Dance of Democracy!

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

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

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

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

Background:

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

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

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

Having said that some of the notable highlights were:

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

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

Speeches on the Penultimate day:

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

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

Cons:

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

Speeches on the Penultimate day:

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

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

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

Contemplate:

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

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

Amen!

2010 CWG: Shame or Dignity for India?

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

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

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

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

Contemplate:

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

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

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

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

Will the guilty be charged and ultimately shamed?

Did India plays its cards right for 2010 CWG?

...or quiet simply put...

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

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

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

Amen!

Carbon footprint! That ain't mean nothing to me

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

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

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

Here is something to chew on:

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

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

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

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

On a parting note few lines which keep me going:

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

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

Amen!

Machoism on Manual Transmisson mode!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen!

Hummer hums to its grave

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

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

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

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

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

Amen!

Silda ambush: Govt caught with their pants down!

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

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

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

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

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

Amen!

2 Madrasas take the 1st step in the right direction

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


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


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


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


Amen!