Thinking about ...

Mumbai and Life

2013-09-29T21:56:00.000+05:30

You know how at times you get so accustomed to your surroundings that you forget how wonderful and amazing it is to be there? Yeah well, I am sorry to acknowledge that between assignments, and more assignments, I forgot that I live in Mumbai now! And not just anywhere, but Bandra west, near Mannat, the Mannat! The all famous Mehboob studio is just down the hill, again something which I had failed to remember.

Now, I am not a fan of any particular person, but I would be lying if I say that seeing Shahrukh Khan will be nothing. It’s a huge deal but not something likely to happen, although who knows what may happen in the future.

Anyways, what brought me back to my senses today was, seeing someone who I thought looked like someone I once used to watch a lot, on television. This lady used to play a lot of lead negative roles. The reason that I haven’t told you her name is because I don’t know it. So what? Am I supposed to remember every name that I come across? Well maybe, but it was a long time ago and I am kinda bad with names and I am still racking my brains for it. I am sorry. How I wish Google could read my thoughts and tell me who it is that I am thinking about. But alas! That isn’t possible and stupid me, I cannot even remember the name of the show that I remember her for!

Well, I seem to be in a rambling mood today, so back to the lady that I saw. I was in an auto and due traffic, not to mention heavy rain, we stopped just at the entrance of Mehboob Studio. She was wearing a sleeveless green coloured Kurta with white cupris holding the hand of a girl not more than 12 years I think, although these days it is hard to tell the age of a girl with certainty as they tend to look older than they really are, when they are that young. And as they grow older it’s all about trying to look younger than their true self.

Anyways, back to the TV star look alike. As I saw her, I thought, ‘hey she looks like that lady who used to come in ... well ... um ... that ... arre ... that show...’ And yes, that’s how blank my memory went. But just as we moved, I saw another person clicking a picture with someone and then thanking him profusely. It was then I realised, that the man with the camera was taking a memento snap shot with some actor (some, because I don’t know who that person was). And then it hit me, that the lady I saw earlier wasn’t just any look alike but the real deal! Standing outside the Mehboob Studio!

It’s easy to forget where you really are, literally and metaphorically. But it feels good when reality makes you realise just how lucky you are, wherever you are.

My First Recital

2013-09-21T01:07:00.000+05:30

On Friday, September 20, 2013 at the Gallery Beyond in Fort, Sanskar Trust organised a Thumri recital by Dhanashree Pandit-Rai. Accompanying her were Girish Nalavade on Tabla and Niranjan Lele on Harmonium. Sorry if this sounds too much like a news report opening rather than my blog entry but lately all I can write is either a very badly written feature or a somewhat mediocre news report. I think I have forgotten how to write a normal blog entry with just my opinions without any other facts necessary whatsoever.

So anyway, like the name suggests this is about a recital, a music concert, my first one ever! Well, firstly, if you haven’t heard about Dhanashree Pandit-Rai, don’t worry; neither had I till a couple of days ago. She, yes Dhanashree is female, doesn’t have a Wikipedia page dedicated to her, so that won’t be of much help here, but obviously Google will. Still, let me give you a brief idea of who we are talking about. Rai is a Thumri performer and has received many awards for her work, even recorded a few fusion albums.

Now if you don’t know what Thumri is, then we have a serious problem my friend. But I am feeling pretty generous right now so here goes a very, very brief definition. Thumri is a semi classical Indian Music genre.

Now, I think I should tell you that even though I have heard a little classical music, I was never able to differentiate between the various classical genres, not that I can now but am just saying, don’t consider this post as to something that will increase your knowledge or give any know how on how to critique or even be able to pretend to know just a little about classical music.

The first time I had heard Rai or even her name was in my Critical Appreciation class where she was a guest lecturer. I like this subject, so far at least and she seemed nice enough so I thought let’s listen to her and if I don’t like it then I can easily nod off to sleep or do something else, another subject’s assignment most probably. But not only did I like her, she was also able to keep my attention directed towards her the whole 2 hours, an almost impossible feat! Well, she has a good voice and knows how to modulate it well too. The main objective of that class, according to her it was to give a little intro and technical terms to flaunt in front of others.

Today, however, it was a proper concert, an Indian one. If asked what all lyrics were played, I won’t be able to tell you because lyrics don’t matter in this genre of music (I am serious about this!). But I can tell you that I enjoyed every bit of it. Before I reached, I was a little sceptical whether I will be able to match up to its standards and understand what is going on, since I have never been to one before. But once she started singing, my mind stopped worrying and I let myself be taken away with the flow of the evening.

I could feel the energy in the room even though there weren’t many people present there. Thumri is all about the ornamentation of words and Rai knows how to do that and that seemed enough, for the time being.

I have a habit of noticing the other artists rather than the main one and that’s what I was doing when I hadn’t kept my eyes closed. Both Nalavade and Lele seemed to be enjoying themselves as well, a fact which was probably one of the reasons that I was smiling most of the concert. It could be seen from their faces that they loved every second of that recital and so were a few others, esp. the organisers of the event.

The highs and lows of this music, the beat, sometimes slow, sometimes fast kept me so concentrated on the music that I didn’t even realise when two and a half hours had passed away. All in all, it was a great experience and I absolutely loved it!

To know more about Dhanashree Pandit-Rai, visit the following link. http://www.dhanashreepandit.com/classical_vocalist.html

Also since I have made it my habit to give sources after whatever I write, the above one is where I got the information on Rai and the next one is from where I have taken the meaning of Thumri. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumri(Just in case you are inclined to know more about it, this could be of some use).

Ship of Theseus

2013-08-12T00:17:00.002+05:30

A movie that disillusions you but still leaves you feeling like something wasn’t altogether right about it either was what the Ship of Theseus did to me.

After exiting the movie theatre I was still wondering about the events that had left me moved and the questions that it had raised but more importantly I was amazed by everyone else’s excitement or maybe it was their indifference towards it that left me a little overwhelmed.

So about the movie, it is a combination of three stories into one with organ donation as a link between them. The movie starts with the story of Aaliya who is a photographer even though she lost her eyesight due to a cornea infection. Not only is she good at what she does but also manages a lot of things which I think even I would hesitate a little before doing, like crossing a main street just to click two people arguing or walk on rocky terrain and still be able to identify the various individual sounds. She undergoes a cornea transplant which restores her eyesight but leaves her disoriented in terms of her photography. The strange part, as a friend pointed out, was that she didn’t take much time to adjust to the gift of eyesight. She just delves right into her earlier works!

The second story showed the life of Maitreya, a monk who was trying to save lab animals by filing a PIL and arguing to provide them with better living conditions. He is shown as a person who is willing to ask some uncomfortable questions, fighting the beliefs of his own religion and believing that all life is sacred. But he is diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. At first he refuses all treatment because he knows they have been tested on animals, thus choosing to die for his cause. But after a lot of suffering, he decides that “his life’s purpose and mission aren’t over yet”, and chooses to get hospitalised and in this process robs a worthy person of an organ.

The third story revolves around stockbroker Navin, who just had his kidney transplant. He is a typical businessman who in not interested in knowing about anything except money making. By “chance”, he happens to overhear someone wailing in the hospital and finds out about the illegal organ transplants. After this we see his transformation from an uncaring person to someone who goes a long way to get justice for someone he doesn’t even know, literally. It was a little too much of cliché for my taste.

The whole movie was beautifully shot and directed, although I did have some difficulty in moving from one story to another as they had no clear cut endings.

The whole story comes together at the end when the connection between all three people is revealed, in what seems the most apt way so much that I can’t think of a better ending.

I really liked the second part of the movie till the last part, especially the banter between Navin and Charvaka, the young lawyer who was helping him with the PIL. Some of the discussions left me introspecting my own ideas and principles.

I just wish that the second part would have ended differently, the monk shouldn’t have given up on his resolve. I know that sounds bad but it is the eternal debate, being practical and pragmatic or being an idealist.

Shoes of the Dead Book Review

2013-06-14T18:17:00.000+05:30

Before I started this book, I checked up a little about the author, Kota Neelima and her previous works. Amongst articles and abstract paintings done by her, she also has 2 books published under her name. Death of a Moneylender and Riverstones. Both these books have one thing in common, the sense of true and unabridged reality.

Before I start my review, as always, here’s the book cover summary to give you a better idea of what this particular book is all about.

Crushed by successive crop failures and the burden of debt, Sudhakar Bhadra kills himself. The powerful district committee of Mityala routinely dismisses the suicide and refuses compensation to his widow. Gangiri, his brother, makes it his life’s mission to bring justice to the dead by influencing the committee to validate similar farmer suicides.

Keyur Kashinath of the Democratic Party - first-time Member of Parliament from Mityala, and son of Vaishnav Kashinath, the party’s general secretary - is the heir to his father’s power in Delhi politics. He faces his first crisis every suicide in his constituency certified by the committee as debt-related is a blot on the party’s image, and his competence.

The brilliant farmer battles his inheritance of despair, the arrogant politician fights for the power he has received as legacy. Their two worlds collide in a conflict that pushes both to the limits of morality from where there is no turning back. At stake is the truth about ‘inherited’ democratic power. And at the end, there can only be one winner.

Passionate and startlingly insightful, Shoes of the Dead is a chilling parable of modern-day India.

First of all, I would like to say that if it was supposed to be an eye opener to the plight and misery of farmers in India, I was already aware of most of the problems of poverty and the ways that the farmers have to cope with it. But that being said, this book has definitely been an interesting read, and will be most educational to those who are not aware of the predicament and troubles faced by the Indian farmers today.

According to the book cover summary, this is a narrative about the Indian politics, how it affects the farmers and the drastic measures that they have to take in order to provide for their families. And even though the political influence was there, I believe that it could have been more elaborately done and in a better manner to show just how the issues are being kept at bay and covered up. By that I don’t mean a conspiracy theory or anything, just a little more involvement would have done the trick for me.

The book is very well written and shows that the author has done a really through research about the subject matter, the farmer suicides in India.

The one thing I really liked about it was the fact that even though in the summary it suggested just one protagonist and an antagonist, but in reality this book has a lot of characters which serve as protagonists and the antagonists. For one, there’s the journalist Nazar Prabhakar, without whose help, Gangiri Bhadra would not have been able to attract the attention of the people concerned and connected to make a change. Also, amongst the antagonists there are the Maha Sarpanch Lambodar and money lender Durga Das. Each of them has their own agenda and purpose for making Gangiri Bhadra miserable and creating problems every step of his way.

I loved the character of Gangiri Bhadra. He was a hard working common man, who had to give up a lot in life and yet he had the determination and courage to fight for the injustices done to his brother. It wasn’t that he was fearless or anything but he did have a strong sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. His constant struggle between fighting for justice and trying to provide his brother’s family with the basic necessities is heart-breaking.

The character of Keyur Kashinath wasn’t what I expected it to be. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ruthless, conniving and opportunistic enough but the sudden change in his personality after meeting up with Gangiri, was a little far-fetched for my taste. The same is the case with the rest at the end of the book. The change of heart amongst all the antagonists was toeing the believability line for me.

One thing that I was really glad about was that this book didn’t turn into some kind love story with “complication”, but that being said, the background story for Nazar Prabhakar could have been developed more.

The end, even though it saddened me to read, was something that I had figured out when the initial crisis broke. It was very disheartening but it also gave the book the final and total level of honestly and stark reality which this book had promised.

In the end all I can think about is the line that’s been printed on the inside cover of this book, “None of us can match the powers we challenge. It is an unequal fight, but we do have the dead on our side.”

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Tantra Book Review

2013-04-14T23:42:00.001+05:30

Before I got the mail from Bloagadda about tantra being the book up for review, all I knew about it was that there was quite the buzz being created around it. For a newbie writer and his first book, a little promotion is crucial but even then, an animated version of the story is going a little over the top, don’t you think?

I know judging a book by its cover (literally) isn’t right, but sometimes one just gets the feeling of how a certain book will turn out to be and that’s what I feel happened here. My expectations from this book were really low, which as it turns out was a Good thing.

Anyways, as I always do before writing my review, here’s the plot of the said novel, as published on the back cover.

Anu is a leather wearing, no-nonsense professional guardian with a reputation for killing the most dangerous vampires in New York City. But when her enemies murder the one person she truly cared about, all she wants is vengeance. The only clue points to New Delhi, so Anu puts in for a job transfer.

In India, she finds more than she expected. For one thing, her fellow operatives have made a truce with the vampires. For another, it’s way too hot to wear leather.

At first, it seems Anu’s biggest challenge will be evading the nice boys her aunt wants her to marry. But when children start disappearing, she discovers forces older and darker than anything she’s faced before. All of Delhi is in danger, especially the sexy stranger who sets Anu’s pulse racing.

To prepare for the coming battle, Anu must overcome her personal demons and put aside years of training. This time, her most powerful weapon will come from her mind, not her weapons belt.

Now, I don’t have anything against vampires and supernatural elements, but when you decide to combine all the things that have helped sell a book in the past, then we do have a problem my friend!

A dab of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, a hint of Fifty Shades by E L James and also the attempt to bring out a conspiracy theory in the underbelly of Delhi, with the background of black magic, gives you a basic idea of what this book is all about.

Let’s start with our protagonist, Anu Agarwal, a US based Indian Vampire hunter, who is supposedly one of the better ones in her profession and has hunted the most ferocious and dangerous vampires. The first impression here, unlike the other earlier mentioned series, is of an independent, self sufficient, strong and formidable individual. I agree that Anu is physically strong but emotionally, it’s the same saga all over again. Her Character is heartbroken, vengeance seeking and erratic in nature. The decisions and choices, made by her, are juvenile, to say the least, the very least.

The characters, as enjoyable and likeable as they are, leave a lot to the imagination of the reader. Their backgrounds and life stories could have been developed a little more. Also at times the conversations and banter turn monotonous, leaving you wondering why it’s such a slow read.

The author has tried to compose something which will capture our generation’s attention and most probably has achieved in attaining it, considering the reviews that are being written about it. But for me, even though written pretty decently, this book just didn’t do it. I mean the fact that on being given the choice between reading Tantra and studying, I chose my textbooks, says something now, doesn’t it?

The writing style is plain and simple but conversations between the characters shows that the author has tried to imbibe his knowledge of American English and culture even though the story takes place in Delhi. The one thing I really liked about it though was the sense of humour, which kept the book alive for me but also left me wishing for more.

Now even though Anu is a vampire hunter, the vampires are only in the backdrop creating a setting for our protagonist, rather than developing into a full-fledged story.

There are a number of confrontation scenes between Anu and the vampires and the acolytes of Baba Senaka, the antagonist of this book, bringing spice to the narrative.

The author has also managed to put in a little romance here and there for the starry eyed, turning it into a replica, at times, of the books mentioned earlier.

The knowledge about Tantra, the black magic of Indian culture, could have been explained in a better manner. The tales of the past of the various astras seem like something taken from the books of Ashwin Sanghi.

Also, I feel that the ending is rather abrupt and that it could have been better.

The book has left a lot many questions unanswered but that can be accepted since a sequel is hinted at the end.

The plotline of this book suggested a sensible narrative, I mean as sensible as a book based on vampires and the mystical can be, but after reading it, I feel the author got distracted and concocted a mixture of everything and anything which would help the sales of the book.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

The Krishna Key : A Review

2012-09-23T20:27:00.000+05:30

As part of the initiative of Blogadda.com Book Review Program, I have become the proud owner of the book, The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi. The rule after receiving the book is to write a review about it within a week of acceptance. So, needless to say, I started reading it as soon as I got it out of the delivery packaging.

To start with I’ll post the book cover summary. I mean, what’s better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age—the Kaliyug.

In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar.

Only, he is a serial killer.

In this heart-stopping tale, the arrival of a murderer who executes his gruesome and brilliantly thought-out schemes in the name of God is the first clue to a sinister conspiracy to expose an ancient secret—Krishna’s priceless legacy to mankind.

Historian Ravi Mohan Saini must breathlessly dash from the submerged remains of Dwarka and the mysterious lingam of Somnath to the icy heights of Mount Kailash, in a quest to discover the cryptic location of Krishna’s most prized possession. From the sand-washed ruins of Kalibangan to a Vrindavan temple destroyed by Aurangzeb, Saini must also delve into antiquity to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice.

I have been an ardent fan of Ashwin Sanghi after reading Chanakya’s Chant, I mean as enthusiastic a person can be after reading the only 2 books available.

As most readers would know, Ashwin Sanghi is known as the Indian Dan Brown or Dan Brown of India, due to the similarities between their writing styles and thorough research, also the story line or plot of their books seems similar at times.

Coming back to the review of this book, the plot is intriguing but to some extent only.

When I first came to know about the “new release”, I was really excited and maybe that’s one of reasons why I feel disappointed by this book.

I had expected a lot from this book hoping to find some conspiracy theories and untold tales about Lord Krishna. But this book turns out to be slightly less than what I had imagined it to be.

Same as Chanakya’s Chant, here also, the author is narrating two tales, one of the past that is of Lord Krishna and the other one of present times of the historian Ravi Mohan Saini, our protagonist. But unlike the previous novel, here the past story is not as detailed or as interesting, at least to me, partly because of the fact that I know the Mahabharata pretty well, also I felt that for a person who doesn’t know much about the Indian history will have to do some research about it, to understand the underlying plot better.

However, I have to acknowledge the hard work that the Author must have put into the book. From Mahabharata to the Vedas to the different Indian civilizations, he has thoroughly researched everything. I had no idea about a lot of things that were mentioned in the book and I was intrigued enough to actually look them up. It has been really very well researched and includes many a surprise for the uninitiated. It also has a series of references for you to cross-check.

Also, one of the negative points about this book is, for those readers who have or will read it as a guide to history or some kind of unsolved mystery of ancient past, that we cannot differentiate which part is real and which fictional. True or False. Fact or Myth. By the end of the book, you’ll be utterly confused and after reading it, will have to do your own thorough research, I know I did.

With a few exceptions of very clichéd dialogues and intentional use of American terms, his language is definitely a plus point of the book.

If the author had imagined that the revelation of the antagonist will be a bolt from the blue, then he was seriously mistaken. Anyone who has read a few good thrillers or watched some nice suspense movies will be able to guess the real antagonist in almost the beginning of the book just like I did.

Also, sometimes the “facts” about lord Krishna have been duplicated, as in the same stuff has been repeated over and over again.

Towards the end, I felt like the story is deviated from what it was supposed to be with a not-so-exciting end.

I found the ending rather abrupt, sudden and a bit of an anti-climax. It is not what one expected, beginning with thriller and ending on a philosophical note.

A satisfactory read as it introduces you to delightful and strange aspects of our history that will send you scurrying to do a Google search. In those parts, the book is elevated to a true class book.

I cannot say any more positive or negative aspects as it will reveal too much about the story.

It is a good read for a journey or on a leisurely afternoon.

It is decidedly not his best work though, it definitely could have been much better.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter : My Review

2012-09-09T19:35:00.000+05:30

I was really sceptical about reading this book because like a lot of people, even I had seen the show before I knew about the original Dexter Series. But I was surprised how much I liked this book and what an addictive character Dexter is.

In a way I am glad I watched the show before because it gave me an opportunity to judge the performance of Michael C. Hall and I am glad to say that I have a new found respect for the actor. His performance in the show is simply remarkable.

Although that might have something to do with the fact that I really like Michael C. Hall and his face and voice were very much in my head the whole time, instead of the character as described by the author Jeff Lindsay.

To start with I want to post the book cover summary. What better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

Meet Dexter, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing . . . a monster who cringes at the site of blood . . . a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: he only kills bad people.

Dexter Morgan isn’t exactly the kind of man you’d bring home to Mom. Though he’s playful and has a wonderfully ironic sense of humour, Dexter’s one character flaw (his proclivity for murder) can be off-putting. But at heart Dexter is the perfect gentleman, supportive of his sister, Deb, a Miami cop, and interested only in doing away with people who really deserve his special visit. Dex is quite good-looking but totally indifferent to (and, frankly, a bit puzzled by) the attentions paid to him by women. Despite the fact that he can’t stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, a job that allows him to keep tabs on the latest crimes and keep an eye open for his next quarry.

Dexter’s well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can’t help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf, but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter—he seems to be saying, “Come out and play.” Dexter’s secret life makes for a lonely existence . . . even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend.

The story, as you can see, is about a Serial Killer. Dexter Morgan.

Mind you, Dexter's the good guy in this story!

Dexter is fluent in sarcasm and subtle wit which makes it an interesting read.

This book is definitely not a typical "serial killer vs. police" novel. The protagonist, Dexter Morgan, works with the Miami P.D. analyzing blood splatter at crime scenes, and as a result he becomes involved in the city-wide search for a serial killer victimizing area prostitutes. The twist, of course, is that Dexter is a serial killer himself. Not the serial killer currently being hunted by the police, but a serial killer, nonetheless.

In general, I stay away from novels about serial killers and anything that could be filed under "True Crime", mainly because of the level of human cruelty and gore that is usually involved. That being said, I doubt it's possible to write a book about a serial killer, let alone a book about two serial killers, without some descriptions of grotesque violence. However the author does keep the descriptions to a minimum and doesn't indulge in unnecessary descriptions of gore just for the shock effect.

The problem with your typical crime book is the lack of characterisation. There's plenty of that in here, in fact, it's all about the characters. There's still a plot, though, and a mystery, which you can figure out somewhat before Dexter does (partly because I already knew but I think even for readers who haven’t seen the show, it should be easy to figure out), but it all hinges on the characters.

In many ways, mysteries rely on deeply human motivations, passions, emotions, etc., which the author has deliberately removed from Dexter. What delights me about this book is how the author still manages to fit Dexter into that paradigm without giving Dexter a sudden fit of human compassion. The rules are the rules from the beginning to the end, and there's no wavering.

It seems really necessary somehow, to me, to compare the book with the show. So here it goes. The first season of the show follows Darkly Dreaming Dexter very closely, with some exceptions. I was thrilled with how much they expended Inspector Angel Batista's role on the show, because he's one of my favourite characters, it was quite a shock to see how little he was in the book. The epilogue of Darkly Dreaming Dexter, although seemed too rushed, but is sufficiently different enough from the show that I'm pretty hyped up to find out where book 2 takes things.

Although the additions and changes the show makes to the plot are only positive. The book's reveal of the Ice Truck Killer and the use of Dexter's dark dreams to find him toe the believability line.

I will search out the other "Dexter" books by Jeff Lindsay, not because they are amazing examples of police procedurals, but because Dexter Morgan is one of the most unique characters I've ever come across.

I would recommend it to those people who enjoys the morbid side of life or who enjoyed the TV show.

Not for the faint hearted, or the easily offended people. Or probably just about everyone else. So now I will go back to pretending I am horrified by this book...

Naroda Patiya massacre : Justice finally served?

2012-09-02T22:55:00.002+05:30

On August 31, 2012, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) court sentenced Mayaben Kodnani, BJP leader and former Minister for Women and Child Development of Gujarat, 28 years in Prison, and life imprisonment to Babu Bajrangi or Babubhai Patel, leader of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organisation, in the Naroda Patiya Massacre.

On February 27, 2002, a day before the Naroda massacre, the Sabarmati Express, a train which connects Ahmedabad city in Gujarat to the city of Darbhanga in Bihar, was attacked and burnt near the Godhra Railway station, by a mob mainly consisting of Muslims. It was reported that 58 Hindus, including 25 women and 15 children were burnt to death.

This was the main incident which triggered the communal Hindu-Muslim riot in Gujarat, resulting in the deaths of 1044 people, 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus as well as widespread loss of property.

Gujarat or Godhra in specific has a long history of riots between the Hindu and Muslim communities going all the way back to Partition of India.

However, the reason as to why the Godhra incident actually happened is still a mystery of sorts! The Gujarat riots happened in the year 2002, a little over 10 years ago, at which time I was still a pretty young and therefore I have no recollection of this unpleasant episode.

A lot of reasons have been given as to why a train was suddenly attacked and burnt which led to the death of almost 60 Passengers. But even after a thorough research with the help of internet, I cannot find conclusive evidence or any report that can shed some light as to the real reason of this occurrence.

The only thing common, that I could find between all the reports, was that there were a few Karsewaks (Hindu Pilgrims) travelling or rather returning from the city of Ayodhya after performing Poorna Ahuti Yagya, a sacred ritual.

After that all reports are in contradiction to one another. A lot of statements that were given earlier were retracted, facts that seemed to be genuine turned out to be false, blame was tossed around in every direction.

The Gujarat Government, at that point of time, suspected this incident as a part of conspiracy hatched by some Muslim terrorists of Jammu-Kashmir with some Muslim fundamentalists of Godhra to spread terror and create fear in the minds of people of Gujarat. According to the State Government, it was decided by the conspirators at Godhra, as a part of larger conspiracy, to attack Karsevaks who were to return from Ayodhya by this train. In pursuance of that conspiracy, this train was stopped and attacked near Godhra station with stones etc. and thereafter its coach S/6 was set on fire by throwing burning rags and petrol therein.

The earlier reports, as presented by the media, suggested that the mob which attacked the train were Muslims from the local area. It was suggested that the Karsewaks or pilgrims weren’t as innocent as portrayed but had been misbehaving throughout the whole journey. A lot of people came forward, who were present at the time of this incident, and told that even though the pilgrims were behaving badly, nothing happened till they reached the Godhra station, which some of the pilgrims, allegedly, kidnapped some girl from the station. That was the final straw. After that a few local Muslims, who had boarded the train earlier, stopped the train by pulling the emergency brakes, just after a few minutes of its departure. After that, in a few minutes, the train was on fire.

The government had set up a commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice G.T. Nanavati, to to enquire into the Godhra train burning and the subsequent violence and submit a report of their findings.

This Nanavati report came out largely in favor of the Gujarat government's aspect. Nanavati's evidence depended on the acquisition of 140 litres of petrol hours before the arrival of the train and the storage of the said petrol at the alleged key conspirator's, Razzak Kurkur, guest house.

On 22 February 2011, the trial court convicted 31 Muslims of the attack under Section 302 (Punishment for murder) and 120 B (Punishment of Criminal Conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and acquitted 63 Muslims, out of the people accused of conspiring and burning the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express.

On February 28, 2002, 97 people were killed in Naroda, an industrial suburb of Ahmedabad. The incident occurred during the bandh (general strike), which was called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an international Hindu organisation, whose Indian youth wing is Bajrang Dal. A mob of around 5000 Hindus attacked Naroda Patiya, a lower middle class Muslim locality in North Ahmedabad. It was the largest single case of mass murder during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The Gujarat riots violence raged during February 28 to mid July, when the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi gave his resignation, due to an overwhelming hue and cry from the opposition parties as well as three coalition partners of the BJP led government, demanding him to resign.

CM Narendra Modi asked the Governor of Gujarat to dissolve the state assembly and called for fresh elections. The elections were held in December and Modi returned to power as BJP got clear majority.

Mayaben Kodnani still claims that she is a victim of politics.

The court has ruled that the Naroda Patiya massacre was a pre-planned conspiracy.

A lot of people still have doubts about who was the real culprit. Many are still blaming CM Narendra Modi and are still doubtful of his actions in the Gujarat riots of 2002.

But mostly the major concern among people is if Modi was part of this conspiracy, do we want him to become our next Prime Minster?

Syria : Civil War

2012-08-31T20:30:00.000+05:30

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia. Its official language is Arabic. Based on statistical analyses from 2006, the Syrian population mainly comprises of Sunnis including Sufis, about 74 percent, while the rest are Alawites, Twelvers and Ismailis. Basically, Syria is mostly Sunni Arab.

Officially, Syria is a republic. In reality, however, it is an authoritarian regime under the guise of a democratic system. Although citizens vote for the president and members of parliament, they have little choice and electoral results are often adjusted.

The President and his senior aides ultimately make most basic decisions in political and economic life with a very limited degree of public accountability.

Political opposition to the President is not tolerated, and allegiance to the President has become the criterion for loyalty to the state.

Syria declared an official state of emergency in 1963, which was changed in April 2011 to a de facto authorization of extraordinary measures by the security forces. Syrian governments have justified martial law by the state of war that continues to exist with Israel and by continuing threats posed by terrorist groups.

The emergency law was established in 1963 when the Ba’ath party seized power. It prohibited several civil liberties, such as public gatherings, and authorised the arrest of any individual thought to pose a security threat, effectively granting security forces extensive powers of arrest and detention.

Syrians have not had the right to change the role of the Ba’ath Party. The late President Hafiz al-Asad was confirmed by unopposed referenda five times. His son, Bashar al-Asad, also was confirmed by unopposed referenda in July 2000 and May 2007.

Since March 2011, Syria has been embroiled in civil war. Protesters are demanding to end the nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule, as well as the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad.

The country’s last serious stirrings of public discontent had come in 1982, when increasingly violent skirmishes with the Muslim Brotherhood prompted Hafez al-Assad to move against them, sending troops to kill at least 10,000 people and smashing the old city of Hama. Hundreds of fundamentalist leaders were jailed, many never seen alive again.

Estimates of deaths in the conflict vary with figures from 23,300 to 30,850.

The Syrian civil war is now spilling into Lebanon, leading to incidents of sectarian violence in northern Lebanon between supporters and opponents of the Syrian government, and armed clashes between Sunnis and Alawites in Tripoli.

Lebanon, unlike most Arab countries, has a weak central government. The Lebanese designed it that way on purpose so that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to rule as a strongman; and as the country is more or less evenly divided between Christians, Sunnis, and Shias, so that no single sectarian community could easily take control over the others.

As the army is just as riven by political sectarianism as the rest of the country, when civil conflict breaks out, the army does a terrible job. Its leadership does not dare take sides lest the officers and enlisted men under their command splinter apart into rival militias.

So while the violence in Lebanon is at the moment contained, it is barely so. The real danger here is not that people will be kidnapped and killed by the dozen in isolated neighborhoods. The real danger is that if the situation does not calm down and stay down, the normally placid Sunni community will become increasingly radical.

Western powers have demanded President Assad resign and sought UN Security Council action. However, Russia and China have vetoed resolutions. All states backed a peace plan negotiated by UN envoy Kofi Annan, which saw observers deployed in April 2012 to monitor a ceasefire. But when violence escalated, Mr Annan resigned and the observers withdrew.

Lakhdar Brahimi succeeded him, but with major powers unable to agree on a way forward, Mr Assad showing no signs of leaving power and the opposition deeply divided, there appears to be no end in sight.

Melbourne … what’s so special about it anyway?

2012-08-30T20:37:00.000+05:30

Melbourne. People call it “the city of dreams”. They say it’s a place you’ll regret not visiting. A place that enshrines the very essence of the world as created by nature and then developed by mankind to display its grandeur.

I have always been fascinated by Australia. The way it’s so disconnected from everything, surrounded by water from every side. I always wondered how it would be to live some place like that. Although I might not really like that but still a few says visit, a vacation, will definitely be fun.

It’s like a paradise away from the whole world, water enclosing it from all sides.

There’s a joke about Australians. They are not racist or anything, they hate everyone equally. In all the movies, the Australians have been portrayed as people who are a little different, a little adventurous, a little forward, outgoing, qualities that I truly admire. I am not even sure that’s how they really are, but I sure would love to find out.

In the south east of Australia is a state, Victoria. It is the smallest mainland island and the most densely populated state. Its capital is Melbourne, the world’s most livable city as ranked by the Economist Group's Intelligence Unit in August 2011 and again in 2012.

Often referred to as the cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne has everything that heart desires. From the café’s to the Art Galleries, from parks to the theatres, from arcades to the museums, Melbourne has it all.

I want to witness the splendid 12 Apostles, observe the magnificent rock stacks that rise up regally from the Southern Ocean on Victoria's vivid coastline. Take in the spectacular beauty of the surrounding area along the beach.

People say the ideal way to travel and take in the view of Melbourne, is by water. So, I want to cruise along the Yarra River, on a Melbourne river cruise or ferry.

I want to travel in the hot air balloons, enjoying the thrill and the stunning panoramic views that the beautiful city has to offer, from the air, at sunrise, watching the first rays of sun touch the city in a way that will linger in memory, forever.

I would love to participate in the year round events of the Royal Botanic Gardens and explore the diverse plant collection which has made the Gardens, Melbourne’s most popular tourist attractions.

I have heard that the Melbourne Zoo is so huge that it’s almost impossible to cover the grounds in one day, especially since you’ll be enjoying yourself so much. Well, that’s what I would do, exhaust myself with enthusiasm and burn out my energy with fervor, because people, it’s a Zoo with Lions and Gorillas and Elephants and Kangaroos and Pandas and shiny multihued birds and so many more animals that I can’t even begin to explain. But most of all what I am looking forward to is the Butterfly House. I want to be surrounded by the hundreds of vibrant butterflies, native to Australia, in the magnificent tropical green house.

But you know the one thing that I am really looking forward to the most, is the Melbourne aquarium. I know it will be absolutely amazing because penguins are involved. Although for that I might visit the Phillip Island National Park also, where it’s said that the penguins are trained so well that they put on a parade for the visitors. I have always dreamed of playing with penguins, watching and observing them up close and personal. But also in the aquarium there are sharks, not dangerous because they are in tanks but still, it will be just thrilling!!

I also want to do the famous tree top walk, where you can zip across the treetops in this unique forest experience, gaining a bird's-eye view of Otway’s beautiful forests.

Even the lanes look so beautiful and nice that I might just spend all my time shopping or just wandering around sightseeing or window shopping.

Well, by now you must be wondering what’s all this musing and imagining the city of dreams about? Well I guess ... it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW! This is a contest that I thought I could participate.

So for any details, I would advise you to visit http://www.visitmelbourne.com.in and plan your own adventure and a fun filled journey.

Apple v. Google

2012-08-28T23:42:00.001+05:30

Apple’s late CEO, Steve Jobs, had felt that Android, an operating system for mobile devices developed by Google, was copied from Apple’s iPhone. But Google maintains it developed Android independently.

So far, Apple has done nothing to Google, directly at least. It sued Samsung, which is being viewed by people and analyst all over, as just a collateral damage. It would be difficult for Apple to prove that Google is benefiting financially from patent infringement, or that Google, and not the hardware manufacturers, is directly responsible for potential damages caused to Apple.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is a South Korean multinational electronics and information technology company. It is the world's largest mobile phone maker, world's largest television manufacturer and world's second-largest semiconductor chip maker (after Intel Corporation).

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Apple is the world's third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia.

On 15 April 2011, Apple Inc. Sued Samsung Electronics Co. stating that several of Samsung's Android phones and tablets, including the Nexus S, Epic 4G, Galaxy S 4G, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, infringed on Apple’s intellectual property: its patents, trademarks, user interface and style.

Samsung counter sued Apple on 22 April, 2011, alleging Apple infringed Samsung's patents for mobile-communications technologies.

By July 2012, the two companies were still involved in more than 50 lawsuits around the globe, with billions of dollars in damages claimed between them.

On 24 August, 2012, A South Korean court delivered a split decision. It ruled that Apple had violated two Samsung patents, while Samsung violated one of Apple’s. The Seoul Central District Court ordered both companies to halt sales of electronic products that infringe patents in South Korea. It also ordered Apple to pay a nominal 20 million won for each of its patent violations, while Samsung was ordered to compensate Apple with 25 million won, (Won is the currency of South Korea.)

Also, on the same day, a jury in San José, California, awarded Apple $1.05bn damages from Samsung after finding it had infringed several of Apple's design and software patents. The jury rejected the South Korean firm's counterclaims that the iPhone-maker had failed to license its technologies.

Samsung reacted by saying it will contest the US verdict. It could get an appeals court to delay any potential sales ban, which would give it time to bring new, modified products to the market.

The final ruling in the case is still pending, because in theory the judge could triple the size of the payment since the jury said Samsung's actions had been "willful", meaning the defendant engaged in acts that infringed the copyright; and defendant knew that those acts infringed the copyright.

In addition, Apple has asked a court to ban eight Samsung mobile phones in the US. The phones include the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T model, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile model, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail. The company has asked the US District Court in San Jose, California, for a preliminary injunction on the Samsung products, while a permanent injunction is sought.

Even though the companies are rivals, they have a $5 billion-plus supply relationship. Apple is Samsung's biggest customer for microprocessors and other parts central to Apple's devices. It supplies DRAM and NAND-type memory chips and flat screens used in popular Apple gadgets.

Currently, Samsung hopes to retain that business relationship through a "strict internal firewall" dividing its handset business and components operations.

Apple has been looking to spread its supply chain to reduce its dependence on Samsung. For its part, Samsung is also diversifying its customer base to reduce its dependence to Apple like adding new clients. But neither has confirmed having another buyer or supplier.

All the mobile phones that Apple has asked to be banned have the mobile operating system Android.

So, was Apple’s victory over Samsung just a way to rattle Google?

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana : The Perfect Platform for a Scam?

2012-08-26T23:17:00.001+05:30

In the past, Government has tried to provide a health insurance cover to selected beneficiaries either at the State level or National level. However, most of these schemes were not able to achieve their intended objectives. Often there were issues with either the design or implementation of these schemes.

Keeping this in mind, the government launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (National Health Insurance Scheme) formally on October1, 2007, but its implementation started in April, 2008. Its objective is to provide health insurance coverage and protection from financial liabilities arising out of health shocks that involve hospitalization, for Below Poverty Line families.

Beneficiaries need to pay only Rs. 30/- as registration fee while Central and State Government pays the premium to the insurer selected by the State Government on the basis of a competitive bidding.

In the Union Budget for 2012-13, the government made a total allocation of Rs. 1096.7 crore towards this scheme. By now, almost 30 million people have been enrolled under this scheme.

As per Zenith, the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, the May 2012 issue, The total Below Poverty Line families in India are 51.3 millions, out of which 24.14 million (47%) enrolled with this scheme.

Well, as with all government related operations, even this scheme has been highlighted for all the wrong reasons. In mid July, it was brought to everybody’s notice that thousands of women had unnecessary hysterectomies so hospitals could make insurance claims. Officials estimated more than 2,000 women were talked into having their wombs removed in the previous six months. According to state health minister Amar Agrawal, over the last eight months, hospitals and nursing homes have claimed Rs. 2 crore under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana for removing the wombs of 1,800 women.

Now, in an even unsettling event, Bihar became the second state to be hit by the ‘uterus removal scam’, which has lead to the questioning of Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Government and also given an opportunity to the opposition Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan to blame the ruling party Janata Dal (United).

According to latest reports being presented, Samastipur district administration has sent a report to state government claiming that there are more than 1300 suspicious cases registered so far in this connection. Also, report claimed that 489 operations have been performed without any requirement.

The opposition Lok Janshakti Party has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged removal of uteruses of over 16,000 below poverty line women and suggested that the state should provide a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to all the victims of the uterus scam.

It’s amazing how every scam or scandal can be turned into an astounding opportunity for the opposition parties and play the amusing blame game and finger pointing match.

Mother of all Scams?

2012-08-25T23:34:00.001+05:30

India's ruling Congress party has been hit by a series of damaging corruption scandals over the past year. The opposition has made regular calls for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign, over every scam that has gripped the nation.

The major corruption controversies to have beset the government in its second term of office are:-

2G Spectrum scan, 2011: It involved government officials illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would then use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones.

Commonwealth Games, 2010: Billions of dollars have been spent on the sporting event despite the fact that poverty in India is widespread. Additionally, several other problems related to it, have been brought forward, including serious corruption by officials of the Games' Organising Committee, delays in the construction of main Games' venues, infrastructural compromise, and exceptionally poor ticket sales before the event.

The latest scandal to hit the industry is the mining scandal which led to the unseating of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa

BS Yeddyurappa of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quit in July,2011 after an anti-corruption report named him as a key suspect in a scam which allegedly cost the exchequer more than $3bn. Mr Yeddyurappa denied any wrongdoing.

India is rich in lucrative minerals. Coal mining in India has a long history of commercial exploitation covering nearly 220 years. India has some of the most humongous reserves of coal in the world (approx. 267 billion tonnes.)

Over the last two decades, India has opened up mining to private companies without strong and independent regulation.

Coal Mining Scam or Coalgate is allegedly a corruption scandal in which the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) office accused the Government of India for providing the nation's coal deposits to private and state-run entities in an irregular and arbitrary manner instead of publicly auctioning them off to the highest bidder, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs. 186,000 crore to the exchequer during the period 2004-2009. There were leaks of the report in media in March 2012 which claimed the figure to be around Rs. 1,060,000 crore.

BJP has now demanded that the "controversial" allocation of coal block should be cancelled with immediate effect. However today, August 25, BJP has refused to let the Parliament function the Prime Minister, Manmohan singh, does not provide his resignation.

I have been following this particular story for some time, especially considering the fact that every day now, there is a constant fight between the ruling party and opposition. But what is really not surprising is that for every scam, the opposition has asked for somebody’s resignation.
But is this really the "The mother of all Scams" as the media is calling it?

Fifty Shades of Erotica?

2012-08-23T21:57:00.002+05:30

Recently the trilogy Fifty Shades, by the British author E. L. James, topped the New York Times Bestseller’s List. It set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, surpassing the Harry Potter series.

The books tell the tale of a dominant-submissive affair between a manipulative millionaire Christian Grey and a college graduate, Anastasia Steele. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes which include elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM).

At first, when I heard about it, I got curious about all the attention it was receiving. It’s not like there aren’t any “erotic” or sex scenes in other books! Take Jeffrey Archer for instance, I think in each one of his books you’ll find a pretty steamy passage.

So anyways, I decided that I just had to read it. I mean it’s not like I am doing much anyways, these days. So, barring common sense, I downloaded the eBooks and starting reading it.

Well, long ago I had devised the habit of passing over or simply scanning those pages which were a little uncomfortable for me and taking up the tale when all the panting had subsided into normal narrative. This at least made Fifty Shades a fast read, since most of it is about sex and – spare us all – sexual contracts.

But I’ll say this much, I was intrigued by the relationship and how it developed.

The author, E L James, had started it as a Twilight fan fiction, and let me say I wasn’t surprised!

I think by now everybody knows about the Twilight series, but for those who have some doubt, Twilight is a series of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels by American author Stephenie Meyer. It charts a period in the life of Isabella "Bella" Swan, a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington, and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward Cullen.

Well, just like Twilight, I could see why everyone was so “in love” with these books. It is all there, just like Twilight -- the moodiness that keeps the woman off balance, the aggression that makes her blame herself, the desire to hurt. Christian Grey doesn't sparkle though. Not even under the sun.

Now I know that there’s a reason why it’s called fiction but seriously people, a dream to fall in love with a Vampire?

I don’t know how many people out there watch the show Supernatural, well I do. There was this one episode in Season 6, where the protagonists, Dean and Sam, who hunt demons and all other kinds of creatures, come across a Vampire’s Nest that has been taking advantage of teenage girls by “pretending” to be a vampire like Edward. That was one of the most hilarious episodes for me.

Anyways, my point here, except for telling you that I am a supernatural fan, is that I understand fantasy and the need to fantasize but isn’t all this going a little too far?

Anyhow, this Fifty Shades phenomenon has been called “Mommy porn” and some serious objections are being raised about its success and questions that were always discussed in a “hush – hush” manner, are now being asked in an approach that’s more open and factual.

It is being hailed "for bringing the debate on female sexuality out in the open.”

What seems evident to me after the huge success of Fifty Shades that the market for sexually arousing content in the written medium or literature erotica, the term that is being used in relation to such books, seems to be gaining momentum in India. This can be seen from over 100,000 copies sold in India. I mean, just the other day I saw this whole series in one of those small time side walk stands.

There have been rumors that after the phenomenon success of EL James's Fifty Shades, a publisher of adult fiction is giving literary classics such as Jane Eyre and Pride And Prejudice an erotic makeover. Also publishing house Mills and Boon, which is famous for its romantic fiction for housewives, is hoping to emulate the success of erotic novel 'Fifty Shades of Grey' by launching its own erotic series, entitled 'Twelve Shades of Surrender.'

So will erotica surface from under the blanket to occupy prominent space in bookstores?

Freedom of Expression

2012-08-22T22:32:00.000+05:30

On 6^th of July, The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva passed its first resolution on Internet freedom with a call for all states to support individuals' rights online as much as offline.

It affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice.

Despite opposition on the issue from nations including China, Russia and India, states promoting the resolution hailed the support of dozens of countries ahead of its adoption.

All 47 members of the Human Rights Council agreed upon the right to freedom of expression online, including censorship-prone countries like Cuba and China, whose frequent blocking of websites containing politically sensitive terms is often referred to as the “Great Firewall of China.”

The text had the support of 85 co-sponsors, 30 of whom are members of the HRC. The United States was among the text's co-sponsors.

The resolution on Freedom of Expression on Internet,

1. Affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice, in accordance with articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

2. Recognizes the global and open nature of the Internet as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development in its various forms;

3. Calls upon all States to promote and facilitate access to the Internet and international cooperation aimed at the development of media and information and communications facilities in all countries;

4. Encourages special procedures to take these issues into account within their existing mandates, as applicable;

5. Decides to continue its consideration of the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, on the Internet and in other technologies, as well as of how the Internet can be an important tool for development and for exercising human rights, in accordance with its programme of work.

The resolution thus passed, is not binding. Therefore, many officials, including the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Ken Roth, are suggesting that its principal use is for public shaming.

Now, there have been some contradictions, when it comes to the support given to the bill. Most of the newspapers have informed us that India did not support this resolution, but while I was doing some research, I came across a few sites, which suggested that contrary to all the reports India did support the Freedom for Internet Bill. Now, I don’t know how much credible this information is, but it isn’t my job to give out conclusions, just the facts.

Well, as we all know, due to the Assam riots and everything that has happened in relation to it, the government has become even more stringent regarding the power and freedom that internet as well as other means of communication provide us.

In relation to this, the government put a ban on mobile users, on 17^th August for 15 days, where no one will be able to send more than five SMSs in one go and not more than 20 KB of data through mobile phones.

On Monday, June 20^th, US Officials called on New Delhi to maintain Internet freedom in keeping with India's own commitment to human rights and rule of law, while offering to "consult" with social media companies to defuse the mess over inflammatory postings (which caused panic exodus of North eastern Indians) if the Indian government requested such mediation.

New Delhi is bearing down on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to clean up what it regards as hateful postings.

The US, which is always on the side of full freedom of internet, has urged India to maintain respect for fundamental freedoms.

The ball, in some ways, is now in the court of the technology companies that produce the tools that countries use to monitor and circumscribe their citizens on the Internet.

One of the most common challenges for Internet companies with global operations is dealing with local laws that prohibit certain kinds of content. Google and Twitter publish how many requests they receive to remove content and how often they comply with the requests. Facebook, the world’s largest social network, does not, but it says that it removes posts and pages that are illegal in certain jurisdictions and violate the company’s terms of service.

I support freedom of Internet, but in my opinion, it should not become a way of spreading hatred. There's a difference between right to express yourself and abusing it to break communal harmony. I don't mind people sharing their views against the Government but writing or sharing false information to create havoc and disrupt the harmony and peace of the Nation is not at all part of the freedom.

Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one's opinions and ideas via speech. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, as with libel, slander, obscenity, copyright violation and incitement to commit a crime.

When our forefathers created the constitution, I don’t think that creating such mayhem and then calling it freedom of speech and expression, was what they had in mind, but as you can see this is just my opinion. What’s yours??

The Fountainhead: A modern classic by Ayn Rand

2012-08-21T23:57:00.001+05:30

So for today’s blog entry I have decided to write about my favorite book. It’s a book that I have read at least 6 times since I first read in eleventh standard. Every time I read it, something new comes forward, about me, about the people around me, about the society that we live in.

A friend had suggested this book to me, I am really, really glad that she did. If there has been book that makes you think, really think, then this is it.

Well, firstly I want to post the book cover summary. What better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him.

The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand’s controversial novel, tell the story of the desperate battle wages by architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite … of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy … of the fantastic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.

Its theme is one of the most challenging ideas ever presented in a work of fiction – that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.

It contains Ayn Rand’s daringly original literary vision with the seeds of her groundbreaking philosophy, objectivism.

This book is divided into four parts: Peter Keating, Ellsworth M. Toohey, Gail Wynand and lastly Howard Roark.

Even though the main character may seem as Howard Roark, the other characters are as much important, because without them there is no way that book can be interpreted properly.

Peter Keating: He is also an aspiring architect. His original inclination was to become an artist, but his mother pushes him toward architecture where he might have greater material success. Keating does possess some creative and intellectual abilities, but is stifled by his sycophantic pursuit of wealth over morals. His willingness to build what others wish leads him to temporary success. He attends architecture school with Roark, who helps him with some of his projects. The one sincere thing in Keating's life is his love for Catherine Halsey, Ellsworth Toohey's niece. Although Keating does have a conscience, and oftentimes does genuinely feel bad after doing certain things he knows are immoral, he only feels this way in hindsight, and doesn't allow his morals to influence current decision making.

Ellsworth M. Toohey: He writes a popular art criticism column and is Roark's antagonist. Toohey is an unabashed collectivist and Rand's personification of evil. His biggest threat is the strength of the individual spirit. Having no true genius, Toohey's mission is to destroy excellence and promote altruism as the ultimate social ideal.

Gail Wynand: He is a wealthy newspaper mogul who rose from a destitute childhood in the ghettoes of New York City to control much of the city's print media. While Wynand shares many of the character qualities of Roark, his success is dependent upon his ability to cajole public opinion, a flaw which eventually leads to his downfall. Wynand is a tragic figure who ultimately fails in his attempts to wield power, losing his newspaper, his wife, and his friendship with Roark.

Howard Roark: As the protagonist of the book, Roark is an aspiring architect who firmly believes that a person must be a "prime mover", a person that is chiefly responsible for the creation or execution of a plan or project, basically, to achieve pure art, not diminished by others, as opposed to councils or committees of individuals which lead to compromise and mediocrity of a prime mover's completed vision. He represents the triumph of individualism over the slow stagnation of collectivism. Bowing to no one, Roark rises from an unknown architect who was kicked out of school for "drawing outside of the lines". Roark goes on to design many landmark buildings, and rails against convention.

Here’s a little about Dominique Francon, also.

Dominique Francon: She is the daughter of Guy Francon, a highly successful but creatively inhibited architect. Initially, she thinks that the world did not deserve her sincerity and intellect, because the people around her did not measure up to her standards. She starts out punishing the world and herself for all the things about man which she despises, through self-defeating behavior. She initially believes that greatness, such as Roark's, is doomed to fail and will be destroyed by the 'collectivist' masses around them. She eventually joins Roark romantically, but before she can do this, she must learn to join him in his perspective and purpose. By the end of the novel, Dominique no longer cares what anyone thinks or does. Finally, it is the act of creating, loving, and living in which she finds happiness, rather than the results of these successes, no matter how good or bad the recognition may be.

I also feel that Catherine Halsey, the love of Peter Keating, is a highly under rated character. Early in the story, Katie is a sincere, good-natured girl, genuinely in love with Peter Keating. Her sweetness, innocence, and good nature are inadequate to protect her from Toohey's evil. She was a conventional person, dutifully following her family and her uncle, not too ambitious, not committed to living by her own judgment or pursuing her own dreams. Her lack of independence — her unwillingness to bear the responsibility of sustained, self-initiated thought — costs her the loss of her soul.

The characterization in no other book I read till date has matched the depth or complexity displayed by Ayn Rand. It will show Life in different perspectives and well beyond one’s beliefs at times. The characters will always stand in my thoughts.

The first time I read it, all throughout the book I was getting this feeling about Toohey, that something isn’t right, but you just can’t put your finger on it. You get a little idea about his character when you read about his biography but it’s not until the book is almost about to end that, when he explains his methods to Peter Keating and why and how Toohey corrupted Keating, the real purpose and motive or agenda is brought forward to you.

Now, if you haven’t read this book then, my friend, you are missing out on something so good that, believe me, you are going to regret it.

This book is not for everyone, anyone who reads it, will see it in a whole different manner. Understanding the book and the characters is something that might take some time. However, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that either you’ll love the book or hate it. There’s no mid way here. And if you are stuck in the middle, then I suggest you read it again, because I don’t think you have understood it properly.

As a last word, all I want to say is that the philosophy that one gets from this book is amazing. I think, one should read this book at every stage of one’s life, and the philosophy that one gets from this book, each time, is different.

Music

2012-08-20T23:53:00.002+05:30

As the left hand side of this page suggests, I am a member of Blogadda. It’s a blogger platform, where you submit your blog and it showcased among other Indian blogs. Well, today I received a mail from them about a competition.

Here’s what the mail was all about:

Didn't we tell you that we love our bloggers in Delhi/NCR? Well, we are back to show our love with an invitation to be a part of an one of its kind event organised by Red Bull.

Red Bull is organizing a Thre3Style event, an International DJing competition where participants mix a selection of any three genres or styles of music in 15 minutes. The World Finals are in Chicago and right now Delhi is hosting the National Finals for the Indian subcontinent. Yes, you got it right, we are inviting you to be a part of it. Shveta Salve will be hosting the Regional Finals and Nikhil Chinapa & Pearl will judge and play at the Red Bull Thre3style National Finals. Isn’t that cool and exciting?

We are looking for few bloggers who have an interest in music and lifestyle and wish to be a part of the gala evening that not only has in store some awesome performances, but also a workshop with a top console DJ and loads of Red Bull goodies on offer. To participate, you just have to tell us how interested you are in music/ lifestyle through a post on your blog. (If you are interested in music but haven't got any post up yet, just remember it is never too late to start. What better an opportunity than this? The last day for expressing your interest is Aug, 22nd 2012.

Express your interest now!

Now, I know that I am an amateur and a newbie to blogging, so I did not even bother signing up for this. I mean why waste anyone’s time when you won’t be the one getting selected.

Anyways, moving on, I am posting this entry to my blog, because music is something that I just cannot live without.

I sleep with my favorite songs buzzing in my ears and wake up to a noisy sound, my alarm, which to some might be called music, but after listening it every day and most importantly waking up from my sweet, weird or sometimes even disturbing dreams, you start to get a little irritated by it.

My all times favorite artists range from Elvis Presley, The Beatles and John Denver to Coldplay, Pink, and The Cranberries. Old Hindi songs, new songs which have good music along with really nice lyrics, just make my day. Yes, those are very weird choices, but hey what can I say, I love what I love, right? So I know, it’s an unending list. The songs, the artists, if I had to do it sometime, I mean make a one, believe me it would take days.

Now that being said, I just like to listen to songs, watching the videos isn’t exactly my kind of thing. While listening, whatever image my mind conjures up, is good enough for me, because ninety percent of the time the videos are so obscene or senseless, that even my love for the song starts to diminish.

I know that I am pretty young and naïve and I possibly cannot know a lot of people. That being said, the people that I do know, not one of them can live without music. It’s just a very important and essential part of our life.

Life, in general, can sometimes be very lonely, and if you have trust issues, like many people do, then it’s even worse for you. See, music not only helps in coping up a little with isolation, but also provides with a little peace of mind.

Nowadays, everywhere you go, however you go, by bus, metro, car, everyone is listening to music. It might not be same song or the genre, but it gives you a feeling of being connected, being in touch. When someone listening to music, sees some other person doing the same thing, a smile instantaneously comes to their faces. And we all know, it’s that smile, that one tiny moment of happiness, that actually makes us feel part something, something bigger, better, that brings a little sunshine in our life.

I know from personal experience, that music can be a very good way to strike new friendships, new relationships. You’re just standing there lost in your own world and some else, whose lost in a world of their own, comes to stand beside you. A few minutes go by and then one of asks the time or if you’re waiting for someone, crib about how late that person is and how much long will it take. Then the one, inevitable question, “so what are you listening?” and after that you can just go on and on, about your interests, choices, tastes and preferences leading towards the start of a friendship, sometimes more.

Some people say that having hobbies is a waste of time, sometimes waste of money and energy as well. But I want to ask those people that if they have any hobby or past time for that matter, what is it, that they are actually working for?

In my opinion, it’s always good to have something going in your life, other that your work and family. It gives that extra something that over the years people start to miss and gives us the feeling of uneasiness or dissatisfaction.

My hobbies are listening to music, reading books, watching shows, movies and hanging out with friends. What’s yours??

Just a Moment

2012-08-19T23:18:00.000+05:30

Today I don’t really have a topic relating to the news or stuff that happened around the world. Well, of course there is stuff happening all around, but I just don’t want to write about all that at the moment!!

Right now I feel like writing about everything and nothing, but that would be a little hard to do, don’t you think?

It rained a little today in the evening, n for the small period of time that rain drops were falling on the ground, all I did, was look up at the sky and try to make out the shapes of the clouds. This is sort of my usual time pass when I don’t have much to do. Don’t you just love the fragrance of wet soil, that scent, which is spread everywhere just after it has rained? Well, I do.

Anyhow, across the street I saw a kid, who didn’t look older than 6 or 7, doing almost the same thing, although pretty soon his mother came and took him inside. Leaving me wondering what was that kid imagining when he looked up and how would it be different than what I thought I saw.

Its strange how when you grow up a little, you start to lose that stray imagination that we all were so proud of at one time. I used to have a very active imagination, I hope I still have it even though I know I am not that kid anymore. We all have to grow up sometime, after all, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves once in a while.

Sometimes just forget everything, that bill that is still unpaid, work at the office that is still pending or the call that were supposed to get but still haven’t received. Pretend as if there’s no worry is bothering you and take a minute, maybe five, sit back, to appreciate and enjoy what you already have and all that you have accomplished. Try it, its really fun and fulfilling, and if you don’t have time, well, like I have said earlier, or like people always say, “you just don’t get time, you have to make a conscious effort for it”.

Well, to quote Nike, “Just Do it”.

Although I don’t believe that people don’t have time, I think that they are just wasting it, doing something that isn’t worthwhile or unnecessary. Don’t worry about what you did, or what will happen, because whatever you did, you possibly cannot turn back time and undo it, but what you can do is learn from it, understand what you did wrong. As for the future, well why worry about it? Just do what you have to do, give it your best shot and wait for things turn out for the best.

I believe everything that happens, happens for a reason, so I would suggest you to stop complaining or cribbing about what has happened and focus on what can be done, now and in future.

Worry or tension just takes away our piece of mind, doesn’t let us rest and take a breather. Most of the problems today are because people think way too much about the problem that’s troubling them, and not on focusing what should be done as a solution.

In today’s fast paced life, if you cannot mange to have a even a little bit of time, even on a Sunday, then just answer this little question of mine, are you really living or dragging along, waiting for life to come to an end? Well, if your answer is the latter one, its about time you do something to change that attitude!

Don’t over think, just let go. Smile every day, laugh a little, relax a bit and have some fun if you can. Believe me, it can make all the difference.

Miss World 2012

2012-08-19T00:37:00.000+05:30

As most people must know, today was the Grand Finale for Miss World, 2012.

The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's wife, Julia Morley, co-chairs the pageant.

Alongside its rivals Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth contests, Miss World is one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world.

The winner spends a year travelling to represent the Miss World Organization and its various causes. Traditionally, Miss World lives in London during her reign.

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The current Miss Universe is Leila Lopes, from Angola. She won the title on September 12, 2011.

Miss International (Miss International Beauty or The International Beauty Pageant) is also an annual international beauty pageant held since 1960. The current Miss International is Fernanda Cornejo, from Ecuador. She won the title on 6 November 2011 in China.

Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Along with Miss Universe and Miss World contests, Miss Earth is one of the three largest beauty pageants in the world in terms of the number of national-level competitions to participate in the world finals. The current Miss Earth titleholder is Olga Álava of Ecuador who was crowned on December 3, 2011.

Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos, was Miss World 2011.

Tonight in Ordos, China, from a total of 116 contestants, Miss China, Wenxia Yu, was crowned the 62nd Miss World with Miss Wales Sophie Elizabeth Moulds as the 1st runner-up and Miss Australia Jessica Michelle Kahawaty as the 2nd runner-up.

Miss India, Vanya Mishra, was awarded two subtitles Miss World Beauty with a Purpose 2012 and Miss Multimedia 2012.

Miss china PR was also awarded Miss Talent 2012.

Miss World 2012 Beach Beauty was Miss Wales, Sophie Elizabeth Moulds.

Miss South Sudan, Atong Demach, took away the Miss World 2012 Top Model award.

Finally, Miss World Sports Woman 2012 was awarded to Miss Sweden, Sanna Jinnedal.

Congratulations and best wishes to the winners!

Muslims and Terroism

2012-08-17T22:39:00.003+05:30

So, I was reading about the Kamra Air base attack in Pakistan, which happened in the early hours of Thursday, on the Times of India website. Well, as much as dreadful that was, what really disturbed me, were the comments that followed afterwards.

It is well known that there is no love lost between the people of India and Pakistan. But reading those comments, it dawned on me, how even the common man, has been sucked into the ever vicious cycle of the political blame game.

Every individual, be it Indian or Pakistani, all were blaming the other country for the attack. Indians were stating this as an irony, that people who have been providing refuge to terrorists finally got a taste of their own medicine. On the other hand, Pakistanis were positive that this attack was organized by the Indian terrorists. Just like the politicians of the world, we were taking sides and blaming the other party for the destruction.

Also, all this blame game started me wondering, does everyone thinks this way? So, in an effort to understand it further, I read a few more articles about terrorism, Muslims and Pakistan. Well, no awards for guessing the result of that research. Almost all Indians hate Pakistanis and I have to say the feeling is mutual.

But what was even more distressing about this was that people have linked all Muslims and terrorists together. If you’re a Muslim, you must also be a terrorist. Now I am not a newborn or anything, I know the hatred runs deep into our veins, and sometimes its understandably so. After all, there have been so acts of terrorism and violence in our nation. Many people have lost someone they once loved deeply and dearly. But does this makes it right to hate anyone and everyone who is a Muslim?

I am not saying that there isn’t terrorism present in the world, cause there is and its on the rise even as I talk about it here, but I what I am trying to say here is that we need to distinguish between Muslims and terrorism.

Now I know this must sound really naïve and childish, but shouldn’t we give the benefit of doubt to them? I feel that everyone deserves at least one chance, just one, and if they lose it, well I guess they lose it.

Well maybe this is stupid after all but trying never hurts, does it?

Jealous

2012-08-17T02:38:00.002+05:30

This was something that I wrote sometime back, just wanted to share.

When I was young I used to be jealous

Jealous of all the people around me

Jealous of all they could have and not me

But even then I used to wonder

About the day when others would envy me

When they would realize what they had

But were careless enough not to understand it

Naive enough to worry about all the things they couldn’t get

And stupid enough to not be grateful for all they already have

And today, here I am, still jealous and still alone

Wondering when will I break this vicious cycle

When will I understand that this is how it will always be

I will always be that little kid who will look up every night

Trying to talk to the stars, the moon

And if nothing else then the solitary wind

Its as if I am never gonna find any peace and

I’ll always have that empty space

This should trouble me, should make me worry

But this realization has made me understand

This is how I always was

This is how I’ll always be

Independence day

2012-08-15T15:46:00.001+05:30

When I was a kid, Republic Day and Independence Day were the only two days, when I bothered to get up early, despite the fact the fact that it was a holiday. You know, on Republic day, we have this huge parade, in New Delhi. Anyways, not here to talk about that, are we now?

So, Independence Day, a day which commemorates India’s independence from the British and its birth as a sovereign nation on 15^th August, 1947.

The Independence Day is a national holiday in India. The flagship event takes place in Delhi where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort, followed by a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The day is observed all over India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events.

Schools and colleges mark the day with cultural activities, drills, flag hoisting and distribution of sweets. Government as well as private organisations celebrate it similarly.

Families and friends get together for lunch or dinner, or for an outing. Housing colonies, cultural centres, clubs and societies hold entertainment programmes and competitions, usually based on the freedom theme.

In cities, one sees a sudden burst of saffron, green and white, the Indian tri-colour. The media goes to town with a variety of contests, promotions and programmes related to Indian independence. Television channels show patriotic movies and relentlessly play patriotic songs from old and new Hindi movies. Billboards on roadsides for different brands pay their tribute to the nation.

Everyone seems to have something going for them. Shops and petty tradesmen sell a range of Independence Day merchandise such as flags, stickers, tee-shirts and greeting cards. Street urchins hawk paper and plastic flags and tri-coloured balloons to motorists at traffic signals.

Though a trifle commercial and jingoistic, what lies beneath the celebrations is the national spirit of gaiety, pride and hope for a better future. A spirit and hope that is renewed each year.

Now, I know that India has many flaws and today should be the day that we should highlight them, but right now, It just seems that everywhere, on every blog or any site which brings forward people’s opinion, people are saying, how wrong can India go and how, whatever we do is never gonna be enough, therefore I have decided to leave the topic “India and its improvement”, for some other time. Right now and for today, lets just take a step back and see how far we have come from the time when we were under the British rule. Yes, I agree, that it isn’t much, but today, in history, our forefathers, who fought for the independence, had achieved a major feat, so, I want to spend the time I have today in remembering them and saluting them, for giving me a country that I love and cherish.

Political Parties in India

2012-08-14T01:27:00.000+05:30

I have never really understood the politics of our country. I think its about time that I should have a basic knowledge and understanding about the political system, right?

In the Indian politics, the President of India is head of state and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, the highest national court being the Supreme Court of India. Elections are held at different levels. The two major election levels are at national level, after which the national government is established and at state level after which the state government is established. Elections are also held for city, town and village councils.

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body, which basically means that it has the power to pass, amend, revoke or annul laws. It has the ultimate power over all political parties of India. It comprises of the President of India, and the two houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The President of India has the power to summon, discontinue or postpone either house of parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha, the House of the people, is the lower house of Parliament. The leader of the house in Lok Sabha is Sushilkumar Shinde. Its membership has been limited to 552 members, by the constitution. It is formed for a term of 5 years, after which it is automatically dissolved. The present membership of Lok Sabha is 545. If there is any disagreement between the two Houses, the Lok Sabha will prevail in the joint sitting with the Rajya Sabha because it has more members than the other House of the Parliament. The Speaker of Lok Sabha is Meira kumar. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha conducts the business in the house and also on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting.

Rajya Sabha, the Council of States, is the upper house of Parliament. Its membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature, science, and social services. These members are known as nominated members. The remainder of the body is elected by the state and territorial legislatures. Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution but one-third of its members retire after every second year. The present membership of Rajya Sabha is 245. The Vice President of India also serves as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The current vice President is Mohammad Hamid Ansari. His function as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is to preside over the meetings, also it includes admitting members to the floor, deciding points of order, maintaining order and discipline in the House, deciding issues and announcing results.

Besides the Chairman (Vice-President of India) and the Deputy Chairman, there is also a function called Leader of the House. This is a cabinet minister - the prime minister if he is a member of the House, or another nominated minister. The Leader has a seat next to the Chairman, in the front row. The leader of the house in Lok Sabha is Sushilkumar Shinde, while in Rajya Sabha, the leader of the house is Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Besides the Leader of the House, who is leading the majority, there is also a Leader of the Opposition - leading the minority parties. This is commonly the leader of the largest minority party, and is recognized as such by the Chairman. For Lok Sabha it is Sushma Swaraj and for Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley.

The Members of either house are commonly referred to as Members of Parliament or MP. The Parliament is composed of 790 MPs.

The period during which the House meets to conduct its business is called a session. The Constitution empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than 6 month's gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at least twice a year. In India, the parliament conducts three sessions each year:- Budget session: 20–35 days in the months of February to May, Monsoon session: 20–35 days in the months of July to August and Winter session: 20–34 days in the months of November to December.

Now that I have covered a lot of basics, yes that just the basics, lets move onto the various political parties of our nation.

So, India has basically two types of political parties, National and State level. National parties are political parties which, participate in different elections all over India. State parties or regional parties are political parties which, participate in different elections but only within one state.

There are a total of 54 regional or state level parties. Although there are only 6 National level Political Parties.

Now as explained earlier, regional level parties can participate in only their state elections. Well, I don’t really think that I can delve more into these parties or else we’ll be here for a very long time.

So, instead of the regional parties, I’ll talk about the thinking or their ideologies. Now, many political parties base their political action and election program on an ideology. A political ideology largely concerns itself with how to allocate power and to what ends it should be used. Some parties follow a certain ideology very closely, while others may take broad inspiration from a group of related ideologies without specifically embracing any one of them. For the purpose of explaining where or at what point, a political party stands, we should firstly understand a few concepts.

Party Platform: A manifesto, written public declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government.

Political spectrum: It is a term used to refer to the differences in ideology between the major political parties.

Left Wing Politics: The Left, left-wing, and leftists are people or views which generally support social change to create a more egalitarian society, a classless society or a society that treats everyone with equality.

Right Wing Politics: The Right, right-wing, and rightist have been defined as acceptance or support of social hierarchy. Inequality is viewed by the Right as either inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, whether it arises through traditional social differences or from competition in market economies.

Centre Right Politics: The moderate right, describes adherence to views whose views leaning to the right but close to the centre on the left-right political spectrum.

Centre Left Politics: People with views leaning to the left but close to the centre on the left-right political spectrum. The centre-left promotes a degree of social equality that it believes is achievable through promoting equal opportunity.

Far Right Politics: It involves support of strong or complete social hierarchy in society, and supports supremacy of certain individuals or groups deemed to be innately superior who are to be more valued than those deemed to be innately inferior.

So a brief overview about the national parties, because lets face it, I don’t think anybody can actually remember all the state level parties, not willingly at least.

1. Indian National Congress (INS): Commonly known as Congress, is one of the two major political parties of India. Its party leader or chairperson is Sonia Gandhi. Our current Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and current President, Pranab Mukherjee as well as former President, Pratibha Patil belongs to this party. It is currently in power in eight states (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Rajasthan) where the party enjoys a majority of its own. It has 206 seats in Lok Sabha and 71 seats in Rajya Sabha. This party’s platform is considered Centre Left in the Indian Political Spectrum.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP): It is the second largest political party, after Congress. Its Chairperson is Nitin Gadkari. Former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a member of BJP. It is currently in power in six states (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa) where the party enjoys a majority of its own. It has 114 seats in Lok Sabha and 49 seats in Rajya Sabha. The party platform of BJP is Centre Right.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Majority People's Party is one of the only five prominent national political parties of India. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans, referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as minorities. Its Chairperson is Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Utter Pradesh. It has its main base in UP. It has 21 seats in Lok Sabha and 15 seats in Rajya Sabha. It has a centrist party platform.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): NCP was formed by Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar after they were expelled from the INC, for disputing the right of Italian-born Sonia Gandhi to lead the party. It is primarily based in the state of Mahrashtra. Its Chairman is Sharad Pawar, currently the Minister of Agriculture, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Minister Of Defense. It has 9 seats in Lok Sabha and 7 seats in Rajya Sabha. It has a centre to centre left party platform.

Communist Party of India (CPI): It was initially formed with a view to fight for national independence and a future of socialism. Its Secretary General is Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, who has previously served as the Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour. It has 4 seats in Lok Sabha and 3 seats in Rajya Sabha. It is a left wing political party.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) {CPI (M) OR CPM}: It emerged out of a division within the Communist Party of India (CPI). It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI (M) is leading the state government in Tripura. Its Secretary General is Prakash Karat. It has 16 seats in Lok Sabha and 11 seats in Rajya Sabha. It is also a left wing political party.

Now that’s a lot of information to be remembered in a short amount of time, but I am really glad I did this, because now I atleast know how confusing all this can become.

Well, it is good to see that we have come such a long way since 1919, when the Parliament was founded. The Government of India Act, 1919, was passed by the British Parliament to define the structure of government and administration in Great Britain's chief colony, India. The chief purpose of the 1919 act was to allow the people of India greater participation in their own government.

Although, the period of British Raj was a very harsh period for India, but with all its damaging and negative impact upon India, it still had a few good features. I mean, I am really glad that we got our independence, but its still heartening to see all of that suffering and torment did us a little good too. Or else who knows how long it would have taken us to create a proper political environment.

India's Journey in Olympics 2012

2012-08-13T00:42:00.000+05:30

Well this is my second entry to the blog, and there’s so much and so many things that I want to write about, that I don’t even know where to start!

But Olympics 2012 seems a pretty good right now, especially considering that its come to an end.

Well I always thought that India never does very well at the Olympics, in comparison to other countries, but being a naïve little person, never really thought about the reason behind it!

This time, Olympics was held in London, and India had sent 83 athletes to compete in 13 sports out of the 26, that were to be held in 2012. Initially the Olympics had only 9 sports when it first started in the year 1896. Boy, have we come a long way since then!

India won a total of 6 medals, 2 silver and 4 bronze. I have tried to provide summarized details below:

Gagan Narang won our country the first medal, on 30^th July, a bronze one, in the 10 m air rifle event.

Next person to bring glory to India was Vijay Kumar, on 3^rd August, when he won the silver medal in men's 25 m rapid fire pistol event.

After that Saina Nehwal, won our 2^nd bronze medal and 3^rd medal overall, on 4^th August, in women's singles in badminton, where she was declared winner after Wang Xin, her Chinese opponent retired hurt.

Mary Kom won India its fourth medal, on 8^th August, by winning a Bronze medal, in the Women's flyweight category in Boxing, when she lost the bout to Britain’s Nicola Adams.

On 11^th August, Yogeshwar Dutt won India its 4^th bronze medal in the 60 kg Freestyle Wrestling event, after defeating North Korea’s Jong Myong Ri.

And last but definitely not the least, Today, on 12^th August, on the last day of Olympics 2012, Sushil Kumar won our final medal, a sliver in 66 kg Freestyle wrestling, after he lost to Japan’s Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu in the final match.

India has achieved the 55^th rank, out of 204 nations that participated this time. Unites States won 104 medals and has the top rank.

A lot of funds had been provided for the preparation of our participants from the Indian Government as well as from private sponsors. But it’s the hard work of our athletes that amazes me, I mean the sheer amount of will power, inner strength that the sport requires and which they possess, its amazing and extra ordinary.

But the one question that is still circling around my head is why have we not achieved more, how are we still so behind, I mean we are the 2^nd largest country with respect to population, and our intelligence is renowned worldwide, so how is it that we are lacking behind so much?
Well as much as I would love to answer all these questions, the topic is just too vast for me to cover it single handedly, so I would just have to give it up for now.

Right now I am happy and proud to be an Indian, because we have come a long way though I know that we have to go an even longer way.

Well, all in all it was a good performance of India in the Olympics 2012, a performance that brought recognition to India and its athletic community.

Here’s hoping that in Olympics 2016, India will perform even better and outshine itself!

The First Entry : An Introduction

2012-08-12T06:05:00.001+05:30

So .. starting my blog .. I have never actually written a blog or anything, I mean thought about it a billion of times, sure .. but never really got the time .. and now this, it sort of feels weird .. Hopefully, I’ll get used to this.

Umm .. so .. what do I say .. lets start with a little about me .. I am a very weird, freak of nature kinda person, utterly n totally confused but hoping that one day, somehow will manage to clear at least a few of my doubts ..

Now earlier I said that I didn't have time to start a blog .. well that was sorta true .. I know, i know, u have to make time blah blah, but I really had a very good reason for not having any spare time .. so I don't know how to manage my time, but how can u spare some when ur studying 24*7!!! Yes, that much .. well when ur studying to become a chartered accountant, that what u become, a mean, lean studying machine!! and its not like u can take a break or something but keep on studying till ur head starts to hurt n ur mind reaches its saturation point .. but thats not even the end of it .. I did all of that .. I really did .. but even after that I couldn't clear my group .. well thats not a good sign, now is it??

So I decided that i cannot do this .. yes, I quit .. well I never wanted to become a CA anyways .. after 12^th it seemed a good option .. sure I had to work hard but the then young naïve little me thought “how hard could it be”, yeah, I really thought that .. well after 2 failed attempts n 2 years of my life that I am never gonna get back .. I decided enough is enough .. I want time for myself .. time to read, read in a proper way n not trying to hide that I am reading a book or a novel .. a profession that I might actually like n not a job that turns me into one of those corporate, serious whiny, crying all the time about how their life turned out people!!!

So .. all this rambling leads to the conclusion of what I actually wanna do .. well when I finally came out of the shock of my exam result failure for the second time, I decided that journalism looks like a good option .. so with further research I decided that I want to be a journalist .. print journalist to be specific .. so now this journey begins where I actually try to decide and overcome my shy n confused personality ..

But now the main questions that is looming over my head like the sword that hovers over a man about to be beheaded is whether I’ll be able to make it to a proper post graduate course form a good institution, taking into consideration the limited no of seats available.

So this blog here on is going to be my practice ground, where almost everyday I’ll be posting my views along with facts of happenings all around the globe and of things that interest me.

Best of luck to me!!!