

If you feel for the cause, please pass it on to the email ids of the three respected people. Their email ids are: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in manmohan@sansad.nic.in hm@nic.in Respected Madam Pratibha Patil, Shri Manmohan Singhji and Shri P. Chidambaramji, New Delhi. Respected Madam and Sirs, In your position of power, you are like a father and a mother to your citizens. And I write to you from

Teen Deviyan (Three Goddesses)

2009-12-12T11:46:00.000+05:30

In a nation where its two most powerful people are two women; constitutionally President Pratibha Patil - the commander-in-chief of our armed forces, and politically Sonia Gandhi - the commander-in-chief of all politics in the country, it's a shame that this is happening to a woman and both these two respectable women choose to do nothing even as they grant statehood to a demagogue fasting only

IROM SHARMILA'S TEN

2009-12-09T15:54:00.000+05:30

What does it take to move a billion people out of slumber? 10 terrorists kill tens of people in a city of 10 plus 10 million and even a year later 10 million words fill its tens of newspapers and magazines. Tiger Woods has 10 affairs till date and counting and again 10 million voyeuristic words are pasted in the newspapers of

Che Guevara And The Call To A Gandhian Revolution

2009-12-07T15:53:00.000+05:30

It is fashionable in the city, to wear the T-shirt of Che Guevara, or to read his books or see that wonderful film 'The Motorcycle Diaries'. Yet, I don't know if of those there's even one who truly understands the essence of Guevara, what he fought for, and finally died for. Because if they did, they'd care to look around and realise that the revolution that Guevara died for, is far from over (it

Activist, Environmentalist, Hero: The Legend of Shankar Guha Niyogi

2009-12-04T15:37:00.000+05:30

What could prompt some group to pump six bullets into a sleeping man, a man who worked peacefully and well within the framework of the democratic rights entrusted to him by a nations government? As you read this life inspiring story of Shankar Guha Niyogi, activist, environmentalist, a soul sensitive to nature and a hero, you'll discover one word: greed. Have patience and read his essay till the

Who Watches The Watchmen? Michael Moore's Open Letter to President Obama (or was it Bush)

2009-12-02T09:52:00.000+05:30

There are a couple of lines in the graphic novel 'Watchmen' by Alan Moore (and it's movie version too) that talks about the situation in America. In one chaotic scene filled with destruction and chaos, the depressed Night Owl asks the Comedian, "What happened to the American dream?" And the Comedian who's been shooting people (while being assigned to defend them) says in his characteristic style,

A MOMENT OF SILENCE, BEFORE I START THIS POEM

2009-11-29T09:38:00.000+05:30

For all those of you who care about the injustice in the world, and even if you can't do anything about it, at least want to know more, here's a poem for you to begin your search. Yes, it's not exactly a poem. But it's full of emotions and facts. It's a little crash course for many of the injustices that have happened in the world. You have Google, you have the keywords in this poem. Go find out