Think India Think!

Running for Charity

2012-05-22T11:10:00.000+05:30

Hello friends,

I write today to you to take a small step to make a big difference. Interested? Read on…

What is this?

I’ve registered to participate in TCS Bangalore Marathon scheduled for 27^th May 2012.

Details here http://www.procamrunning.in/tcsworld10k/

I’ve planned to compete in the Open 10K Category - my maiden attempt at this.

Why am I sharing all this information and how does it concern you?

If I read your mind correctly, that question just popped up in your head?

If yes, then let me answer it for you.

By embarking on this “self-test”, if I may say so, I also plan to raise awareness and more importantly funds for the below mentioned causes(2 of the many) which I’ve been supporting for some time now.

You can visit their website or alternatively, if you want to verify my claims, can directly reach out to the respective contact person (mentioned in the CC list).

PAWS à Animal welfare à http://pawsasia.wordpress.com/ à Mr. Nilesh Bhanage

Askhaya Trust à Care for helpless & destitute à http://www.akshayatrust.org/ à Mr. Narayanan Krishnan

How can I make a difference?

You can make a big difference, by opening your heart and most importantly loosening up your purse strings to donate for these good cause(s) J

P.S: Donation amount greater than 100 INR will be eligible for donation receipt.

Complete Transparency

I’ve shared a Google spreadsheet online (click here) to capture donor details like donor name to be printed on donation receipt, donation amount, apartment name so that you are aware of what is happening.

You’ll find few legit entries to indicate how it should be done.

P.S: I’ll be turning off the shared access soon, so please don’t delay and make your commitment for these wonderful causes.

Thanks!

Apologize for the verbose mail, but since this is one thing I wanted to explain in an elaborate manner hoping not to miss anything.

Hope I’ve answered most of your (basic) queries. Feel free to contact me for more information.

Thanks in advance.Feel free to forward this mail to your contacts so that I can garner the fullest possible support.

--------------UPDATE as on 22nd May 2012 ------------------

Hello friends,

With less than 5 days to go, I’m sending out this humble reminder for you to help me raise much required funds for these charities.

Update:

I've managed to ‘motivate’ my friend & colleague Sathya(who is also training alongside me) to participate in this run. Thanks Sathya!

I've collected my BIB and running goodies bag on 18th May 2012 and all set for the D-day J

I’m sharing my Prep Log in case you want to see my training log.

Though it might not seem as impressive as some of you would’ve wanted it to be, but I’m gaining confidence as I prepare.

Funds raised:

A disappointingly meager 3,000/= L (Click here for details )

Reminder:

How can you make a difference?

You can make a big difference, by opening your heart and most importantly loosening up your purse strings to donate for these good cause(s) J

P.S: Donation amount greater than 100 INR will be eligible for donation receipt.

Counting on YOU to help me make this event a Success!

Thanks,

Jai

P Print only when necessary |7 Switch-off as you go |qAlways Recycle

Dance of Democracy!

2011-08-30T02:43:00.000+05:30

For the past few days the events which unfolded, has caught the nation's imagination like nothing else has in my living life. The cause - India Against Corruption, has stirred an emotion amongst millions of young, which was very apt and necessary to fight this hydra headed demon, which has a uncanny way of having an unsustainable hunger to evolve and consume anything and everything it comes across.

On a spiritual/philosophical note, the genesis of corruption's existence is human-beings' hunger to have & amass more than their wants/worth. Staying with the topic (and not wanting to be drawn into a parallel philosophical discussion here), India (along with its neighbor) has the dubious distinction as the world's most corrupt nation. Not something to boast about for one of the economic Super-power, but that is the ground reality in our country. Corruption is an integral way of life. It is a great leveler which binds together all the enterprise, offices (mostly though not limited to govt) & departments across the length & breadth of the country and is Omnipresent!

Everybody is fed up of having to satiate the hunger of this greedy monster and hence this "revolution", if I may call so, spear-headed by Team Anna found resonance with all alike. The interesting point to notice was the participation of millions youngsters across the country, most of whom dedicated a decent part of their personal/professional time for this cause. Young generation in India now have an REAL role-model in Anna to follow brushing aside many current hollow national icons(comprising of politicians, film stars, sportspersons among others), who are mostly interested in milking the masses off their money by endorsing fairness products or selling soaps & energy powders(remember the complete meal!) thereby ultimately fillings their pockets.

The cancerous effects of corruption has hollowed & eroded the faith system of our country and reaffirmed an unsaid belief that corruption is an integral part of our existence. To check rampant corruption and book the corrupters, Lokpal Bill is one effective tool among the arsenal needed.

Background:

Lokpal Bill (LB) was first introduced by Shanti Bhushan in 1968, but couldn't be passed. Till date it was tabled ~9 times with the same result - NOT PASSED. One of the core reasons for this fiasco was insufficient votes to push this across parties. The honest truth being that the ruling govt (which mostly comprised of Cong or its collation allies) didn't ever want this to be passed in all its seriousness. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not a BJP/NDA supporter but given the number of years this country has been ruled (or led) by Cong & collation, I largely blame them for the inherent delay, though not discounting BJP/NDA.

The core reason one can understand is that if an effective tool against corruption does come into existence then the corrupt will have no way of being in "business" which is rampant across party-lines.

Pros:
Anna Hazare or correctly Team Anna led this big push for LB with Anna going on fast till at least the core values of LB are accepted in principle by all the parties. Govt's seriousness stood exposed by their dilly-dallying stance which eventual left the 74 yr old fasting for almost 13 days! There was lot of drama & miscommunication in this entire episode, an perfect fodder for a Bollywood script.

Having said that some of the notable highlights were:

The adherence to non-violent way of protest, which exemplifies India’s unique way of protest, is really commendable given the fact that the largest populations of the protesters were youths.

Prim Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh heading the current govt, lauded Anna for bringing to notice (I didn’t understand though how can someone not notice corruption) the seriousness of corruption back to focus and appealed to Anna to end his fast.

Speeches on the Penultimate day:

Sitaram Yechuri, CPM Rajya Sabha member: who pointed out the fact, how he in 2004, as part of the UPA-1 collation govt, had via its Common Minimum Program draft outlined and tried to table most of the demands which Team Anna have been demanding; but couldn’t garner enough votes to pass the bill.

Varun Gandhi, BJP Lok Sabha member: who in his impressive extempore speech (which was also well within the allocated time frame - a rarity in today’s political circles) expressed solidarity & echoed the sentiments of the movement. Good sign of a politician’s awareness of the nation’s pulse.

Cons:

Rahul Gandhi, Congress Lok Sabha member: Who is projected as the next Prime Minister of our country was rambling around the key issues and rather than taking a clear stance on the 3 pt agenda went on to build ambitious air-castles by suggesting to create a Constitutional body. Avoidance – a quintessential Congress way of dealing with important national issues!

Speeches on the Penultimate day:

Sharad Yadav, SP Lok Sabha member: Trying to mislead the masses stating that this protest was unconstitutional; may be since for the 1st time Indian masses demanded accountability from politicians! He went on media-bashing for keeping the masses updated on the current events and in a very veiled & threatening undertone targeted the likes of Kiran Bedi who raised the issue of politicians’ being two-faced.

Lalu Yadav, RJD Lok Sabha member: A joker who entertained all the members of the parliament with his typical style, went on to reiterate Sharad Yadav’s point and then played vote-bank politics painted it communal & caste overtones by stating that this movement alienated the backward & minority community like the Dalits & Muslims!

Overall most (if not all) of the politicians were clearly shaken and troubled by this awakening of the masses! A good sign for this populous nation to continue to believe that change for the better is very much achievable.

Contemplate:

Though almost all the parties agreed in principle to Team Anna’s 3 pt agenda, this "victory" is not a magic-wand which can ultimately root out corruption and its allied effects. The ramification of corruption is much more potent than the antidote of LB and the likes of it.

The only way forward for a corruption free India is for each & every Indian to do away with their chalta-hai attitude towards corruption, believe and swear not to be part of this malaise. All of us have to put to practice the words of anti-corruption slogans that they have been shouting at the top of their voices for the past 12 odd days.
Only when our voices against corruption resonate with due sincere actions will India be on the highway to being corruption free. Agreed this might be a tall & difficult target to achieve, but remember belief, actions & perseverance will eventually pay rich dividends for us & the nation together. Failing which this Dance of Democracy will be nothing but another flop & cheap theatrical by the millions of countrymen of the nation who spear-headed this entire revolution!

Amen!

2010 CWG: Shame or Dignity for India?

2010-12-05T17:37:00.004+05:30

The 2010 CWG(Common Wealth Games) which was held in India's capital city Delhi was nothing sort of stellar performance from the numerous Indian sports person who made India proud on the world stage.
So what is the media frenzy which, seems like a being-on-steroid like condition reporting @ a overdrive mode? Good question I must say, come on let us try getting an answer to that one.

Background:
The CWG OC(Organising Committee) decided to conduct the 19th 2010 CWG in Delhi. `21,000 Cr was spent on this event(whereas `70,000 Cr is the figure which is being beamed by all the scores of media channels which is kinda misleading because it included cost of other allied projects like the building of Metro, fly-overs, etc). Around 22,000 volunteers made this event what it was - a Grand Success.

Pros:
CWG's exorbitant and lavish expenses were some what justified with India managing to place itself 2nd in the medal tally with a total medal haul of 101 which included 38 Gold! In the process India beat England to the 2nd position on the medal tally. This medal haul did herald India's arrival as a sporting nation on to the global sporting arena. This event finally has proven India's mettle & emergence as a sporting nation...which was long overdue. It was also very much needed to jolt the otherwise dormant service oriented Indian mentality who till date were(and are) being looked up for their 'BPO-centric' expertise. This doesn't mean though that India is ready to rub shoulders with their global counterparts as yet...rather an shot-in-the-arm for all sports lovers and would-be sports-person.

Cons:
Stellar performances by scamsters like Suresh Kalmadi and not to forget the kilometer long list of others, most of whom should have had blessing of the current Congress led govt. Accusation, allegations and lies were part of the drama which unfolded on to mainstream media hogging all the prime-time waves, adding another feather to the world leader in corruption(read India). All these added shame to our already tarnished image which was happily lapped up & highlighted in international media for shoddy preparations among others.

Contemplate:

To start of with, did India need to host these games just to prove their point(and may be satisfy their ego) emergence as a Superpower-in-the-making?

Weren't there other important & burning issues like tackling the issue of lack of basic facilities important for the govt to address?

Can India really announce their arrival on the global gaming arena or is it too early to sound the trumpet?

What about the Corers of ` which were swindled in the name funding?

Will the guilty be charged and ultimately shamed?

Did India plays its cards right for 2010 CWG?

...or quiet simply put...

Did the 2010 CWG games bring Shame or Dignity to India?

These are some of the few questions which every Indian wants answered.

If this truly the case, then the big wait for truth & answers begins...

Amen!

Carbon footprint! That ain't mean nothing to me

2010-10-03T16:49:00.001+05:30

Let me start point blank about Global Warming (GW) - lot has been said, made and felt but very little done to correct it. Loads of issues need to be addressed in this regard. Carbon Credits were proposed as a last ditched half-hearted effort to salvage our positions, which by the way if you've been following closely has turned into another tool of extortion(read business/trading) used by the developed countries to trade with developing countries like India.

Hmm...a heavy start! Continuing with my topic, developed countries have imposed the developing countries with seriously challenging tasks of reducing their carbon footprint to avail trade benefits. These tasks are almost impossible & stifling to say the least for a growing economy & country like ours. Having said that India's resolve to reduce Carbon (denoted by symbol C) emission is unquestionable(if not undoubted). But the monster that it is - GW - is no Gothic fiction or some weird scientist's experience gone hay-wire. It is something that has far reaching ramifications for the rash & unmindful ways of our human endeavors. The implications of these being irreversible(if not unstoppable) in nature. So the problem is you, me & others like us who have mindlessly used up(almost) all the natural resources.

Yes you read that right. Let me say that again, "The problem is you, me and others like us!" But here is the best part; the solution is also you, me & others like us! Now that is some solace and a pleasant surprise to all of us. Isn't it? But the important & most uncomfortable question now is, "Are we prepared to be part of the solution or are we going to wait for somebody to do something while this mindless catastrophic destruction continues?" I guess I can vouch for all those with their heads & hearts in the right place that we are ready(though not sure how) to be part of the solution and usher the change that we want to see happen.

Here is something to chew on:

3/4th of India's Petroleum quota are imported!
Govt spends Rs. 7000 Crores/year on fuel imports!
1 tree on an average absorbs 1 ton CO2 in its 100 yr lifespan!
To produce 4 plastic bags 1 kg CO2 is spit into the atmosphere!
Mumbai uses 10 Mn plastic bags/day.i.e.,equivalent to 2500 tons of CO2/day!
Green house gas - Methane - traps 20 times more heat than CO2!
Bangalore produces 50 ton waste/day!

Counter facts & figures on how we can go around doing our bit to save Planet Earth & ourselves:

India is the 5th largest user of Solar energy!
Indian govt. has 35000 sq.km area ear-marked in North-West region to harness solar energy!
Karnataka state govt is contemplating ban on incandescent bulbs to use CFL bulbs for lighting purposes!
Indian govt has pledged to bring down their Carbon footprint further by looking at alternate energy sources like Wind Power to supplement its ever growing energy needs!
Every Indian can save 2% fuel by driving @ 50 KMPH and switching off your engines at signals.I'll leave the number crunching to you on your savings!
Decrease your C footprint by 11% by using CFL bulbs, unplugging mobile/any electrical appliances when they are not in use!
By switching 10 incandescent lamps to CFL bulbs you save 3000/year on your electricity bills!
Segregate dry & wet waste. Wet waste can further be converted to composite which can then be used in your gardens as an organic way of recycling. This would further decrease your C footprint by 4%/year!
You can save substantial amount of water by not washing car with a hose pipe, having running tap while brushing and fixing leaky taps!
Explore ways of car(and bike) pooling!
Look at alternate powered vehicles(Electric and Hybrid vehicles have already hit Indian shores)! It is up to us as consumers to jump on the bandwagon.
We can move away from conventional power and setup solar/wind powered solutions for our household needs thereby taking a substantial cut in our electricity bills and also end up easing the burden on the national electricity grid!

These are some of the few things you can do to help & save yourself as well as the present and future generations to come.
One small step will have huge impact in turning things around provided we are ready to take the first step.

On a parting note few lines which keep me going:

Rome wasn't built in a day.
Together we Can and we Will make a difference.
Nothing is impossible.

The only question is, are you game for it? Stop, Think, Contemplate but act Fast!

Amen!

Machoism on Manual Transmisson mode!

2010-09-18T14:16:00.003+05:30

The other day I was having this discussion with my friends on my plans to buy a car. Naturally the discussion touched upon various aspects of it ranging from the car make, car type(hatch, sedan, SUV, luxury et al) to the obvious topic of budget(which was discussed in detailed to say the least) but not mentioning the other mundane stuff like the accessories, etc. But what warranted me to come out of my hibernation(of writing posts) and pen this post was the topic of car transmission.

For those who are unaware of what this means, let me lay it out for you. It is the mechanism used by the gearbox to shift gears which is ultimately used to control speed of the vehicle. For more details refer Wiki. Coming back to the topic, every vehicle has one of the two transmission types - Manual Transmission(MT) or Auto transmission(AT). I assume you might have guessed from the sounds of it that in the former type the driver controls the gear shift while in the later type it is taken care by the vehicle.

I have had a go at driving both MT & AT vehicles(though for a very brief amount of time). Given the fact that I'm more comfortable with the AT variants, I'm a staunch believer in the benefits of AT(for obvious reasons ;). Given this background, my discussion with my friend(s) obviously veered to the choice of transmission type while selecting a vehicle.

Now here are this broad sect of people who feel driving an AT vehicle is very girly kinds(if not upright lame)! Their school of thought being, driving a MT is a reflection of their machoism and there is no two ways about it. Where they lose me is the fact that these guys don't sound logical since their approach is anything but that. Let alone talking about comfort and things like that they confuse riding a vehicle to that being a show of their machoism!! In fact one of my friend went on to sight an example how he knew of an AT vehicle owner who used it since he was physically challenged!!! Ho ho ho...now wait a minute. Isn't this pushing the ideology too far(so-to-speak)? And the discussion gets interesting as another friend went on to add on the fun factor. According to him there is no fun in riding AT vehicles since he can't change gears (technically speaking the use of gearbox in AT is next to minimal) and his left leg(usually used to control clutch) is wasted. Add to this their unmindful need for high powered engines - the kinds which are really unessential in the urban/city commute. Let me explain myself a bit here. I say this since(most car drivers will agree here with me) most of the time you are caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic and by the time the signal goes green and you switch your gear away from neutral gear planning to hit 30 KMPH one the following hurdle crop up - a silly traffic unmindful pedestrian or an equally challenged traffic driver or a new speed bump(thanks to the new infrastructural surge happening around most cosmopolitan cities)! On top of this sample yourself having to navigate the mindless potholes ingrained on the city roads, couple that with the steady stream of smart a** bikers showcasing their driving skills by snaking around the car corners and barely sparing scratching your car. All this leaves you as an MT driver to constantly work on the clutch & gearbox, as if the other irritants weren't enough to get your pulse racing for nothing short of a heart-attack. We all know how stressful it is these days driving in city traffic.

So as an AT vehicle user isn't comfort the apt term to be used in this context or am I drifting away from the topic? But then I'm also reminded(by the I-know-the pulse-of-manhood "Studs of India") to look at the number of MT options v/s the AT ones available in India. Fair point made and point taken in this context, but again I've this to say to them. How come that in all the developed countries usage of AT vehicles are a norm? Aren't we missing something big here? Or is it that the Indian drivers' are smarter than their western counterpart? Answer to the later question is a debate in itself and will warrant an separate post altogether. Here is a something to chew on for the "Studs of India": What do you think of all the luxury cars being offered with AT as the norm? Take that for a change :)

This discussion was and till date continues to be the one gyan that I fail to understand. Hope I get the drift soon else I might be "branded" for my choice...of transmission ;)

Amen!

Hummer hums to its grave

2010-02-25T15:47:00.002+05:30

Hummer faces shutdown! (Read full story here...)
Hummer - the ultimate American SUV(Sports Utility Vehicle) icon is at its last leg of life so to speak. With the collapse of talks between its prospective new owner - Chinese heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co and its current owner GM(General Motors Co), its time this beast breathed its last for good.

Americans egos are mostly reflected by their wordly possessions, which loosely explains how it rose to be the ultimate icon. Examplifying the American way of living - consuming more than needed - this innovation was an well known gas guzzler.

One of the most important fact missed out by the Americans was that any over consuming idea/idealogy can not & will not survive the test of time. With GM almost bust, Hummer was one of the most likely candidate to be taken out off the list. An wise decision indeed by GM's think tank to wake up & realign themselves with the sensibilites of important issues - one of which being the mega fuel consumption of these vehicles. All around the globe most oil sites are either fully exhausted or are on the verge of drying up. Reactively we humans are now looking to alternatives of conventional fuels. Hope we've learnt our lessons - though compelled and the hard way.

Looking away from the job loses & the dent in revenue for GM, this comes as a welcome news. Because it is not about who owns this monster - Americans, Chinese or may be the Indians(a distinct possibilty). No matter who owns it, but resurrecting this beast would mean paying too high of a price for all of us as human beings!

That is the lesson to be learnt from this case study.

Amen!

Silda ambush: Govt caught with their pants down!

2010-02-17T15:45:00.001+05:30

24 Jawans killed in Maoists attack in Silda(Read full story here...)

In yet another incident involving the Maoists terrorists this time around our uniformed countrymen have paid up with their lives. Maoists problem has been plaguing us for many years now and India as an emerging Super Power have turned an blind eye to this issue. Result being both civil & uniformed countrymen are paying with their dear lives. But it seems that is not enough to jolt the govt - both state & central - from their slumber and issue remedial measures to counter this situation. Neutralizing this ever growing threat by eliminating the Maoists movement completely is the only way to deal with this problem. There can and should be no other choice at all (Period)

On top of this what comes as a shocker is the callous attitude of the security forces responsible in tackling this menace and their blatant disregard to the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). For God's sake what were they thinking??? Were they there on a picnic or fight terrorists? How could the Jawans be so careless and unguarded! With such high body count, did the bodies of their fallen comrades teach them an lesson or two on how to tackle terrorism or are these forces happy being sitting ducks?

That being said the govt. has to get their act together on this issue and go out all guns blazing against these Enemies of State and give them an befitting response. Such an response which should be etched in the annals of any terrorist - be it an organization/person - contemplating trouble in India. But that is wishful thinking...

Shame on the state & central govt. machinery(read Home Ministry) which has been dealing with this issue for years now without any proper/probable solution in the horizon. Lets face it, the ugly truth being govt. has been caught with their pants down...again!!!

Amen!

2 Madrasas take the 1st step in the right direction

2010-02-01T11:33:00.002+05:30

Madrasas are religious schools where Islamic spiritual education is taught. It doesn't come as a surprise though that some Islamic extremist radicals use these very schools to in doctrine young & vulnerable minds into hardcore terrorists the world has ever seen/experienced!

In today's times when Islam is tainted by the so-called champions of Islam (read Taliban & its allies); this news of 2 Belgaum madrasas leading from the front and setting an example is heartily welcome(Read full story here...).

These kind of initiatives are the need of the hour for the Muslim community. They exemplify the true essence of Islam - non-violence & peaceful coexistence. These also signify that they wiling to integrate into mainstream rather than isolate themselves behind the secluded veils of terrorism & fanaticism which has tainted them worldwide.

Hope all the Islamic scholars & religious leaders learn a lesson or two from this, thereby heralding a new chapter in Islam's integration(in India & worldwide) and set an precedent for future generations to come.

Amen!

Important information regarding govt. undertaking

2010-01-28T15:27:00.006+05:30

I have compiled some useful information and URLs pertaining to different govt. undertakings. Thought of sharing those with you all. I encourage my friends & readers to share with me these kind of useful information so that I can update this post accordingly. This post will be updated as and when more information will be available to me.

Thanks in advance to all.

Indian Railway website
http://www.indianrail.gov.in

Indian Tax Information website
http://www.tin-nsdl.com

Karnataka state govt's BBMP election initiative

http://www.bbmpelections.in: To check which ward you belong to and other details regarding BBMP elections 2010
http://smartvote.in/voterlist: This website enables people to access information on voters across the 198 BBMP wards.

Karnataka state govt's e-Stamping initiative

http://www.shcilestamp.com

Amen!

Internet running out of addresses & our dependence on it

2010-01-27T16:56:00.003+05:30

For the layman, internet was(and is) always an invincible ever growing mechanism...which in a loose way is true, so to speak. But I'm sure this news was a kick-in-the-head for many geeks. No one ever imagined that we would come to a time when internet would run of addresses!(Read full story here...) It is happening now and this burnout (of internet addresses) is in many ways faster than the melting snow caps of Antarctic!

This goes on to say how internet has touched and changed our lives. In the late 70s or early 80s no one could have predicted this kind of unprecedented impact of computers let alone the internet on our lives. But as we evolved, so did our(ever) growing hunger for knowledge. In all facets of life science & technology are shaping the way we look at life. Our very survival is now slowly and surely being etched by the very success of new technological break through taking place all around us. Going forward our lives will be hard wired on the very survival of these technologies and internet will form the backbone of this very mechanism.

Our evolution and hunger for knowledge has surged way ahead of our means. There would come a time when the good ol' days will be sorely missed and technology will have to pause its relentless march to accommodate our good old ways of healthy living.

But having said that, I'm surely not trying to undermine the various milestones reached due to the success of technologies like the internet. To counter this shortfall of internet addresses due to the use of IPv4 mechanism the best way forward would be is to move to an IPv6 address mechanism. Addressing this problem will take sometime for sure but then I'm sure the realization has set in and some corrective actions will be taken to remedy this situation.

Zooming away from technology and looking at the broader canvas of life, taking into consideration the very reason & need of why technology came into existence was to address and make our lives easy & fuller so to speak. Looking back are we in a position to agree to that or do we agree to disagree? There definitely needs to be an balance of aid from technology and human needs. But isn't this wishful thinking?

Amen!

700 Jihadis waiting to strike in J&K!

2010-01-08T10:53:00.003+05:30

Around 700 Jihadis waiting to strike in J&K!(Read full story here...)

Post the Lal Chowk terror attack, Indian security intelligence has credible information about an possible attack(s). This doesn't come as a surprise since it has been Pakistan's systematic scheme to destabilize J&K in the name of so-called Azad Kashmir movement. Having occupied major part of northern Kashmir, now officially referred to as POK(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) they want to extract Kashmir from India's control and make it one of their own. Pakistan's ideology stems from their anger & frustration over India's role in splitting Pakistan into two(Bangladesh being the other half).

Having said that I fail to understand why the Indian security agencies and the ruling govt. are not able(read willing) to decipher this basic design. Shouldn't we as a formidable country look into our security arrangements both pro-actively and/or reactively? India's weak kneed response to this ever growing terrorism from across the border is boosting the ego of the master chefs who are busy dishing over different flavors of it.

The media on the other hand is not strong willed to question the govt. and its policies. Even if they did question(which was only to garner mileage in terms of sales) they didn't never follow up on the course of action or inaction by the authorities to mitigate these issues.

Hope these kind of passive & reactive mentality is shunned by the govt. and the media, some concrete measures are taken to address this issue....but thats wishful thinking...again!!!

Amen!

Real estate prices on Steroids!

2010-01-06T10:49:00.068+05:30

Cheaper to buy in Bhurj Khalifa than India(Read full story here...)

Real estate is no longer real in India. India has always been on the forefront when it comes to making heads turn. It is at it again...this time its real estate for a change. With the world economies trying to stand up on their weak & wobbly knees (due to after effects of the recent financial meltdown) India on the other hand is soaring to new heights, mocking the sensibilities of number crunchers - economists ;).

The real estate prices are sky rocketing in India and this news article says it all. Indians specially those staying in cities like Mumbai & Delhi are paying a premium. I know this is not news any more, but what baffles me is the fact how can any sensible person in their right senses pay such a premium provided there are no proper(read appropriate) infrastructure or facilities built/provided to support and hence justify these kind of sums charged! The prices of Bhurj Khafila makes sense for the fact that the infrastructure in and around this place is well developed.

Hope the investors\residents shelling out this kind of head-spinning amount ask the right questions and push the developers to be answerable for providing enough(read appropriate) infrastructure rather than play into their hands and be part of this fleecing game. Anybody want to second that?

One of the thought that keeps lingering in my mind is "Does Indians really have these kind of money or is it Black money talking?"

Concluding all I understand is that 'Real estate prices are no more real any more!'

Amen!

India readying to destroy enemy satellites

2010-01-04T11:59:00.014+05:30

India readying weapon to destroy enemy satellites(Read full story here...)

Yahoo News reports this very sensitive information on its homepage. Good way to break an sensitive news relating to the security developments of our country. I doubt this is right way for an ever developing (and want-to-be-superpower) nation to deal with an important topic like the nation's security details! But this doesn't matter Indians and hence India is known to throw up surprises from the least expected quarters.

Being proud and boasting of building an missile (read determinant weapons system) is one thing, but that shouldn't come at the cost of the undermining national security. Leaking these kind of security related information has its own downside and issues to deal with.

Let us remind ourselves or what our capabilities are. We are a nation which is one of the biggest spenders on national security next only to developed countries like US, UK, China, etc. But our indigenous weapon building program falls well below the expected level give the size and skills of our country. We are a country which spends a king's share of the allocated budget on procuring weapons from countries like US, Russia, UK, Israel, etc to name a few. These suppliers on the other hand are spending billions of dollars on R&D facilities to come up with new & improved machines to have an advantage both mechanically and technologically, thereby gaining an upper hand in the art of warfare.

If India really needs something to boast about(in this domain), then they better start developing indigenous technology and tapping the local potential. The potential is to come up with good products and scoop customers with that.

Retracing back to topic of this post, boasting of new project undertakings specifically the ones pertaining to national security shouldn't be discussed in the public domain until it successful. I'm not advocating unaccountability for all the govt./pvt agencies involved, but rather the notion is to get these sensitive projects worked on under wraps to avoid possible security breaches, both - unintentionally and deliberately (by subversive anti-national forces).

Let us talk less and do more (work)...for actions speaks louder than words.

Amen!

Are they really serious of fighting terrorism?

2009-12-31T16:39:00.048+05:30

3.5 Cr Speedboat breaks down in record time(Read full story here...)

Mumbai is redefining the meaning of fight against terrorism. On the eventual day of 26/11 when the Pakistani terrorists staged an outrageous attack on India's financial capital Mumbai, the city was taken by surprise and eventually many innocent lives were lost. The high human toll and rusty preparedness was mostly attributed to the ill-equipped police force. The Great Indian Think Tank came together to immediately propose and allocate decent(if not huge) sum of funds towards modernizing and equipping the police force. Outcome of all this being setting up an independent task force for Mumbai (and hopefully other metropolitan cities eventually), procuring advanced machinery/tools to thwart future attacks such as these...

This typical knee-jerk reaction resulted in procurement of substandard tools from suppliers. This is evident from the breakdown of one of the two speedboats - Koyna. With this level of commitment and recent chatter of possible new attack getting louder by the day, it is only a matter of time we will be faced with another variant of 26/11!

Unless & until there is a real push to get our acts together, I don't see any reason for the local populous to feel safe with this well equipped police force guarding us.

Hope the commoners are not taken for a ride again!

Amen!

No Indians allowed in India!!!

2009-12-22T12:15:00.043+05:30

No Indians allowed..(Read full story here...)

Here is an classic case of an MNC coming into India in order to cash in on the spoils of India's steadily growing economy but seem to have not done their homework enough. Haagen Dazs (HD) is one such example of this kind. They came visiting India to cash in on the local buoyant economy (when the other rest-of-the-world economies are just about limping back to normalcy post their tango with recession). HD in their mad rush to etch an name for themselves have not cared for the local sentiments, which is evident from their misadventure.

This advert. brings back the dark memories of how the East India Company visited India for trade and ultimately went on to rule India. They had signs during their stay in India calling for entry restriction of Indians in most of their social establishments.

I strongly feel that turning an blind eye or ignoring this as a one-off incident is not right. The local administration should take note of this and initiate strict action. At the least, HD should be fined and asked to do some community service related activity. In doing so we should send out an message of India of an self-respecting country which takes importance than in lieu of the financial benefits(if any) arising from the outlet opening of this MNC. This is very much needed so as to set an precedent for other adventurers. We can't let any outsider to exploit or take undue advantage of the situation that exists in India. I agree we have lawlessness compounded by rampant corruption and other social issues to deal with, all of which are attributed to our own callous thinking and the resulting frustrated way of life & living. All said and done, that doesn't warrant/allow any outsider to come in and behave in this rash manner. Though the marketing manager has agreed to their folly and apologized; they shouldn't be let go on the pretext of mere apologetic sound bytes.

Only if the right measures are taken to safeguard our values & culture, while ensuring to gel well with the other foreign cultures can we forge an fair & fertile platform to facilitate & ultimately sustain an growing economy like ours.

Hope the right lessons are learned from this hiccup and we move forward in the right direction.

Amen!

London going the Mumbai way!

2009-12-21T17:26:00.004+05:30

London warned of 26/11 rerun(Read full story here...)

This blunt and shocking revelation by the Police Dept. speaks a million words. One of those being the helplessness of the law enforcers in tackling or trying to contain the issue of terrorism. Dealing with or eventually trying to curb the Jihadis planing(another) assault on any of the numerous cities world wide is proving to be a humongous challenge for the law enforcers around the world. And why not, this is not one body or mind we are talking about here. This is rather a new wave of generation who are exposed, motivated and finally led to carry out these dastardly acts in the name of religion to achieve the ultimate prize of all - Salvation.

No matter how much soever the law enforcing agencies try to prevent these acts of terror; they are aware that this omnipresent monster to be done with is just wishful thinking - a wish which would never ever see the light of the day!

Its such a sorry state and an irony to note that religion which is epicenter of faith for humans is used as a weapon against humanity! Hopefully the the religious leaders, law enforcers and people with work out a way to eliminate this malaise which has become one of the biggest threat to human existence and a way of life in certain parts of the world.

Isn't that wishful thinking again!

Amen!

Bangalore city paintings

2009-12-15T16:11:00.002+05:30

Amid the chaos that surrounds any (ever) expanding cosmopolitan city, Bangalore too has its lion's share of these, viz. the haphazard Metro work, mindless traffic to name a few. But what makes Bangalore city stand out in a unique way is the decision by the city administration to paint the city walls - literally!

Bangalore city administration has initiated a unique city wall painting task. They have started painting arts(as I like to call them) mostly depicting local well known personalities, places, monuments, etc; thus beautifying the city and elevating the overall look-and-feel. In doing so they are doing away with the boring looking walls and resurrecting these dead walls...so to speak.

This is a good way to remind non-locals (as well as locals) of the beauty surrounding them and refresh the mostly forgotten piece of history in everybody's minds & hearts.

This is a great initiative by the babus other wise known for the inept ways of thinking has shown that if the powers-to-be have the well being of the locals on their mind then the outcome of decisions made by them would surely be something wonderful (as seen with this initiative).

With the govt. taking these kind of initiatives & help from the local populous, I'm sure one day we all can turn around the city's image for the well being & benefit of all.

Amen!

No more hamara Bajaj!

2009-12-10T12:43:00.003+05:30

Bajaj calls it a day(Read full story here...)

It is finally end of road for Bajaj. OK that was being a bit over-the-top ;). Bajaj recently made an statement effecting the shutdown of their scooter development department. Bajaj has had a smooth ride in the scooter segment and was the market leader in India in the late 80s and early 90s. I'm sure their "Hamara Bajaj" slogan is etched in many of our hearts. This news certainly evokes a bit of surprise and sadness for many, since they(scooters) were(and I'm sure are) associated with those warm and nostalgic growing-up-years memories.

With this decision, Bajaj is now to do away with their scooter venture and focus their energies in being the market leaders in the bike segment.

Looking forward to some good(in terms of mileage & performance) and innovative(like electric or alternate fuel powered vehicles) products from your future lineup.

All the Best Bajaj.

Disclaimer: This article is in no way an marketing/endorsement for Bajaj.

Amen!

IWAS...not there!!!

2009-11-25T11:07:00.004+05:30

Bangalore undone!(Read full story here...)

Paralympics Committee of India(PCI) is hosting IWAS (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports) 2009 in Bangalore, wherein elite international disabled athletes representing more than 43 countries are converging to participate in this international meet. Being an international meet, the competing athletes are bound to expect(if not good) at least decent level of planning, infrastructure & management.

But being true to their stature, the powers to be (read PCI in tune with their political masterminds) have gone ahead and messed up this entire event. It seems not enough thought process went into the preparation for this sports event. Basic planing like that of infrastructure seems to be out of place! A blatant & shameful pointer of this was evident when the Deputy President of IWAS was unable to get on the VIP dais due to absence of an ramp! Being an event for the disabled(wheelchair bound & amputee), the planners couldn't factor in this simple provision. How dumb could they get!!! This reflects poorly for Indians and is another brickbat for their image globally.

India the very nation which is hauled as one of the economic superpowers of today should be more careful, dedicated & sincere in planning global events like this(and others to come). We don't want to falter at a time when the entire world is watching us...do we? Occasions like these go a long way to project ourselves as a nation which truly want to make a mark(and eventually dominate) the global scene.

With India playing host for Commonwealth Games 2010 (in Delhi), it waits to be seen what lessons we learn from our mistakes.

Come on India, buckle up and prove your mettle. Cheers India!

Amen!

Taliban eyes Gandhara art!

2009-11-23T15:24:00.004+05:30

Gandhara art on Taliban crosshairs(Read full story here...)

Passing through the same cross-road traveled sometime ago...Taliban is endangering the very essence of Buddhist existence - again! The Big Daddy of terrorism(read Taliban) in its infamous homeland - Af-Pak(Afghanistan-Pakistan), happen to exemplify their appreciation for their fanatic ways of Islam by doing away with un-Islamic ideologies. If they have it their way they would like the entire world to implement Sharia law, stop girl education, suppress women rights and banish idolatry to name a few. They've time & again proven their reckless attitude towards any non-Islamic way of life especially in Af-Pak.

Be it the blowing up of centuries old Bamiyan Buddha statue or going after the Gandhara art now. Buddhist(in Af-Pak) were bound to face the heat of the Taliban. Reason being, one Buddhism is un-Islamic and two Taxila(located in Pakistan coupled with the demon named Taliban gaining new inroads locally) where to be targets sooner or later. It was not a question of IF but WHEN? These kind of actions will(and are) alienate not only themselves(Taliban & its allies) but also their other cousins(who believe in moderate facets of Islam).

Its a known fact that Islam like any other faith is not evil; evil are its followers - (to be precise) the likes of Taliban & its supporters.

All said and done, unfortunately this time again the losers are going to be followers of Buddhism!!!

Amen!

Bal Thackeray takes on Sachin Tendulkar!

2009-11-16T12:25:00.009+05:30

Bal Thackeray slams Sachin (Read full story here...)

The Thackeray clan are surely etching a name for themselves in the world of politics...all for the wrong reasons of course; having mastered the art of playing to the media & misguiding the local masses(Marathi Manoos) by their ill-logical and senseless fiery speeches/statements.

Here is the original champion(pun intended) of Marathi Manoos - Bal Thackeray, a self-crowned leader (and later accepted by the local Marathi populous...don't know how they were hoodwinked to accept it...but that's another topic all together). The Sena Supremo couldn't take(read digest) a decent comment from an real champion(no pun intended)...or should I say an Indian hero - cricketer Sachin Tendulkar!

Reiterating a well known fact to my readers here, the entire nation knows how good of a person Sachin has(and continues to be)been in real life(both on & off the field). Top that with the very basis of Sachin being an Marathi, who is very well aware of the fact that these politicians(the kinds that Sena & MNS is made of) are in business only to wreck havoc to the very fabric of communal harmony. These champions are known to and interested in stooping low to any level for the sake of vote-bank politics.

Sr. Thackeray(now there are more than one Thackeray in the fray vying for attention in the circus called politics) could only shut up the sensibilities as mentioned by sane people like Tendulkar. These sound bytes(by Sachin) might have been like splinter to the Sena's vision for Marathi Manoos!

For these champions have contributed substantially by:
1) Organizing Bandhs and vandalizing movie theaters (since a movie referred Mumbai as Bombay).
2) Threatening local business owners for not displaying their business names in local language.
3) Bashing up non-Marathi interviewees/examinees appearing for the Railway recruitment program.
4) Destroying gift article shops on events like Valentine's Day & Mother's Day.
5) Issuing notices to housing associations asking reservation for Marathi people.

These are just a few but very important & burning issues which might have had a big ramification on the lives of the Marathi populous!

Puleeezz give me a break! Don't undermine, erode & destroy the Marathi self-confidence by begging for reservations in housing associations, we(Marathas) certainly deserve more & better treatment from a fellow Maratha(if you think you are one - Mr. Thackeray)!

We pride ourselves for being natives of Maharashtra. We take pride in(to name a few), the land of the likes of Shivaji - who epitomizes valor, Maratha Regiment - decorated numerous time for their valor and for Mumbai - India's financial capital where millions of fellow Indians live in harmony irrespective of their state, language or origins.
Never in our history has an Maratha known to have begged/threaten fellow Indian to etch an name for themselves! We were revered to be a class of our own, but these so-called champions of Marathi Manoos have stooped low to levels unknown & unheard of and dragged the great Maratha fame along with it.

Pained with the current state of affairs, I appeal to all my fellow Marathi friends & readers to be wary and see through this dirty, evil design(of these selfish politicians), voice their concern and be vocal of their discontent to safe-guard our Marathi pride.

Let the TRUE Marathi Manoos speak!

Amen!

MNS ups its ante...with cheap tactics

2009-11-10T11:35:00.002+05:30

MNS attacks Abu Azmi (Read full story here...)

Staying true to their word(of taking action against any legislator member who planed to take their oath in non-Marathi language) MNS has lived to their formidable reputation of being a party run by mindless party workers and leaders alike. The suspension of the 4 MNS legislators (more details here) is some welcome news to say the least.This act has painted a grim picture of Mumbai a city known for its co-existence of Marathi and (a varied mix of) non-Marathi speaking populous.

With these kind of cheap tactics to gain political mileage it is clear indication that the party is not at all committed to the larger interest of the Marathi Manoos. Rather they are here to make money in the name of being the torch bearers of the Marathi Manoos and it is the aam junta @ Marathi Manoos who will pay dearly for this foolish adventure! If this act is any reflection of a Marathi Manoos's mentality, then it is just a matter of time for Mumbai is heading into the dark ages of ignorance & self-centered existence which is going to be their biggest undoing.

It would only be right for the 4 MNS legislators(involved in this incident) to be awarded with expulsion and bar them for life from politics. The MNS party and its leadership should on their part be held accountable for this ruckus and penalized heavily to set an example(for future law violators). No person or party going forward should take law in their own hands and try to tinker around with the said constitution and laws of the land. It waits to be seen what kind of action is taken to really address this issue and nip these trouble makers at the bud.

Amen!

Fatwa against living in harmony!

2009-11-03T16:02:00.005+05:30

Fatwa against 'Vande Mataram' (Read full story here...)

So one of the Muslim board is back to it again...issuing Fatwas! Don't these people have anything better to talk about or do than(quoting Islamic sentiments) issue Fatwas which hit at the very heart of their peaceful co-existence in India! Be it about singing the national anthem or mixing it with their religion, they never fail to amuse me. All Islam has empowered them to do is to issue such Fatwas but not eliminate the religious misunderstanding which plagues its image both in India and world-wide. A sizable chunk of the Muslim youth are being systematically brain-washed and used towards mindless terrorism in the name of Jihad. Shouldn't the board, clerics and the Imams look into these kind of serious issues plaguing this religion rather than issue these mindless Fatwas?

Now here is something for the Imams(and Muslim board) to chew on!

Amen!

Marathi Manoos - MNS's con job agenda

2009-11-03T12:24:00.018+05:30

Marathi only diktat to MLAs from MNS chief!(Read full news here...)

Here comes another salvo from the so-called champion of Marathi Manoos - MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Raj has time-and-again worked up the agenda of dividing the masses of Maharashtra on the lines of Marathi and non-Marathi locals. In doing so he has also ensured that Mumbai's (along with rest of Maharashtra) reputation of a cosmopolitan city takes a sound beating. What does he gain out of Mumbai's ordeal? Power. By feeding these lame ideas to the masses, playing(these kind of) dirty vote bank politics and ultimately gaining power Raj truly has evolved from being a decent Mumbaikar to a pukka politician. He has proclaimed himself as the new champion of Marathi Manoos, a fact underscored by Mumbaikars who elected him to power thereby ushering more dark and difficult times for Mumbai(post-Sena dominance).

I being born & bought up in Mumbai can very well see the transformation(read degeneration) of Maaji Mumbai(My Mumbai). These poisonous thoughts have now taken shape in the very form of my good(Marathi) friends talking so passionately about this new found purpose and direction. They go about being flag bearers of this very sick ideology by echoing and ultimately advocating the very thoughts! I took pride calling myself a Mumbaikar, but today my pain knows no bounds caused by these mindless political stunts and the very acceptance by the masses! I abhor the very idea of Mumbai belonging only to the Marathi Manoos thereby alienating non-Marathi populous! The very essence of Mumbai is in its diversity of its dwellers.

MNS chief's recent statement is a blatant disregard to the constitution of our country and can only be seen as a direct challenge to the law enforcers. Strict action should be taken against the party, specially against the MSN chief for making such threatening statements(which undermines the law of the land) to set an example so that other(would be) violators don't imitate these kind of actions. MNS to establish itself doesn't have to go down the Sena line - who used pressure tactics(read goonda tactics) and provoked these kind of local sentiments to bring themselves to power. MNS should rather learn from Sena's mistakes or shortcomings, implement policy changes(rather than beating the dead goat practice @ Marathi Manoos) to address the larger masses, ensure a sense of belonging to all, and keep true the promises made during election campaign. This is the only way it can establish itself as Mumbaikars' true champion and a good unbiased political party.

These changes are bound to usher a new era of reforms for Mumbai(and Maharashtra), making Mumbaikar's feel more connected, comfortable and confident about themselves and their city. MNS activists as well as Mumbaikars have to go through a sea change in terms of mindset towards non-Marathi locals. It should aim towards painting the city with the varied colors of the rainbow as opposed to the monotonous theme as is the case with most other Indian cities.

Amen!

Hilliary talks sense with Pakistan!

2009-11-02T15:42:00.007+05:30

"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they(Al-Qaida & Bin Laden) are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to." - Hillary Clinton (Read full story here...)

US couldn't bottle the pent up emotions anymore and an outburst was waiting to happen, as was evident here by the Secretary of State (SoS). This should have woken up the masses of Pakistan from their deep slumber to recognize the fact that there is nothing called free lunch anymore with US anymore. This outburst brings out in the open - the uneasy & messy affair between these strange bed-partners (US & Pakistan). US has been pouring billions of dollars into Pakistan, who on their part claimed to be their so-called ally in WOT (War on Terrorism). It is an open secret that the FOT(Factories of Terror) are very much based and operated from in the soils of Pakistan which was (and is) time-and-time-again published in reams of various US security reports! Pakistan has systematically fooled US into funneling huge sums of funding as part of its aid against WOT program. But I fail to understand, how do you explain the foolish act of countless US congressmen overlooking this basis principle that money can't buy an rogue's allegiance and neither can it revive an fallen state like Pakistan! It is an open secret that money cannot buy peace, especially while dealing with these kind of fanatics who make-up the very essence of Al-Qaida and its allies.

I totally agree with the outburst of the SoS as its time for US to ask the right questions and make Pakistan accountable for the billions of US tax dollars paid to them in terms of military & civilian aids. Pakistan can't expect to live on this aid and continue its double crossed agenda of siding with the fanatic elements of the likes of Al-Qaida. Pakistan as a country has no decent revenue generation mechanism (apart from fight against terrorism aid - FATA) since all/most of its industries are almost non-existent. It is time they create job prospects for their citizens and ensure eduction, employment and good standards of living for them. These kind of pro-active measures are the only viable and long lasting solutions that can set in a new wave of reforms they need thereby controlling their growing dependence on Terror for aids!

I wish US acknowledges the basic fact that to bring peace & stability in the South-Asia region it can and should rely on India as its ally. Also with (Af-Pak) Pakistan & Afghanistan being no more than rogue states and the new wave of trade treaties & pacts being signed up between US & India; it is only sensible for US to side with India and forge an alliance thereby ensuring stability, peace and prosperity in this region for the years to come.

Amen!