Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Pollution

Pollution has become the hallmark of the present day discussions. On ever so many platforms we hear ever so many people talking about this ogre of Pollution. So much is being talked about it that, not a single day passes without this being the topic touched by all papers and all magazines. I think in this regard we must first clearly understand what is meant by the word pollution. As per the dictionary meaning of the word, pollution means the destroying of the purity or sanctity of a particular thing. To make a thing foul or filthy is what pollution is all about.
The pollution is the gift of all modernities, in all aspects of life. Most commonly we are found to be discussing the pollution of the air. The cause for this is obviously the manifold growth in our transport system. The faster we move, the more mechanically we move and thus the more chances there are of spread of the dragon of pollution.
The air is polluted by the smoke emanating from thousand of vehicles plying the roads daily, a rich gift of modernization in movement. Now, it is also said that, it is the industries that are responsible for polluting the air. Yes, this is quite correct but, let us remember the industries were not established within the precincts of the townships but it was the towns that kept on spreading their wings to the areas of the industries. Now then, it will not be at all fair to ask the industries to be removed.
Where were our town planners when the township continued to expand without any control? It is the town planners who need to be ticked for this and not the owners of industries, and their thousands of workers.
The air pollution has same how been brought under control by converting petrol/diesel driven vehicles in CNG run vehicles. Besides the air pollution in the cities another hazard is noise pollution. Noises emanating machines of small industries, lathe machines, stamping machines and from the horns of vehicles which give out gases is a double attack on the public.
It seems that the drivers of these vehicles are just adept at creating noise with the horns in their control, they blow horns just because the horns are there. For example it is amazing why people blow their horns, when the light is red. Pray, where do they expect the vehicles in front of them to go when the light is red? Shocking are our attitudes which bely any norms of decency and discipline. The noise created by loud speakers is no less on the roads, in the colonies and elsewhere. These noises in different areas of the town are simply deafening.
Another novel method of spreading pollution at least here in India is by making mountains of rubbish get accumulated at all crossroads, in all colonies and all public places. It would be quite wonder when we Indians would really learn the art of keeping clean. We have learnt to keep ourselves clean and shining but friends who will come to clean our neighbourhood? We obviously seem to feel that we owe no responsibility towards our environment. Each one of us is contributing to the dirtying of, and polluting of our environment.
So much for physical pollution, but it is rather astonishing that, we have never on any platform discussed about the pollution of our thinking and mental attitudes. We are becoming just filthy in our attitudes, behaviour and thinking that, we surely need a cleansing spree for this also. This again is the gift of modernization and Westernisation. In the garb of the so called progress, India is losing her high ideals of thought and behaviour, and as we stand to-day, we find ourselves at the threshold of absolute pollution of our thinking processes, and behaviourial norms.
This country which was once the abode of great thinkers, philosophers and rulers is now a filthy conglomeration of criminals and adulterists. Is this not the pollution of the mind? I do wonder why, no well meaning speakers, writers and thinkers of to-day have not yet spelt out anything on this aspect of pollution.
It is now high time that we consider mending our ways for, if we are allowed to get further polluted, a complete annihilation of the original and true Indian is not far to seek. The Indian is fast getting merged with the filth around him, all this in the name of progress. I really do wonder if there can be no progress, no modernization without this pollution of the thinking processes. Let us ponder about it and try to maintain both progress and a clean ethical and moral mind. I am sure great as the country and its people are, we CAN DO IT.

Terrorism - A Handmaid of the Poor

What is this of thread expression of ‘Terrorism’? Why does this exist at all, is a point to be discussed and understood. There are two moot points to be discussed when we talk of terrorism. Terrorism is in reality the use of terror or fear in the minds of people in a very organized and systematic way. The next obvious question that arises is, why is this used at all – to this also the answer is simple – it is used to create panic and thus achieve an objective in mind. With a growth in a sense of insecurity among the masses in general, the objective is achieved.
In my opinion, terrorism is something which is much worse than a regular war, for, against was all preparations are always ready at hand but these terrorists attacks being unexpected and unwarranted can just not be secured against. What can be done when people are traveling by train, getting ready to board a bus, or watching a cinema, and the terrorists strike. How can any prevention against this be arranged? It is this very uncertainty of time and place that makes terrorist attacks more dangerous than even a regular warfare. Another point that makes these attacks worse than war to some extent is that, these attacks are always against poor innocent people of the public. In a war also no doubt, the public suffers but, they are not the targets, they are given protection till it is possible. With these terrorist activities, to – day, there is a continuous fear of attack and so, danger is always looming large on the horizon.
Terrorism is of two kinds, one is political terrorism and the other is criminal terrorism. In the former, terrorism seeks to attain some political objective by creating panic on a large scale. This type of terrorism can be disastrous as, these terrorists are well trained for the task, they are very well organized, and also have a solid back up support of some political big wig. In this, senseless violence is indulged in, just to create a panic among the people and to create problems for the Government. Organizations who harbour and t rain terrorists indulge in hijacking aeroplanes, shooting innocent people, using of bombs to scare the public, and the spreading of rumours are the main modus operandi of these political terrorists.
Besides these political terrorists, there is another brand of terrorists termed as, criminal terrorists. Their work is chiefly to kidnap for ransom.
After studying the two types of terrorisms that exist now, let us analyse how this community takes birth, and who they are. What we understand is that these people are usually those young men who are enticed into this profession by old professional politicians, they get attracted to this because they are out of employment, and the charm of money hooks them into this profession, even much against their desire to follow this particular profession. What do these young men gain in the bargain? Besides a few years of employment, I do not think that these young men could gain anything. They are used and exploited by their mentors, their political bosses, whom, they probably don’t even see. It is just some trash money which attracts them, and in the bargain, they lose sight of their own goals of life, and get lost in the labyringth of crimes. They lose a vision of their objectives and get strayed from the mainstream of development. These crimes are most shameful because they are conducted by unmeaning innocent men, and they are also they are targeted against innocent people. Most of these young people even lose their young and precious lives while participating in these nefarious activities, in ‘encounters’ with the police. Thus, in a nutshell, the young boys who choose to become terrorists, lose their all, yes all, their careers, their youth, and finally even their lives at the hands of the crafty old political brain working from behind them.
To-day terrorism has become a world wide phenomena, it is rampant in the Middle – East, most of the European countries. Some countries help in the development of terrorism in other countries and, since their boys are trained, their level of performance is flawless and absolutely superb. As we have seen in India, in the process of the last one decade or more, our neighbour Pakistan is training, providing sophisticated weapons to spread Terrorism in India. A series of bomb blasts off and on, murders of prominent personalities, all go to show that this process being a continuous and silent war, is very difficult to curb. This menace of terrorism continues to spread in India because some big person or country wants it to continue.
The Government has tried to deal with this menace by assuming greater powers for itself. The Anti Terrorist Act was passed by the Parliament, provind for stringent punishment for such’ disruptive activities’. Amendment was also made in the Arms Act in order to control the possession and usage of unlicensed arms. In reality, this Act pronounces a minimum punishment of three years R.I. for any person found in possession of unlicensed arms. Use of a religious place for political purposes is also strictly prohibited. However, inspite of all this the extremists or terrorists manage to carry on their acts of sabotage and violence absolutely unabated.
Terrorism is condemned by all right thinking people of the world, but now to curb this spreading menace, is what defies all solutions. No matter how good or noble the cause for which the terrorists are fighting, their style of functioning I’d say is cowardly. Since this has not been cured by any Acts of Parliament it is felt now that, the Government should start providing for the poor sections of the society who thus do not get tempted to join these terrorist outfits merely to get employment. Education is another instrument that may be used effectively against this demon of Terrorism.

A Short Essay on A friend in need is a friend indeed

Friends play an important role in our life. But it is not easy to find a real friend. Karna was a real friend of Duryodhana, for he did not desert Duryodhana even though he knew very well that they would be defeated in the battle. “Prosperity gains friends, but adversity tires them” is a common saying. Most of our so-called friends prove selfish, cheats and betrayers when we put them to test. Birds and frogs flock together when the lake is full of water. Once the water is dried they leave the place. Such people will desert a person when he becomes poor or if he gets into trouble. Only a real friend will stay with us in adverse circumstances whole heatedly. Only such friends can be considered as true friends. Hence a friend in need is a friend indeed.

A Short Essay on a stitch in time saves nine

This proverb means that prompt action saves a lot of time and money. For instance, if a shirt is torn, we must mend it soon or else the hole will become larger and we will have to throw it away. If anything is wrong with a machine, it is advisable for us to repair it at the earliest. Unless we do so, we will be forced to spend more money on it later. In the same way, we must consult a doctor if we are ill; In other words we must undergo treatment even when we see the signs and symptoms of a disease. Any negligence on our part to do so will make our condition worse. In short, the work done at the right time saves much energy and expenses. If the error or defect is not set right in time, it may become serious or even irreparable in course of time.

A Short Essay on All That Glitters is not Gold

This proverb implies that appearance alone cannot be a criterion for deciding the quality of a person or thing. We are often misled by appearances. Gold is bright and glittering. But we cannot say that all bright and glittering things are gold. Shakespeare says in “The Merchant of Venice”, “All that glitters is not gold.” Bassanio does not choose Portia’s portrait from the glittering gold or silver box. He chooses the box made of lead. We must keep this saying in mind when we judge a man, too. Some men appear to be of pleasing character. They may be humble, too. All these may be their pretence. There are some others who appear to be gruff. There may be kindness beneath gruffness. What is meant is that we should not judge a man only from what he appears to be. Appearances are often deceptive.

Short Essay on Union is strength


This proverb can be illustrated with the story of a father who taught his sons the necessity of unity among them. The story thus goes: His sons were constantly quarreling among them. The father wished to teach them the value of unity. So, one day, he gave them a bundle of sticks and asked them to break the bundle. None of his sons could do it. Then he took out from the bundle one stick after another and asked them to break each stick. Even the weakest among them could easily break a stick. From this his sons learn the maxim “United we stand, divided we fall”. Since then they lived with perfect unanimity. This is true in the case of nation also.

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword


This proverb means that a writer is more powerful than a fighter. Men like Napoleon or Alexander the great, might be able to impress the people of their times. But the influence of a writer lasts longer. The French revolution is a milestone in the history of mankind. It paved the way for drastic changes in many parts of the world. In a sense we can say that writers like Voltaire and Rousseau were able to shape the destiny of nations. Napoleon may be forgotten. Nelson may be forgotten. But Shakespeare will be remembered for ever. Homer will be remembered for ever for his contribution to our culture. Let us be proud of them.