My land, My voice, My words

Importance of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in India

2014-09-13T23:37:00.001-07:00

☑ 1) What are you doing?

Ans.: Business

Tax: PAY: PROFESSIONAL TAX!

☑ 2) What are you doing in Business?

Ans.: Selling the Goods.

Tax: PAY SALES TAX!!

☑3) From where are you getting Goods?

Ans. : From other Area/State/Abroad

Tax : PAY CENTRAL SALES TAX, CUSTOM DUTY and OCTROI! AND NOW LBT and LPT.

☑ 4) What are you getting in Selling Goods?

Ans. : Profit

Tax : PAY INCOME TAX!

How do you distribute profit ?

Ans : By way of dividend

Tax : Pay DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION TAX.

☑ 5) Where you Manufacturing the Goods?

Ans. : Factory

Tax : PAY EXCISE DUTY!

☑ 6) Do you have Office / Warehouse/ Factory?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY MUNICIPAL and FIRE TAX!

☑7) Do you have Staff?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY STAFF'S PROFESSIONAL TAX!

☑ Doing business in Millions?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY TURNOVER TAX!

Ans : No

Tax : Then pay Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).

☑ 9) are you taking out over 25,000 Cash from Bank?

Ans. : Yes, for Salary.

Tax : PAY CASH HANDLING TAX!

☑ 10) Where are you taking your client for Lunch and Dinner?

Ans. : Hotel

Tax : PAY FOOD and ENTERTAINMENT TAX!

☑11) are you going Out of Station for Business?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY FRINGE BENEFIT TAX!

☑12) Have you taken or given any Service/s?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY SERVICE TAX!

☑ 13) How come you got such a Big Amount?

Ans. : Gift on birthday

Tax : PAY GIFT TAX!

☑ 14) Do you have any Wealth?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY WEALTH TAX!

☑ 15) To reduce Tension, for entertainment, where are you going?

Ans. : Cinema or Resort

Tax : PAY ENTERTAINMENT TAX!

☑ 16) Have you purchased House?

Ans. : Yes

Tax: PAY STAMP DUTY and REGISTRATION FEE!

☑17) How you Travel?

Ans.: Bus

Tax: PAY SURCHARGE!

☑18) Any Additional Tax?

Ans.: Yes

Tax: PAY EDUCATIONAL, ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL and SURCHARGE ON ALL THE CENTRAL GOVT.'s TAX!!!

☑ 19) Delayed any time Paying Any Tax?

Ans. : Yes

Tax : PAY INTEREST and PENALTY!

☑20) Do you want growth of india.?

Ans: Off cource Yes .

Pay electricity tax,water tax, education tax, and other tax ,which is used by defaulter people.

☑21) INDIAN :: can i die now??

Ans: wait we are about to launch the FUNERAL TAX....!!!!!!

Now let's be serious:

GST formulation

**Pardon grammatical mistakes and typos

Government, Politics and Corruption

2013-05-24T10:20:00.002-07:00

From 1989 to 2013, from Bofors to IPL spot fixing scams, the part that has remained (and shall be remaining) constant is to protect the powerful. The parliamentary committees ever formed in all such massive scams have done their best in maintaining the constant scenario. This, in turn, has resulted in a complete failure to fix the accountability, or in other words, “who” kept the “how much” in “where”. The amazing part of all is how one after another scams of better numbers are getting divulged and the way strings are being pulled to cause distraction or a cloud around it.

The present political scenario has somehow some resemblance to that of 1989’s. The Bofors scam has been forming the dark smokes around the then government with the number Rs. 64 crore. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report has been rejected by opposition and the government steps down en masse from the parliament forcing national elections. Presently, the JPC draft has also been rejected by the entire opposition, on 2G spectrum case. Only this time, the government has presented its report card for it “good-doings” during its term.

Yet again, the government is continuing committing mistakes one after another regarding its involvement in and after the scams. The mess-up in CBI’s report on Coalgate scam, rooted in the Law Ministry and PMO as a measure to save the present Prime Minister (who was also the Coal Minister when the scam took place).

India’s standing in the international arena has been deteriorating since 1987 after the Bofors scam has been brought to light by the Swedish radio. And the denial of responsibility has continued since then. The journey through CWG, Hasan Ali case, Harshad Mehta case, 2G, Coalgate, Railways scams has seen the same fate. The powerful players are never held accountable and investigations are left in a state of spoilt food, that none dares to check for values and looks over as a matter to dump off.

The Coalgate scam proved another dreadful scenario that was till then just feared to be true. The CBI has somehow “acted slave” to its political masters that it is supposed to be investigating. Thus, some faults in the system are being well exploited by the policy makers. And this works well as the key players in each scam are never put to the criminals’ dais to be questioned and the investigations hangs up somewhere as the people who “know” are either not questioned or they remain silent.

Another scene commonly that is observed in these cases is the shuffling of ministries or resignation of some MPs. Just a question, who sacrifices one’s career unless the stakes are very high?

It’s a time for the nation to awaken and take a lesson from what’s happening and remind the government that it is “of the people, by the people, for the people”.

Is Arvind Kejriwal a harbinger of a new ‘Indian politics’?

2012-10-17T21:29:00.003-07:00

-Shreya Roy

Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal, the ‘aam admi’ who is an Indian social protester working under the banner of his party India Against Corruption has whipped up a storm, leveling serious corruption charges against some of the country’s senior most politicians. He shows the people of India on how the opposition parties along with the ruling party are also part of ‘power setup’.

Robert Vadra

Kejriwal raised issues against Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law dealing with DLF. Kejriwal said that amount of unsecured loan given by DLF to Vadra , which he had earlier claimed to be Rs 65crore was actually 85crore & also raised a question in Vadra’s assets from Rs 50lakh to Rs300cr. Vadra was unhappy with somebody making a controversy out of light & wrote on his Facebook page ‘mango people in a banana republic’. Later on Kejriwal responded to it & tweeted ‘evidence pouring in from mango men from across the country. Mango men would prove to be nemesis for the powerful.’ So a reminder to politicians – ‘having power’ is not really ‘being powerful’.

Salman Khurshid

Kejriwal also demanded action against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for alleged malpractices in his NGO. According to him Kurshid’s family run NGO Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust which has been involved in embezzlement of funds of Rs71lacs. His wife has been accused of embezzling funds meant for disabled persons. Khurshid thereafter threatened Kejriwal saying that he has so far been wielding a pen & now it’s time to replace ink with blood. This is how our democratic country runs with super powers of our politicians. The fact is clean politics does not involve ‘money power’.

Nitin Gadkari

Kejriwal recently exposes the vast business empire of BJP leader, Nitin Gadkari. He said that Gadkari’s blooming business is clashing with farmers’ interest. He alleged that Gadkari had colluded with former State Irrigation Minister & Congress leader Ajit Pawar to get the land allotted to his NGO in violation of Govt. rules & in an area where agrarian crisis was at its height & suicide of farmers were maximum. He was also charged against the Irrigation Scam of Maharastra. On expected lines Kejriwal is obviously a dirty word among the powerful.

Currently Kejriwal is on top of the situation & credibility of Congress is at its lowest. If Kejriwal’s mission to make corruption a national issue fails, the blame will largely go to Congress – and even to the BJP.

wanna work for nation's good? wait & first check your life..

2011-11-17T19:19:00.001-08:00

Kiran Bedi, accused of using inflated travel bills and overcharging NGOs. She says the money was used for good causes.

Prashant Bhushan, beaten up in his office by assailants who attacked him because he said he said he favored a plebiscite in Kashmir

Shanti Bhushan, accused of getting two Noida plots as a "gift" from UP govt. The Allahabad court quashed the charge.

Justice Hegde, Cong leader Digvijay Singh accused him of going slow on a Lokayukta report against the BJP govt in Karnataka.

Arvind Kejriwal, firstly the Income Tax dept. demanded dues form his time in the IRS and now, he's charged with diverting donations.

Attack on Prashant Bhushan - a fascism and justice together ??

2011-10-13T04:14:00.000-07:00


Mr. Prashant Bhushan, beside Anna Hazare

On the one hand we are against physical attacks, like the one on Prashant Bhushan, whatever the provocation. But, unfortunately, the Prasanth Bhushans and Arundathi Roys of the world evoke such extreme reactions from common people owing to their "cynical", "short sighted" and "sadistic" views on critical issues related to national security. These so called upholders of secularism seem to have no time for the thousands of army, para military and police personnel who have laid down their lives, in the line of duty, fighting insurgents and anti-nationals, be it Maoists or Kashmiri terrorists. After all, these army/paramilitary/police personnel are ordinary citizens of this country, like all of us common people, simply discharging their duties in defense of the country and honestly earning their daily bread. Have any one of these pseudo secularists ever visited and comforted the bereaved families of such brave hearts ?

Bhushan's comment must be read in it's entirety to correctly understand its anti-national connotation. He firstly says, efforts should be made to win the hearts and minds of the kashmiri people and that he believes that it is in the best interests of the kashmiri people that Kashmir stays an integral part of the Indian union. I have no qualms with this initial part of his comment. However then he goes on to say that if Kashmiri's would still like to separate from the Indian union they should be allowed to do so. It is this part of his comment which in my opinion is seditious as he is advocating that the breakup of the India union is acceptable as long as the people want it. Secondly, does he not consider the valley of Kashmir to be an integral part of India? because if he does then it follows that all Indians have an equal right to Kashmir and Bhushan stating that let the Kashmri's separate if they want to is the same as some political parties in Maharashtra stating that Mumbai belongs only to the 'marathi manoos', a statement which I am sure Bhushan opposed fiercely. Further and on a more sentimental but as important level, when people like Bhushan and Arundhati Roy make such statements on Kashmir, they are conveniently forgetting the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands of Indian soldiers to protect the sovereignty of our nation, and this I believe is a damn shame . Hence though I do not condone what happened to Bhushan yesterday,I also strongly believe that people like Bhushan and Roy should not take this country for granted otherwise they deserve the treatment they get.

But this does not at all mean that they are to be treated like the way done. Now, here we stand with a double directed way, of which both are right. On one hand the attack can never be tolerated, and on the other hand eminent people like Mr. Bhushan shouldn't play with the sentiment of common people.

As I read a post on facebook saying :

''Jammu and Kashmir has never been an "integral part" of India'' - Pakistaan. Ha ha crack heads.. YOU WERE also a PART of 'BHARAT', want us to call you back again?

Ragging on facebook - a vulgar story by media channels or a villain politics

2011-08-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

In a social networking site, a person can send chat message to anyone only if he/she is a friend of the person. Now, if anyone uses abusive language on the site, can it be termed as ragging? I guess almost every person reading this article would have known about this fact. Our media system, having something called TRP tied a their neck to be pulled and demand for biased baseless news. Well, me being a common person have the right to express my feelings. By the way, I own the disclaimer to say that please don't file an FIR for this blog aticle or complain to Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.

Story-line :

A first year student of a prestigious engineering university, namely Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur (BESUS), has reportedly filed an allegation of so-called "ragging" him on facebook by his seniors. Adding to this, the complaint was filed to a political party student federation at first.

POINT TO BE NOTED : The college authority were not reported by the fresher and family at first. Secondly, the seniors, against whom complained, were "added as friend" on facebook by the so-called "victim" himself.

About the "victim" :

The "victim" comes up from a very powerful family with immense political background. Well, I have included the word victim in double inverted commas cause our "clean and social welfare causing" media (obviously ironically) have projected him with that image.

Beginning :

The college begun on July 25th. Anti- ragging committee with its eagle vision even stopped senior junior interaction at any area. I don't have anything to say on the fact that all the fresher's parents were so worried as to carry and drop their child like nursery going boy.

I must make everyone reading this aware of the fact that senior-junior relationship in BESUS is so well and kind that even an 70's passed alumni is called 'dada' (elder brother) by junior of 2010 batch. All are like a large well bonded family. REBECA is a live example of such family relationship, where seniors and juniors work together and make a great event come true.

The "victim", from the very beginning, was with attitude that comes in package with family holding big political background. This caused irritation to many of the seniors. Now, the seniors from his own school tried to interact with him. This interaction was among the people who knew each other from school time.

Even the school-time class mates of that boy said that he had an irritating behaviour and so his classmates never mixed up with him.

Then the twist was taken to social networking site facebook, where some people found that an intolerable instigating status update was given by that "victim". This issue was taken to various forums and groups and was taken as a discussion. The later status updates and comments posted by so called "victim" and his friends against BESUS seniors were enough humiliating and a politic power show off phenomena.

One of such deleted status (proof and witnessses available) is

seniors of besu..i m just giving u a chance....kal ami casual pore jabo..jeans n tee....dekhi sala toder kamon dm amake rag korbi..be ready wid ur gang....tomorrow i will rag u.."jhaand mein to suaar ate hain..sher akele ate hain"

Now as media says about "ragging" message

“We are your seniors in college. Either follow our rules or face the consequences. You will have to do whatever we ask you to do. Or we seniors, will all f*** you. Change your college or you will die,"

Me myself as a senior like any senior of BESUS will say that this above report by media is impossible. The reason is just that we are a part of family.

Role of politics, the villain :

Here I give a report by a newspaper. And highlight the part that I was just stunned to see while going through it.

Social networking has come of age, an ugly age in this case. What is considered as a medium of connecting people online has become a tool of intimidation. Read on. “We are your seniors in college. Either follow our rules or face the consequences. You will have to do whatever we ask you to do. Or we seniors, will all f*** you. Change your college or you will die,”— Gouranga Biswas (name changed), first year student of Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur (BESU), was shocked to find messages in his Facebook account.

Shyamal Das (name changed), too, received messages in his Orkut profile, where his senior gave him a strict guideline of wearing only full sleeve shirts, avoid wearing belts and answer “chicken” when a senior asked for his name.

Biswas and Das were not the only ones, almost all first-year students of the college, one of the most esteemed in the state, faced the trauma from social networking sites to college grounds.

The six dared approach Trinamool Chattra Parishad, which in turn, approached the education minister and the police. So much so that the higher education department has already issues a circular alerting the district magistrates and police superintendents in the state.

“We will not tolerate ragging in any form. I have already asked all district magistrates and police supers to take immediate legal action in any such case,” said Basu.
“This is a serious issue. I have seen proof of their Facebook conversation. Our campus is a ragging-free zone. We are taking stringent action against the culprits. We have identified the students responsible,” said Ajoy Kumar Roy, vice chancellor of BESU.

“Students and guardians were very scared and they first approached me last week. They gave us a written complaint. We did our own investigation and found out that even on social networking sites, first-year students are being threatened and ragged.

In one case, a student was threatened that he would be killed. These students were also ragged when they were inside the college. We got a number of reports of ragging, which even included bashing up,” said Shankudeb Panda, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad president.

Panda along with guardians and students then wrote to the Howrah police superintendent, apart from holding a meeting with the vice chancellor of the college. Trinamool Chattra Parishad also met the higher education minister.

First-year students were subject to ragging on campus and asked to perform tricks. Some were called up at 3 o’clock in the morning and had to perform tasks given by seniors.

“I was shocked to see the messages in my Facebook inbox. It went on for a few days. Even inside the college I was harassed. We were too scared but ultimately we went to Trinamool,” said a victim.

Trinamool Chattra Parishad has opened a special cell for ragging victims.
“We are calling all students to report any such case to us and we will take it up with the highest authority. Identities will not be disclosed.

We have already asked the higher education minister to take steps to ensure such incidents do not recur in colleges, both state-run and private. We have also demanded to see if anti-ragging mechanism is present in all colleges,” said Pandaa.

“In education institutions there are anti-ragging committees, where the DM and SP have a representative each. If there are complaints, its nature determines the case,” said Champak Bhattacharya, SP, North 24 Parganas.

There what we call as a small news spiced up with baseless facts. And its needless to mention the game played by the political party with such an immensive interest. The reason for such interest will be included for sure.

Few months ago, Trinamool Chatra Parishad wanted their political hand well established in BESUS. But, the college being apolitical since last two years, they were denied. And, here grows the anger, and came up with such a step against the university. The truth is here itself. And the readers can guess it well.

Some facts :

My school junior needed to take admission in Kanchrapara college in B.Sc. in Computer Science. He was unable to attend the 1st counselling. Then, the very next day when he reached a "help" desk at the tent of Trinamool Chatra Parishad, he was abused. But later that day he got a call from that party member, asking him for a bribe of rupees 8,000 for admission to that college. And, when complained, it was found true and the member was caught red handed.

Actions of "victims" family members :

His mother being a very political powerful, threatened the seniors too badly. Having a target to demolish the careers of the people having personal problem with her son, wanted a ministerial effect on this mere issue.

POINT TO BE NOTED : The "victim" himself didn't know that the allegation was given to political banner to the minister.

To laugh or to worry, don't know ! So I must keep quite and not say more about this.

‘Save the girl child’ – they also have the right to live…

2011-08-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

The issue needs discussion and debate in every home on most of dining table. People should realize it as a stigma to our own society. The world of a girl child is promising yet gloomy, hopeful yet in despair. The home-maker of future, the hand that rocks the cradle, the procreator, the mother of tomorrow, a woman shapes the destiny of our civilization. From child to mother, let us build the path of her.

The decline of the girl child in India is a problem of deep rooted societal discrimination against women and girls. Despite the progress in efforts to enable girls to fully enjoy their rights, there is still a great deal of work to be done in order to achieve the objective. There are still many unresolved issues of discrimination, inequality, neglect, exploitation and violence against girls and women. Be bold to stop violence. Everyone should show their concern for the girl child. People should value that it is essential to save the girl child at any cost and intensify campaign so that the ratio of girls and boys could be made even.

Judiciary in India has declared the year 2007 as the ‘Awareness year of female foeticide.’

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit says ‘Delhi to strengthen rules against female foeticide. The Govt. is also planning to impose a heavy fine and strict punishment for such incidents.’ Dikshit also announced the implementation of Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojna in august for safeguarding maternal and child mortality rate.

India’s child sex ratio continues to plummet indicating the female foeticide and infanticide remain rampant. Data released by the census office for 2011 shows that the child sex ratio (0-6yrs) has further declined to 914 girls for every 1,000 boys as compared o 927 in 2001. India’s North-East have much healthier attitude towards girl children than any part of the country.

‘Heal the baby girl, her smile heals the world’

How could Mumbai again become a soft target after 26/11?

2011-07-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

by Shreya Roy


Three serial blast at hearts and minds of people

The three serial blasts which rocked India's financial capital, Mumbai on 13th july, 2011 at Zaheri Bazar, Opera House & Dadar areas in Mumbai within 6.30-7.00pm (IST) carried the trademark of Indian Mujahideen with the links of Lashkara-e-Tayiba.There was no specific target, rather the bombs were exploded to kill and wound as many citizens as possible. So far according to recent updates 18 peoples were killed & 131 injured during the city's peak hour crush.

Our Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram illustrates three serial explosion as unfortunate & advices every citizen to maintain peace. Chief Minister of Mumbai Prithviraj Chavan acknowledges that some lessons from 26/11 are yet left to be learned. Is it not enough for them to learn a lesson at this point of time?

The Mumbai serial blasts also exposed the Congress NCP rift over R.R.Patil as Home Minister . The NCP objected to Maharashtra Chief Minister claiming that giving the Home Ministy to the ally was a mistake. Contrary to this Chavan said 'I don't know of any other coalition Governments where the portfolios of the Home, Finance,& Planning are not with Chief Minister.' So is it the time for blame game?

Here again frustrated Mumbaikars are blaming intelligence failure for not defending them from another terrorist attack after the 26/11 massacre which left 166 people dead. Our Indian Govt. promisd for setting up new security measures in the metropolitan cities, but a few Investigating departments & Intelligence bureaus are active yet.

Though Mumbai had been attacked every three years since 2003 and the city has a stong network of IM(Indian Mujahideen). The terror attack in Mumbai on this 13th july was the 13th attack in the last 20yrs on this city. Its very unfortunate hearing them say that it was a very coordinated attack by the terrorists but at the same time we see a disorganized intelligence in India. So my question lies here 'how do you justify that there was no specific intelligence prior to the blasts?'

It looks like the repeat telecast pf same incidents again and again and proves the Mumbai's unpreparedness against terror attacks. Politicians have already started their blame game and now its time for the candel vigil marches and display of sympathy by provide with ex Gratia. The term "Security" has become worthless in a populated country like India. Isn't it shameful? So many voices crying with the same query..

Third rape in 48 hours, victim burnt alive - you think you are secured ?

2011-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

All the events in our country one after the other are just being looking as if they have become natural. Nothing moves us from our daily life. We just don't really care about anything that goes around without effecting us directly. A martyr's widow or mother, a raped girl, a jobless man, etc. feel the actual pain of living with the people like us. Rape - a victim knows the deathly attack - much bitter than poison.

A 33-year-old woman was burnt alive after allegedly being raped in Etah district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Her family alleged that five men first gangraped her and then lynched her because they were afraid that she would identify them and go to the police.

The police have denied these allegation and have claimed that the attackers were trying to rob and not rape her.

This will be third rape case to be reported in the state in 48 hours.Earlier a Dalit minor from Kannauj was allegedly stabbed in the eye and left blind by two men when she resisted rape. Two policemen were suspended for delaying the filing of an FIR.

An 18-year-old Dalit girl was also allegedly raped at gunpoint by a man in Ranipur Beladi village.

Even after 27 days, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Satnam Singh Kahlwan -- accused of raping 13 year old girl, continues to evade arrest. However, adding insult to the injury, Satnam's mother flaunts her VIP connection and says her family not afraid of anyone.

Reporter: People say that he is the relative of Brahampura (Cabinet minister), so police is not able to arrest him?

Satnam Singh's mother: Police can arrest him, why not?

Reporter: So why is he still roaming free?

Satnam Singh's mother: Inquiry has been launched, but we are not afraid of anyone.

Reporter: Mr Brahmpura is with you?

Satnam Singh's mother: Yes, he is with us.

Close relative of Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Ranjit Singh Brahampura -- Satnam Singh has clearly used his political might. Not surprisingly, police is still dragging its feet on his arrest formally and only filing an FIR after confirmation of rape in the medical examination.

But with no word from Akali government and Prakash Singh Badal, the victim's family still awaits justice. Are the authorities overlooking the case because of Satnam's connection to a state cabinet minister?

Justice delayed for 30 years - not enough to be said as denied ?

2011-06-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

We have always seen in movies that its really a person arrested and jailed gets justice after long terms of imprisonment. But here goes a real case that took me aback.

After more than three decades, a former Army man got a reprieve from the Bombay high court in a case of possession of live cartridges. The HC set aside his one-year prison sentence and let him off with a Rs 5,000 fine.

Laxman Jadhav (72) had been convicted under Section 25 of Arms Act, and was arrested in 1977 from his house in Sangli. Justice J. H. Bhatia set aside imprisonment keeping his age in mind.

It was also seen that he has served the nation. But after three decades? This is what we all want to live with. The judiciary to do justice for us does its work when we really don't need it anymore.

Justice Bhatia observed, "In my considered opinion, sentence of imprisonment of one year would be too harsh for the accused, who had served for the nation in the Army and who is now senior citizen aged more than 71 years." The court also noted that in 1977, offence under Section 25 of Arms Act.

J. Dey murder mystery unveiled - seven arrested

2011-06-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

The nooks and corner of the inhuman killing of one of the tormenting investigation journalist J. Dey has brought thousands of the journalists on the streets of Mumbai in the demand of laws and policies concerning their security.

In connection with the killing of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, seven people have been arrested, a top police officer said Monday

'Yes, the information is confirmed and we shall inform you with details later,' Additional Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti told.

The seven suspects, nabbed from various parts of Maharashtra late Sunday, will be produced before the metropolitan magistrate court in south Mumbai around noon.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik is likely to address the media in the afternoon.

Dey, editor (Special Investigations) with Mumbai tabloid Mid Day, was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants near his residence in Powai on June 11 afternoon.

Asteroid passes Earth closer than the Moon

2011-06-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

The unnoticed part of the day is here. I was really stunned by this news and report. The mere fright of 2012 comes floating into our eyes as soon as we hear to know some aspects of universe movements. Here goes one of such things.

An asteroid zoomed past Earth this morning, coming within 7,500 miles above Earth's surface over the southern Atlantic Ocean.

2011 MD, as the asteroid is named, did not come as close to Earth as a smaller asteroid, 2011 CQ1, which avoided an impact with the planet by just 3,405 miles in February, according to Geek.com.

Even so, 2011 MD flew closer to Earth than the moon.

The latest asteroid is 33 feet long and was discovered this week by telescopes in New Mexico, the AP reports.

According to the IBTimes, 2011 MD is the fifth-closest asteroid to zip past Earth.

Follow us on twitter or like us on facebook.

BET Awards - Giving international stage for humanitarian awards

2011-06-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the international entertainment shall not be deprived here in this blog. The negativities available on the articles shall be quenched with some best moments in the world. So, I had to blog about this. I really wish this article won't be thought as a useless part on this blog. Thank You.

Patti LaBelle performs at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 26, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Gladys Knight presented Patti LaBelle with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Sunday's ceremony.

Steve Harvey was recognized for his humanitarian work at BET Awards, about amid awards for the top artists, actors and athletes."A true gentleman who acts like a comedian but thinks like a citizen of the world" BET Chairman and CE Debra Lee called him so as she presented him with the Humanitarian Award.

"I plan to hold myself up higher because I've gotten this wonderful award," the 67-year-old singer said, and then she grabbed a microphone and sang a pair of hits, including the breakthrough hit "Lady Marmalade."

Harvey and LaBelle were among dozens of artists recognized at the BET Awards, which were presented at the Shrine Auditorium.

Lil Wayne also came on stage when Nicki Minaj accepted her award for best female hip-hop artist.

"I can't believe for the first time I get to share a moment like this with the person who saw me rapping on a staircase," she said of the rapper and producer, who was incarcerated when she won the same award last year. "Lil Wayne, I love you."

Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled and Ace Hood shared the stage for "Hustle Hard." Alicia Keys unveiled a new song, before lapsing into "A Woman's Worth," for which she was joined by Bruno Mars, and her hit, "Fallin'.

BET also took a moment to pay homage to Clarence Clemons, Nate Dogg, M-Bone, etc.

The most interesting thing about Kevin Hart's "Real Husbands of Hollywood" sketch is that it isn't that much more outrageous than any of Bravo's "Real Housewives" shows.

Cash votes - now WikiLeaks says

2011-06-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

The most stunning part was just out of any leaks that got its mirror on the face of our democracy. The claim that I got to access is about a WikiLeaks India cables that Manmohan Singh-led UPA government used cash to win trust vote in Parliament in 2008 over Indo-US nuclear deal. WikiLeaks said that five days before UPA-I faced a crucial vote of confidence in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Satish Sharma's aide Nachiketa Kapur showed a US employee two chests containing money to be used to bribe MPs

According to a report, it was said that he was part of a bigger fund of Rs 50 to 60 crore that the Congress had arranged to purchase the support of MPs for the nuclear deal.

Read the WikiLeaks India Cable...

* (SBU) Behind the scenes, the Congress Party machine is working overtime. Sonia Gandhi reportedly plans to meet Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren and Janata Dal Secular (JD-S) leader HD Deve Gowda. Retaining the support of JMM's five seats and the JD-S's three seats is reportedly vital to the UPA government's strategy. In exchange for retaining the support of the three votes of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the Congress Party has reportedly pledged its support to rename Lucknow's Amausi airport after Chaudhary Charan Singh, father of RLD leader Ajit Charan Singh, who may also get a cabinet seat.

* (C) On July 16, PolCouns met with captain Satish Sharma, a Congress Party MP in the Rajya Sabha, a former Indian Airlines pilot, and a close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi considered to be a very close family friend of Sonia Gandhi. Sharma mentioned that he, as well as others in the party, was working hard to ensure that the UPA government wins the confidence vote on July 22. He said that the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi were committed to the nuclear initiative and had conveyed this message clearly to the party. Sharma said that PM Singh and others were trying to work on the Akali Dal (8 votes) through financier Sant Chatwal and others, but unfortunately it did not work out. He mentioned that efforts to encourage Shiv Sena (12 votes) to abstain were on-going. While different Congress operatives were working on different groups of MPs, Sharma said that Rahul Gandhi was personally working Omar.

New Delhi 00001972 003 OF 004
Abdullah's Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (J&KNC), whose two MPs are inclined to vote in favor of the UPA. Sharma mentioned that he was also exploring the possibility of trying to get former prime minister Vajpayee's son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya to speak to BJP representatives to try to divide the BJP ranks. He mentioned that if the party wins the trust vote, they would then prefer to go for national elections in February or March 2009, which would give the UPA time to control prices and bring down inflation.

* (S) Sharma's political aide Nachiketa Kapur mentioned to an Embassy staff member in an aside on July 16 that Ajit Singh's RLD had been paid Rupees 10 crore (about $2.5 million) for each of their four MPs to support the government. Kapur mentioned that money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government. Kapur showed the Embassy employee two chests containing cash and said that around Rupees 50-60 crore (about $25 million) was lying around the house for use as pay-offs.

* (S) Another Congress Party insider told PolCouns that minister of commerce and industry Kamal Nath is also helping to spread largesse. "Formerly he could only offer small planes as bribes, according to this interlocutor, now he can pay for votes with jets."

Education system needs to be in urgent alert

2011-06-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

The pace with which the world is moving at present era, needs to be looked into the prospect of education system. And specially when it comes to India, a developing country, it stands as a big issue to be dealt with minute attention. I was really amazed that even this needful section of a country was diseased with corruption.

Here I present a report by UNESCO.

Corruption in Education system in India – A UNESCO Report

India’s education system is mired in corruption and a high rate of teacher absenteeism in the country was a key factor for it according to the new global study. The UNESCO’s International Institute of Educational Planning study on corruption in education released recently says that 25% teacher absenteeism in India is among the highest in the world, second only after Uganda that has a higher rate. The global average of teacher absenteeism is about 20%.

Teacher absenteeism does not just affect quality of education; it is also a huge drain on resources resulting in the wastage of 22.5% of education funds in India the study said. Politics in teacher appointments and transfers is a major reason for teacher absenteeism according to a professor at National University for Education Planning and Administration.

The study identifies the absence of well established criteria for teacher recruitment a uniform policy on promotion, remuneration and deployment as some of the main reasons identified for teacher absenteeism. However the report found married teachers to be more regular at job than unmarried teachers.

In Bihar two of every five teachers were reported absent the figure in UP was reported to be one-third of the total teachers. However in states like Gujarat and Kerala the figure was lower than 15% the report based on several small studies.

Teachers also believe highly in private tutoring a practice identified by UNESCO as unethical. It does not complement learning at school and leads to corruption the report said. The practice of ghost teachers and involvement of teachers in mismanagement of schools were other gray areas identified in the Indian education system.

Another indictment of the sorry state of Indian education was the view held by students that cheating in examinations is their traditional right. In India universities cheating is now well-established. The fees for manipulating entrance tests ranges between $ 80 to $ 20,000 for popular programmes such as computer science, medicine and engineering the report said.

Follow us on twitter and like us on facebook.

Rotten food grains or Death due to starving - which one you prefer ?

2011-06-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I really run out of issues to blog about. But the very next moment comes knocking on my head, saying "dude, you are in India !" Oh, I really forgot and am never out of any issue. Corruption is a well- defined issue in my last articles, but corruption in food system in a developing country like ours, is really a tension to be concerned about. One report showed dogs eating grain in UP, where poverty and malnourishment are rampant. Another showed sacks of wheat in Punjab rotting away outside warehouses. A third caught officials trying to burn grain because they hadn't been able to distribute it to families entitled to free rations.

These are really stunning and one would have surely be blaming the conditions there. But the fact is just not that. The farmers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, are producing grains and they get to sell them at mere prices, but the mediator sells that to market in comparatively very high rates.

The problems don't occur with this fact only. The food grains are kept in store-houses in surplus amounts and made to be sold to multinational agencies or industries for making beverages, pizza, burgers, etc. How ridiculous the matter can be ! On the one hand, poor people are dying starving because the grains are not available in the ration, but on the other side, enough is there in the store-houses to get rotten or to be sold to the the companies. This reminds me of the story I have read at childhood, when a queen asks why the common people eat rotis when bread is available in the market. Very sarcastic !

Now I must report an incident that went unheeded by us. On February 5 2010, The Food Corporation of India had sent 1,100 quintals of wheat to be distributed in Khandwa's ration shops. Three days later, 39 wagons of the wheat reached the station but one wagon went missing. The FCI claimed compensation for the missing stock.

Now, six months later, when the missing wagon was found, it was found that it had 85 quintals of wheat, that were rotted beyond repair. Those 85 quintals would have easily fed 250 Below Poverty Level (BPL) families for at least a month.You don't believe? Check it here.

Earlier this month, aggravated by reports that showed food grain rotting because warehouses aren't big enough or plenty enough for storage - the Supreme Court had asked Pawar to give away grain to poor families instead of wasting it. The Supreme Court told the Additional Solicitor General, "Tell your minister that free food distribution is our order - not a suggestion - by us."

India does not have enough surplus stocks of food grains for exports in the short-term and the country needs to boost its farm production significantly to meet the expected rise in domestic demand by 2020, a top official of FCI. Now the picture around doesn't depict this at all. Google for the images if you don't believe.

Despite all the assurances, it cannot be negated that there was a huge stock that had to burn, ironically in one of India's hungriest states where 60% children are malnourished and 7 percent die in hunger-related diseases, due to sheer negligence and carelessness. That would always put once stop on us and think over the issue.

For Updates, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook

Read more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/india-lacks-in-foodgrains-stocks-for-exports-fc-125946?cp

Swami Nigamanand's fasting death - a slap on everyone of us

2011-06-16T11:21:00.000-07:00


Swami Nigamanad in Hospital

I am really finding it difficult myself to understand the way the citizens are dealt by the politicians in our country. Sometimes, some deeds make us to think of them as good (relax, even a little bit of goodness). But the very next moment blurs our thoughts into air, making us saying "after all you are a politician, no good of your kind !". Here, as the topic indicates, I am to blog about something that really pinched me and asked me to stop looking for TRPs like media and go for the mud beneath clear-seeming water. The unfortunate death of Swami Nigamanand is the cause for this state of my article now.

Swami Nigamanand

Before putting my comments over the incident, I must put light upon it. My readers must know the new smoke of polluting part of the society.
A swami fasting for over three months against illegal mining along Ganga died on Monday in the same Dehra Dun hospital where Baba Ramdev was recuperating after his nine-day fast, and stirred the Congress into attack back the BJP. The game that they think they play well, without getting us noticed the real motive. Poor politicians ! Really poor?

Stone crushing

Its really tough to see a public figure like Baba Ramdev to fast even for a day or so. That drew about one-lakh fans on a fan page on facebook. Now, this is enough to show the impression. But the more touching part is that Swami Nigamanand, who begun his fast on February 19, had initially received intravenus nutrition before he lapsed into coma and died in the same hospital as Baba. Strange ! None of the politicians did made any talk with him at any airport, nor at any 5-star hotel, nor police were sent to drive off his fasting. Now you got what's the sad part in this?

Nigamanand was associated with Matri Sadan Ashram, that describes itself as having "a history of satygrahas" against pollution in the Ganga, illegal stone crushing and corruption. The cause of the death was listed as coma, septicaemia and degenerative brain disorder.

No fan page for him on facebook !

Well this fasting was with lemon water and salt. Now you think, Oh he did have food ! Well, give me a break, whosoever thinks so, its not a food to go for three months at any cost. Why no sorrow and sympathy to him? Why did media not report on his treatment? Nobody did come out standing for him. The stone crushing pollution of Ganges still continues with no limits even.

Wish all readers do comment your views.

Dr. Abdul Kalam's Letter to Every Indian

2011-06-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

APJ Abdul Kalam at Speech1In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

..
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs.. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs..650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

APJ Abdul Kalam at Speech2In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

APJ Abdul Kalam Wings of fireWhen it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians..

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us

Can't our land acquisition system be more farmer friendly??

2011-06-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

After all eye-catching issue on corruption prevailing in the blood of our society like a cancer that seems to be implacable, the next burning topic that seeks our attention is the land acquisition issues in India. The atrocities committed to the men of land - 'farmers' by the police, the men they knew as their protector, quaked the whole country one after the other incidents. Better be called as unfortunate events !

The Singur, Nandigram, Dhinkia,and Gobindpur are the stadiums that were used to play the game of industrialization on the tears of the poor people ! Obviously, the last two names might not be that familiar to you. Note, I said it "might not be". The devil role played by the ruling party in state with the mask of police was really something that drew immense attention of the whole nation. Well, I can't really assure that the international draw wasn't there. It was like building my shop on the corner of a beggar. I challenge you believe this !

And obviously media was there ! Because it was truly the best moment of earning TRPs. Pardon, but the actions of journalists there can somehow be compared with the stunning work of Mrs. Barkha Dutt during Kargil War. Seeming very sarcastic? Please don't have that feeling. The part still missing is 'the land mafia' ! Thats enough feary, isn't it?

Well the scenery at Singur-Nandigram was really hard to think of sitting in front of the screen here.The worst part of it was blood that the poor farmer sweated out protesting for the land. What's the use of such progress that comes out by kicking the stomachs of the common citizens?

Yeah, the picture was very devastating. This was such a tsunami that flushed out the 34 year ruling and such a strong-held left government out to the opposition after the 2011 elections in West Bengal. And here it quaked the minds of the political parties sitting in other states.

There I guess the picture in Orissa must also be upheld in the court of your jurisdiction. The Orissa government paused land acquisition at the proposed steel plant of Posco in Dhinkia grampanchayat for next five days even thousands of protesters dug their heels opposing the land acquisition. Even the activists like Medha Patkar would be there to show soliditary to the local people.

Let us examine the issues that India faces while trying to acquire land? If one can get over the cultural affinity to land, how does one get adequately compensated for their land? Does one pay the price before, say, the news that a highway is going to be built through your land, or the price after the news is released? How does one make sure that the money actually reaches the people? Plus the additional problem – who are the people – the owners or the tillers of land? How do you rehabilitate the people who are displaced and give them skills such as will enable them to get jobs in other sectors?

All major projects, including POSCO, Tata Steel, Mittals, and the Vedanta group investments, the Assocham noted, were hanging for the past four years. In addition to the protests over land acquisition, environmental issues and objections were being raised, adding to the delays in the implementation of projects. These problems are not peculiar to Orissa.

For an inclusive growth strategy, to be able to connect all Indians and provide them both physical and human infrastructure, we need land. At the same time, climate change is real. Unless and until we have a sensible policy which shares the costs and benefits ‘equally’ amongst all the parties — from the landless laborers to business houses — our development is going to be stalled and delayed. Instead of playing short-term politics with land issues, political parties need to sit together and think of solutions that would translate into increased development. It is after all in their interests to do so because increased development would translate to their being voted back to power (as evidenced by the recent re-election of the Chief Minister of Bihar, one of the poorest states of India, who won on the platforms of clean governance and the increased growth and development of the state).

A Suggestive Agenda for better nation - policies with which politicians play games

2011-06-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

Popular people like Ramdev ji or Anna Hazare ji who can reach the masses educated and uneducated alike.But as we had always seen that politicians make use of them to get them a better stage or come up with age-old process of personal attacks to get public support against them.

They should first create a tumult of agendas like :

Severe actions to put a full stop to Population boom burdening Mother INDIA. Enacting the sternest measures to minimize growth rate. Actually, India require a negative growth rate. This may sound very in-human but it can't be helped.

A severe consequence of population growth is environmental imbalance. India is motherland to human beings and animals, plants alike. The rule of 33% of total land area to come under forest cover must be done. Animals are killed(or abused, tranquilized), plants destroyed for the sake of humans. Why? They have every right to live and propagate here. We need real-time measures for environmental causes not blah-blah by some organization or people.
Education to the best level possible. It should the topmost priority.
a) IITs(in scientific field), other premier institute graduates work on useful "research & development" in MITs, Cambridge, etc. Why?
b) Attracting village children to primary schools by mid-day meals is effective. But on this account the main purpose is lost. The standard of education is condemn-able. The food grains provided to feed the children for a good measure goes into the pockets of the unscrupulous teachers and these poor children or their parents habituated by the continual poverty and ignorance don't retaliate back.
c) Illogical courses in many educational fields leading to poorer quality of knowledge amongst students.
d)Absolute no entertainment to change medium of instruction in colleges. This is no good to students as in long run that will hamper their careers because they won't be able to present them themselves always in vernacular in professional life
Removal of Communalism, Caste-ism : any quota based provisions to be made only by measuring the economic conditions of the citizen and for upbringing for him/her irrespective of sex,caste,religion etc.
Attention to seriously falling sex-ratio of INDIA, to lead a feminist drive to help the women who are victims of social atrocities. But many women who are secure from such situations must be exempted to inject literacy among the masses on issues of female foeticide, remove useless notions of keeping girl child uneducated, etc
Educating people on principles of democracy, patriotism
To help us(the younger generation) preserve our cultural heritage and incorporate western culture with a balance.

Baba Ramdev's eviction - "unfortunate and unavoidable" sad part of democracy

2011-06-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

The country, that's known to the world as largest democracy, saw the devil face of its democracy. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev was evicted by police at midnight hours and thousands of followers were just tear gassed, lathi charged and cerfewed out. This was neither a political agitation nor a violence with 'bandhs'. It was just a 'satyagraha' of fasting for country. But the cruelty shown can put your breath to stop for a moment.

It took them an year to act against A. Raja, 6 months to arrest Kalmadi and one day to detain Baba Ramdev ! Irony is PM had tons of evidence to enforce arrests, detain Raja and kalmadi and none against Ramdev. A civilian who tried hitting a minister (June 6th, 2011) with a shoe is sent to Tihar Jail in a day. And when 500 policemen beat up peacefully protesting civilians, Lathi charging them, the PM defends the action as NECESSARY !

After writing articles on government's dodging and dribbling in the case of CWG scam, the massive face of the corrruption devil and the theory behind the lokpal bill, its time for me to have a strong stand about the Ramlila maidan case in the national capital. Yes, the massacre of this era. But what a joke was it made of by the media ! They called it a "drama" ! Unbelievable !
In Delhi, however, the government spent Friday trying to woo Mr Ramdev away from his hunger strike. The Baba wants the government to explain how it will tackle the vast amounts of black money that have been stored in foreign bank accounts by Indians. He also wants the death penalty to be awarded in corruption cases. Two ministers - Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay met with him at the Claridges Hotel - a five-star in Delhi - to address his charter of demands which also includes using local languages instead of English as the medium of instruction in medical and engineering colleges.

As expected, that fast was not a low-proflie or a lonely one. Mr. Ramdev desccribed the movement that will unite all those "who love their motherland". Social worker Anna Hazare also gained , massive public suppport two months ago with similar agitation. This made the government fear in case of Ramdev. Such movement by Mr Hazare had already forced to get work started upon the making of new anti-corruption law.

Some section of people did believe that the movement by Baba Ramdev was politically motivated. Obviously this included the government ministers like Mr. Digvijay Singh, Mr. P. Chidambaram, etc. Mr. Singh was the front crusader from Congress side who kept attacking at Baba Ramdev as a businessman, saying "If Ramdev wants to do politics, he should give up yoga". This list didn't exclude SRK, who said "Koi support nahin karunga...unka agenda hai...jaise hi koi neta ho jata hai...voh yeh sab karne lagata hai (I will not support him...he's got an agenda...as soon as one becomes a leader...he resorts to such kind of agitation)".

With talks from both sides going, Delhi police swooped down on Baba a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and resorting lathi charge on his supporters to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue. His supporters tried to help him best by stopping forces away from him. But the heinous lathi charge and arrests made, broke down backbone of many. Alas ! What a face of democracy !

Before going on further let me ask a question. Even if (notice: its said "even if") the movement was a political one, it was about getting our money, common people's money back to ourselves. It was committed to stand with a flag of anti-corruption. It included Lokpal Bill issue that is nothing other than making India a better democracy. So, why such personal attacks? Why are we thinking politics an issue in this people's verdict?

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has termed police action against baba Ramdev and his supporters "unfortunate and unavoidable".

Read the above line once more please. Don't it seem like a country's head giving a non-reactive statement on some victim of war in a far-land? Were not those people, beaten down by police, His own people? Were they not non-violent good-will people?

With questions being raised over his huge assets, Baba Ramdev will make public, his personal financial details and also the assets of firms and trusts associated with him on Thursday."We will come out with financial details of Patanjali Yogapeeth and all our companies by tomorrow. We will upload it on our website also," Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna told reporters in Haridwar. Mr. Digvijay Singh please come up with yours sir. Oh, Mr. Lalu Prasad, you are too welcomed with yours. And SRK, I guess you won't mind this, huh !

However, if that is unavoidable unfortunate, then the fortunate part is that if you go for such a movement in d good part for your democratic country, you shall be "lathi-charged" and tear gassed !

I will surely blog in recent future about what was actually included in Baba's agenda and to what extent did the government agree. Please stay tuned for that. Next is what, Baba is banned in the capital city but still continuing with his fast. Media has lost its interest in that and as lack of TRP of such news is just on urge for better ones.

We shouldn't just forget this all. We need to stand against the corruption. The movement was not conducted for our entertainment. The bill will not bring profit of money to them. Please come forward with your support for them. Its not a fight of political parties. Its for the rights of a common man.

[Please like us on Facebook and comments are welcomed, Thanks]

Greenathon - an exclusive media-corporate initiative towards green world

2011-06-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

I have been watching NDTV news channel for a long time. For more or less every time, I switched over to that channel, it was in front of my eyes. A very star-casted programme with green shades and templates around the display area of the channel. Its all about NDTV's Greenathon. The terminology at the very first instance leads us to think about something related to marathon about green. Yes, it is obviously so. But in a very awesum way, that king Khan and Priyanka Chopra couldn't resist.

SRK & Priyanka Chopra

Greenathon was India's first ever nationwide campaign to leap towards the green healthy saviour of the environment. It began in April, 2008 as NDTV - Toyota joint venture.

Dr. R. K. Pachauri and India's Minister for Environment, Jairam Ramesh, did support the campaign enough well and appreciated such a massive initiative for a better place to live. I have always found NGOs and some prsonalities did come up with initiatives that rocked the stage but lacked the strength and monetory support.

This telethon was striving towards raising funds and donate money for TERI's initiative - Lighting a billion lives. I can say surely that this was aimed at providing solar power to the villages without power.

And for this era, when the term TRP, USP, etc are gaining their fame, no such programs can be thought about without celebrities, ministers and common-men's debate. There I stand for them as a gaining point. Of course not as a celebrity !

But whatever it takes, if its for the green, there I stand with my hands ready to be at work. Greenathon have raised money of Rs.11,60,72,242. It has spread its wings over 580 villages, liting up 145090 lives.

There I request please put forward your hands and help to raise money. Online money raising is available here. Or else taking this concept as an example, please come up with other ideas to help the environment to be green.

Corruption - The invisible murderer of democracy

2011-06-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

The main cause that had moved me to come up with a plan of blogging to raise my voice for the cause of democracy was the anti-corruption movement going throughout the nation. I was actually planning to wait, design and choke out plans for my way of blogging. Just then happened the never expected massacre. The "ramlila maidan" massacre. The fiery night that led us to stand and view murder of democracy. The heinous event that media covered up as "drama".

I guess every responsible citizen of this largest democracy knows what happened that night. Yet, I would surely cover it up again. No, not as a drama that just are made on the state for the cause of entertainment. But let me first brief the overall burning issue of corruption.

After more or less negligible or unnoticeable corruption charges in our system, there came up the 2G spectrum scam. This scam in India involved the issue of 122 license by the ruling Congress-led UPA alliance of the 2G spectrum to 85 companies including many new telecom companies with little or no experience in telecom sector at a price set in the year 2001.

The scam involved allegations regarding

the under pricing of the 2G spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications which resulted in a heavy loss to the exchequer, and
the illegal manipulation of the spectrum allocation process to favour select companies

A. Raja and K. Karunanidhi

Well, there I cannot let go off without taking the names of the persons involved. They are A. Raja and K. Karunanidhi, the great corruption leaders from DMK family. The Controller and Auditor General holds Raja personally responsible for the sale of 2G spectrum at 2001 rates in 2008, resulting the previously mentioned loss of up to Rs. 1.76 lakh crores (US$40 billion) to the national exchequer. On April 25, 2011 Kanimozhi was named as a co-conspirator in the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the 2G spectrum case. Pheww !! What an economic conspiracy !!

Mr. Kalmadi

Then there comes another masterpiece in this line. The Commonwealth games (CWG) scam ! No drugs available on htis earth could literally stop me from goin bolt from the blue after coming to know about this scandal. Worst of its kind. The beauty of first ever hosting such a big game just got worsened day after day. "The total misappropriation amount may touch a figure of Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 crore, which is quite huge and alarming. The Commission is still awaiting reports from various departments and cannot give the exact amount involved in the bunglings," a senior Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) official said requesting anonymity. Mr. Kalmadi, the then chairman of CWG committee was the leading actor in this scam movie.

Oh oh !! how can I miss to add up the Adarsh housing society scandal ! What's that? It is a cooperative society in the city of Mumbai in India. It was reserved for the war widows and veterans of the Kargil War. In 2010, the Indian media brought to public the alleged violations of rules at various phases of construction in the Adarsh Society. Questions were raised on the manner in which apartments in the building were allocated to bureaucrats, politicians and army personnel who had nothing to do with Kargil War and the way in which clearances were obtained for the construction of the building of the Adarsh Society.

Nevertheless the black money in Swiss bank??? Very old issue. Bored of it. It has become like the question whether aliens exist or not ! God knows.

So, after reading all above, don't you feel a little bit agitated? Aren't this crossing the limits of tolerance? Then, answer this - what's the wrong in going for an anti-corruption movement? Why the eyewash by clever ministers making us sit silently?

Shri Anna Hazare

These are very simple questions, very difficult to answer. Lets stand against these killer of democracy. Lets support Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi, Baba Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna Hazare and Mallika Sarabhai. They are not fighting for themselves, but for us. So, please support them.

Jan Lokpal Bill ??? What's that ! Read more to know . . . .

2011-06-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year.
Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill envisages a system where a corrupt person found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission.
Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi and other known people like Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna Hazare and Mallika Sarabhai are also part of the movement, called India Against Corruption. Its website describes the movement as "an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption."

Shri Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare, anti-corruption crusader, began a fast-unto-death today, demanding that this bill, drafted by the civil society, be adopted. The website of the India Against Corruption movement calls the Lokpal Bill of the government an "eyewash" and has on it a critique of that government Bill. It also lists the difference between the Bills drafted by the government and civil society.

A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill:
1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

More such facts can be found here.

Some stunning facts about CWG scams and corruptions

2011-06-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Prime Minister has announced Shunglu committee to enquire into corruption in commonwealth games projects. CAG, CVC, ED, Income Tax CBI etc are already doing their enquiries. Has the Prime Minister lost faith in these agencies? It is not surprising.

Let us look at the state of the enquiries going on so far. CVC is looking into just about 18 contracts or so, when there are thousands of contracts and much bigger ones. With the range of politicians facing allegations, CBI can be least entrusted to do an honest investigation, as it is directly under the government and takes its orders from the same set of politicians. ED is looking into only foreign exchange related matters like controversies surrounding Queen’s baton etc. One is not sure of the ambit of CAG’s enquiries but both CAG and CVC do not have the jurisdiction and powers to peep into the role of politicians. So, effectively politicians are out of all ongoing enquiries and it is believed that most of the money has finally landed with the politicians.

So, Prime Minister decided to set up a Shunglu committee. But the prescription seems to be worse than the disease. Shunglu committee neither has powers nor jurisdiction to conduct the most basic enquiries. Forget politicians, it does not even have the powers to call for records from an ordinary clerk. Suppose it calls for records from a particular department and that department refuses to comply. What powers does Shunglu committee have to enforce its directions? Does it have powers to summon officers, politicians or contractors to question them or record their statements? Agencies like CVC and CAG draw their powers under various laws. Yet, they find it so difficult to get their orders implemented from obdurate and corrupt government machinery. Under what law would Shunglu committee get its orders implemented? It would be foolhardy to believe that the bureaucracy would oblige just because Shunglu has been appointed by the Prime Minister.

Some people believe that Shunglu committee will coordinate the efforts of all these agencies. That is a completely wrong assumption. It does not have any powers to direct any of these agencies.

So, Shunglu committee is basically an eyewash meant to silence the strong criticism in media and to pretend that the government is taking action and is serious.

Interestingly, when Mayawati or Lalu Yadav face allegations of corruption, it is CBI that investigates. But when ruling party faces such allegations, then why is Shunglu committee asked to investigate?


Mr. Kalmadi, the chairman of CWG scam

Moneys made in Commonwealth Games are believed to have travelled right upto the top. Neither CVC nor CAG nor even Shunglu committee have either the mandate or the powers to question Sheila Dikshit or Kalmadi or Jaipal Reddy or any other politician or to raid them. The money is said to have travelled even beyond. All these agencies will merely be concentrating on tenders and papers and questioning upto middle level officers who were merely conduits and doing the bidding of their political masters.

I would sincerely urge Mr Shunglu not to tarnish his reputation by colluding with the government in this cover up operation.

Massive corruption in Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum has raised the issue of corruption to a pitch as it never happened before. The government is under pressure. That is the reason it is trying to silence media through the appointment of Shunglu committees et al. However, rather be fooled by these steps, it is time that we demanded comprehensive and effective anti-corruption systems and laws.

The present anti-corruption laws and systems in our country suffer from internal contradictions. There are plethora of anti-corruption agencies. In each of these agencies, the government has deliberately left some critical loophole so as to make it ineffective. For instance, CVC is an independent body but does not have powers to take any action. It is merely an advisory body. Plus, it does not have jurisdiction over politicians. CBI has the powers but is not independent. It is directly controlled by the government. Also, CBI needs government’s permission to initiate investigations and to launch prosecution in any case. So, one agency has the powers but is not independent. The other agency is independent but does not have the powers.

Government has announced setting up of yet another agency called Lokpal by December. Again, the government is playing nasty. According to government’s proposal, Lokpal would have jurisdiction over politicians but not bureaucrats, as if politicians and bureaucrats indulge in corruption separately. So, almost every case will be investigated by both CVC and Lokpal - CVC will look into the role of bureaucrats and Lokpal will look into the role of politicians. Doesn’t it sound absurd? The obvious question is why can’t the same agency investigate both? And the most interesting part is that even the Lokpal is being made an advisory body! It would merely recommend to the government to initiate prosecution against, say some of its ministers. Do you think the government would ever do that?

So, all these agencies have been set up just to befool the people of this country. Media has done a wonderful job of exposing corruption in Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum. Unfortunately, in the last few days, media is taken in by the tits and bits of the news provided by all these agencies. Completely inconsequential leaks from PMO or any of these agencies become headlines. Media seems to be falling prey to government’s gameplan of doing a whitewash of the whole episode.

It is time that the media focused on the critical issues afflicting our anti-corruption systems. Let media say that unless these deficiencies were addressed, no agency was capable of doing an honest and effective investigation. All these agencies should be merged into one single agency of Lokpal, which the government plans to set up soon. Give Lokpal jurisdiction over both bureaucrats and politicians. Give them complete powers to investigate and prosecute the guilty without needing any permissions. But the functioning of Lokpal should be completely transparent so that they do not become centres of corruption. Lokpal should also be appointed through a transparent and participatory process, lest it becomes a tool in the hands of some political party.

Let Government first set up such a Lokpal. And then hand over CWG and 2G spectrum cases to Lokpal. Only that could yield effective results. Else, it is all cacophony going on in media with the outcome already known. There if you really want to know about our Lokpal Bill, click here.