Current Essays

Rural Education Program in India

2011-10-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Education is one of the main and basic need of the life of everyone. Without education man is like an animal. In our country Lord Macauly in 1853 started the education of English. Lord Macauly wanted to establish a new segment or class of Babu for working in the Government offices of British Govt. After independence Government started a big programme of spreading education all over the country. in this programme primary, secondary, higher secondary schools and Graduate and Post Graduate colleges were open.

The basic thought behind the establishment of these schools is that there must be a primary school in every villages and must be a Inter College between three or four villages. There are almost 5,51,137 villages in India and almost 6,50,000 primary schools about 1,50,000 primary schools are going on in the cities and urban areas and almost 5,00,000 schools are in villages. About 2,00,000 Inter colleges are running in the country in which about 1,20,000 are going on in Urban areas. Government of India and the Provincial Government is regularly working for the progress of education in the country and their main emphasis on the development of rural education.

There are a lot of problems in rural education. Those teachers are appointed in the schools and colleges of the rural areas they don’t try to gave the students good education their main aim is to kill their time here and they do efforts of their transfer and they have no interest in performing their duty well. The villagers are not very serious about the education of their children. They feel very hesitation in sending their children to school. They thought that if their children getting the education then they don’t do their agricultural works and this thought also prove right. The women education in the rural areas is also in a very bad condition. The villagers don’t send their daughters to school. They said that the daughters don’t need education their main work is working in the house, if their daughters go to school then her thought should be changed and it will not good. The society of village still can’t leave the conservative thought they think that it is not right that the boys and girls sitting together in the class, so they don’t ready to sent their daughters in school.

From more than hundred years our farmer robbed and cheated by the money landers and Mahajans. They gave loan to the farmers against their property (Agricultural land, animal or house etc.) and this farmer spent his whole life under this debt. In spite of doing payment the money lender captured its land or house and sometimes the loan of father was paid by his son.

By this the Mahajans and moneylenders became richer and richer and the farmers had to live his whole life into dept. The main reason of this poorest condition of farmers was the illiteracy. Now a days we also find illiteracy in thousands of villages. The reason of the illiteracy was the somewhere the lack of education facilities and some where the passiveness of the people about education.

It is right that Government is working to extension of schools. Colleges in villages but we have to change the mentality of the teaching staff as well as our villagers. If the teachers don’t pay any attention towards their duty then these schools and colleges become empty. The teachers encourage the village people to send their children into schools and colleges aware them about the benefits of education and told them that with education your child can live a good life and he can move towards his progress. These children come to schools and colleges they must educate them in this way that they understand the meaning of education and feel better than the time of illiteracy. A educate child motivate many other children to come to school this is the main thing which become a milestone of our vast scale educational establishment.

Now many social workers are working with Government for the rural education. The Government very fastly spreading the education facilities in villages and also spreading the awareness about the education in the villages. Mahatma Gandhi once said that India can’t progress without the progress of the villages, so if we develop our villages then India must be develop but without education any type of development is impossible, so we must educate the people of rural India. The educated people of rural India must play very important role in the development of country.

India's Five Year Plans

2008-10-12T07:11:00.002-07:00

Ever since India got its independence, we are working our economy as per the Five Year Plans. This system of framing Five Year Plans was a good arrangement devised, by which the growth in different spheres could be suggested monitored while functioning and changed if the necessity arose. These mega plans have served us as building blocks of our national economy. A brief overview of these plans would give us a fairly clear picture of our developmental programmes. These plans would also highlight for us the targets set through these fifty years of India’s independence.
The First Five Year Plan came into existence for the years 1951 – 1956. This had a public sector outlay of Rs. 2356 crore – while the actual expenditure was only Rs. 1960 crores. The Private Sector investment was 1800 crores. The chief features of this plan was the spread of community development projects and an effort to raise the living standards of the people.
The Second Five Year Plan was to cover the period from 1956 – 1961. this plan had its set objective in industrialization – the building up of rural India and the enhancing of employment opportunities. Now, in this Plan, the Public Sector outlay was Rs. 4800 crores, and the actual expenditure was only Rs. 4672 crores. The Private Sector investment was Rs. 3110 crores. It was in this period that the National income rose by 19.5 per cent.
The Third Five Year Plan covered the period from 1961 – 1966. This Plan targeted an increase in the national income by about 5% per annum. Besides this, self sufficiency in food and the development of sectors like steel, fuel, machinery and power had become the prime objectives. The public sector outlay was Rs. 7500 croes and expenditures was Rs. 8577 crores. Private sector investment was now Rs. 4190 crores. This plan failed owing to price rise of about 20 per cent, Chinese aggression, Indo – Pak conflict and to cap it all a poor monsoon. All these factors contributed to failure of this plan. The year 1964 – ’65, was declared as a period of ‘Plan Holiday’.
The Forth Five Year Plan was then made to cover the period of 1969 – 74. This Plan had two main objectives. It had ensured that growth would be followed with stability and self reliance.
At this time still another target to be followed was the attainment of social justice and upliftment of the weaker sections of the society. In this plan, the Public Sector outlay was Rs. 15902 crores, and that of the Private Sector was Rs. 8980 crores. It seems that, the target levels were always now being set too high and so, here again the target growth of 5.7% was never achieved.
The Fifth Five Year Plan dates from 1974 – 79. This plan once agains aimed to remove poverty and achieving self reliance. This plan started a minimum need programme with measures for checking inflation. This time the outlay for the public sector was Rs. 3030 crores and the private sector outlay was Rs. 2704 crores. This plan was terminated in the fourth year only i.e. 1978 only. The national income increased at 5.2 per cent.
The Sixth Five Year Plan covered the period from 1980 – 85. This Plan had several objectives like growth rate of the economy, reduction in poverty and unemployment, improvement in the general quality of life. An eye was also to be kept on the growth of population and improvement was to be made in the ecological and environmental assets of the nation. Provising the Public Sector outlay was made Rs. 97500 crores that for and the private sector was Rs. 75710 crores. In the process of this plan period, the national income grew at 5.4 per cent per annum.
The Seventh Plan period covered the years 1985 – ’90. This also targeted growth in the production of food grains, the increase of opportunities of employment and the raising of productivity in all sectors of economy. Now the public sector outlay was Rs. 180,00 crores. In this period many targets were even exceeded. The annual growth rate of GDP was 5.8 per cent as against the plan target of 5 per cent. The production of food grains increased however, public sector savings fell short of the target. The gap between income and expenditure of the Government increased.
The Eight Five Year Plan was from the year 1992 – ’97. This was delayed by two years. This plan had also set for itself several objectives, like the generation of employment, control of population growth, spread of elementary education and the growth of economy, in order to enable the Indian economy to compete with major free markets of the world.
The Ninth Five Year Plan was to cover the year from 1997 to 2002 and has an outlay of Rs. 8,80,000 crores. This plan was rather ambitious.
With an overview of the Indian Five Year Plan we can say that they have undoubtedly been tools in the boosting and the shaping of our economy. We have been able to meet many of the objectives laid down by the plans. These plans have succeeded in building the industrial and economic infrastructure of the country. The growth of the Private Sector can also be attributed to these plans.
These plans have helped us in building ourselves, but, they are not without their limitations and bottlenecks. The major setbacks are redtapism, bureaucratic delays, unstable Governments, misallocation of resources to non priority areas. With these on going hazards, our economy faces a slowdown and thus, the growth rate is now less than 5%. The core sectors are being ignored by planners in the interest of their short term gains.
While making such plans we must remember to project a well balanced plan so that development of infrastructure and improvement of standard of living of the messes go hand in hand. So, in brief, we can say that such plans form a very good and efficient system but such planning should be balanced and must be worked in a systematic way. Goals must be set for all sections of our society and we must ensure that the implementation of these set goals are followed to the last word and it must be seen that the goals must see that all sections of the society grow along simultaneously.
However, down the line, there has been something wrong, somewhere and that is why as we see the economic scenario in India there is a considerable gaping gap between the haves and the Have Nots. This in itself indicates that there has been something intrinsically wrong in our economic policies which have made the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. This not the purpose of any develop in economy. The year’s financial programming must see that the benefits accrue to the poorest of the poor. We have had slogans of Garibi Hatao but, in practice they were just eye catching slogans, not apparently meant to be followed by successive Governments of the last fifty decades. If this slogan had been earnestly worked upon, be sure we would not find this poverty in India, and India trailing behind in the list of third world powers.

The Economic Liberalization

2008-10-12T07:11:00.001-07:00

Let us first consider as to what really does this word of economic liberalization mean. This means in very simple terms, a free market economy. The idea of liberalization endorses to is to eliminate an inefficient and non productive system.
It was during the early eighties that, the need for boosting up Indian economy was first felt. Even though the performance in all sector, the economy had not yet developed an strength to really take off. Moreover, even by this decade of the eighties the benefits of all the development had not yet percolated down to the masses. Economic progress was undoubtedly seen but, it was felt that, it was not enough to propel the engines of growth. While India was still languishing under the pains of undergrowth, the economies of China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Singapore were performing very well in contrast. There had been a marked rise in their per capita incomes which were enough to provide good standards of living to their entire populations.
At this juncture, the Indian Political scenario changed and in 1989, Rajiv Gandhi came to power. It was he who decided that, now it was high time that India should also come towards a free market economy. The economic front of all hues welcomed this move. The idea was to get rid of an inefficient and unproductive system and bring in a new and transparent economy which would also globally oriented. It was now that imports were liberalized, exports increased, all because an efficient Exim policy. Import of gold was liberalized in the 90s, and it was now decided by the Government to open Indian markets for foreign products and technologies.
After the death of Rajiv Gandhi, there were continuous changes in the political scenario, but these reforms managed to continue. The years 1995 – ’97 witnessed a slow down in the economic growth in the regime of the United Front Government. However, from the year 1998 onwards the new BJP Government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee has to undertake the responsibility of continuing the economic reforms started in the eighties. This present Government of the BJP has done very well by bringing more items for importing, under the category of Open General License (OGP), which is expected to promote more and better dialogue between importers and foreign vendors for their particular items.
This pace of economic liberalization would also show in terms of lay off of inefficient staff of the PSUs. This step though harsh is quite inevitable, e.g. the Government has for decades been paying salaries to useless staff of the National Textile Corporation Mills, a number of sick mills of the NTC may have to be sold off to the Corporate Sector. With a rapid pace of economic liberalization, firms from other countries would fill our markets with quality goods at cheaper rates. The Indian fill our markets with quality goods at cheaper rates. The Indian manufacturer is already feeling the pinch in the Sectors of the computer, textiles, light machinery, consumer electronic goods, and several other consumer goods items.
With the liberalization of economy, it is imminent that, exports and imports would both get an impetus, thus fastening the economic growth of the country.
Let us now analyse how this economic liberalization would help the common Indian masses. This liberalization would enhance the living standards of the Indians in general. The Indian consumer would now have a wide range of choices in television, music system, cars, clothes and textiles and several other consumer products. This has come into being because of the competition with foreign players in India. Computerization is expanding at a very fast speed, and so now, we are producing the best machinery products and services with foreign collaboration. Redtapism is also seen to be reducing, and the once adamant bureaucracy is now seen helping in the growth of Indian economy. The latest techniques in management are now being adapted by us.
Besides these advantages, the Private Sector has also been allowed a free hand in domestic foreign trade. The system of licensing has been liberalized.
Now, the rural masses are also enjoying the advantages of the liberal policies of the Government. All rural areas now have access to colour Tvs, cable network and telephones. The STD and ISD have also reached the interiors of rural India. Besides just these, the rural people are also now enjoying a better standard of living, due to the coming of new and cheaper technologies in the Indian economy scenario refrigerators, TVs, computers, water pumps, health facilities, medicines transport and vehicles are the blessings of this liberalized economy.
This flourishing of a liberal economy of India is of course, not without its drawbacks. The multinationals who have entered the Indian scene, have elbowed away several local competitors from the scene, which has made the local manufacturer suffer heavily as, they have lost the battle in the competition against Multinational Companies. This economic liberalization has opened for us huge vistas of a free market system. In this system, the rich may be able to compete but the 52% of our population that is below poverty line will no longer succeed in getting a Government loan or a grant, so, this small business community will get enmeshed in the labarynth of absolute poverty. Thus, in a way this liberalization of economy will make the poor still poorer.
Thus summing, we can say that, economic liberalization is a slow and cumbersome process. In this process each one of us has to join hands with the state, and learn to waster less and produce more. The state and the individual must move hand in hand do that the nation grows as one single unit. We should not get scared of any of these teething troubles of economic liberalization and continue to go ahead with the process till we get out of the woods and become an economic power like China and others.

Corruption in India

2008-10-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

The last two decades of the existence of independence, India has seen a steep upward trend in the graph of existing corruption. The media, the public, the variety of forums for discussions and debates for the higher intellingensia are all neck deep buried in highlighting the rampant corruption in every sphere. In this debate the rural folk are also not far behind.
These days they are also very well aware of the malpractices in the highest of levels of all places. So much so that now, the average Indian has reached the highest level of disgust and disappointment at the way things are moving in this country.
Let us first of all understand what is meant by corruption and corrupt practices. In brief, anything that is below all standard norms of morality in a country, is called or defined as corruption and corrupt practices. These norms are a fixed standard in any given society, and when these are broken we say that, a society is getting corrupted. This corruption as we see it today is not a development that has come overnight, it has been a continuous process for the last several decades and, to – day it has seeped into the very blood stream of the system.
What we have to study next is, why and how this monster of corruption has taken such a firm hold on India so much so that, the country of the legendary Harischandra, the honest has reached the position of one of the top ten or so of corrupt countries of the world. This is no mean achievement, and has taken a few decades to fructify. It is not that, corruption did not exist earlier, it is not that to – day there are no honest people, then why do we all yes, I say all feel that, corruption is rampant everywhere and all the time. This is because of the simple reason that this malady has spread through the entire length and breadth of our social fabric and gone down to the deepest levels. How has this come to be? Would be quite a pertinent question.
The corrupt practices have now become our lifestyle to such an extent that, we do not seem to feel that there is anything wrong in what all we are doing., and that things should not be as they are. We, on the contrary are inclined to justify all wrong saying that, without doing wrong we cannot exist or be functional.
When we start thinking that corruption is a must, then I feel that the situation has reached a point of no correction. This present apathy shows how far the degradation of our values have reached, and how low the system has dipped. When we start justifying all the wrongs we do, it is the beginning of the end., as, we are not only doing wrong, we are at the same time thinking that it is correct, then where can the scope be for correction? It would be rather interesting to note and specify as to how this process of continuous degeneration started, for it is the root that grows into a magnum tree. It is thus of great value to know who put the seed that grew into this poisonous tree. In this connection, it is understand that, this degeneration started from the top echelons of society, and then percolated downwards, without a hurdle.
Who is at the top or the apex of our society? It is the set of people who have all the power that is invested in them by, us the people. Now, it is for the goodwill of this top layer of society to give the country’s society the trend it deems fit. Now, this layer at the top has been the politician who rules the country, and to say that the seeds of India’s corruption were sown by this class of our society, which has been at the helm of affairs of the country and today they have brought us t this point of no return as far as corruption is concerned. Where are politicians like Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and above all, the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi? It appears that India has stopped producing men and women of such integrity. Perhapse the breed of such politicians and other men have stopped taking birth. Where is that erstwhile political party, the Indian National Congress, that loyally fought for the freedom of the country, where is the discipline to follow the clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi? All it seems to have been lost, and the same Congress that fought against foreign rule and ousted the foreigners is now all set to install a foreigner as the head of Independent India. What has all this come to, what can be the implications of a foreigner as the head of the state seem to be lost to this Congress which worked to oust the foreigners – what a degradation of values. Have we Indians lost all self respect, that we ourselves invite a foreigner to rule us? I dareasay we have become so immune to all finer feelings that we do not mind doing anything as long as we meet our ends. All this is the ugliest face of the corruption in India.
All our ethics, our self respect and love for our motherland is lost somewhere in the last fifty years. Today we are standing at the threshold of a new millennium with, the eerstwhile Indian National Congress and many other parties without a single leader of stature. What does this show that, in the span of more than century, Congress has failed to produce a single leader, leave alone a leader of the stature of Sardar Patel and the like. Today the sets of politicians of all political parties are just money spinning actors just working to establish estates for their seven generations. The vision of a great India in the yes of the freedom fighters has been lost somewhere in our move in the last fifty years.
When the oldest political party, the Congress presents such a dismal picture of honesty loyalty and service, what can be said or expected from the other much younger political parties. They are all bound to follow the footsteps of this erstwhile conglomerate of greedy money spinning politicians. Today, all the new political parties are following the path tread by the elder brother, the Congress, resulting in a mushroom growth of political parties all of the set pattern with no goals, no ethics, no ideals and no ideologies.
This level being the highest level of our society is seen to have become most corrupt in the last two decades and the public is very well aware of the multi-scam decades of the eighties and nineties. Now, the scenario at the very top, can hardly allow for any space for any honesty to persist in any other layer of society. So, from this topmost layer, corruption has percolated to all levels and in all spheres of activities, and all this sure enough because it suits the politician. The politician has encouraged the bureaucrat to be corrupt, and in turn the bureaucrat has enjoyed the protection of the politician, in all his nefarious activities. From the senior bureaucrat the virus of corruption has slowly and steadily seemed down to the lowest levels of functionaries. This has become a totally corrupt and incorrigible institution.
The Indian society in all its entirety is corrupt to the core, and now corruption is like a drug, without which the addict finds it difficult to survive. With this slow and steady and continuous spread of the fangs of corruption, today the situation is such that, there is no place or activity which is bereft of the fruits of corruption. Now, corruption has become our way of life and to uproot it is a Herculean task.
The tentacles of corruption can be dealt with only with an iron hand, and above all, must start cleaning from the top echelons of society. However, as we have seen umpteen times, this does not happen. Our experience shows that, as soon as a big name is involved in any corruption case, there is a lot of hullabulloo for some time, and it all dies down with the passage of time and the corruption continues unabated. How does this happen? This is very obvious for all those who have to be at the clearing end are bought, so, no damage can ever come to the so called high ups. This is the main reason why there is never any breakthrough in any scam. In this situation it will be a wonder if anything tangible can really be achieved for, the high ups cannot be touched, and the lower formations need not be touched – so we remain where we were at the beginning of any case.
The scams which have come to light in last one decade have amounted to multi – crores, they are being dealt with but, it is so shocking that no politician has yet been punished for siphoning off so much of wealth of a poor country, what can be expected in a country when its protectors themselves become criminals. When the senior can not be punished how can there be any cleaning at the bottom. It would not even be fair to punish the lower rungs of the ladder when the higher rungs continue to bask in the sunshine of their riches. The way in which these cases are being dealt with clearly indicate that no one will be hurt as, all those, yes all those who matter are involved in corruption. So, at present, the situation is of “who will bell the cat?” Everyone knows who the corrupt are but, the irony of our system is such that no one can be touched. If this situation remains any longer, it is a wonder if there could be any light at the end of the tunnel.
India is reaping what it has sown, and the seed of corruption has grown up into a full size magnum tree which perhapse cannot be changed, replaced or cut. It appears thus that for the time being at least, we have to bear with it. Only God can do some magic.
Irrespective of the status of the wrong doer everyone, big or small, high or low, must be dealt with an iron hand, and that also at a fast speed. What is the use of just a show of dealings against corruption, while in reality all cases are just quietly shelved banking on the fact that, public memory is very short. All these cases are just a farce into which now, the Indian public an not be very easily fooled. At present there is no remedy for this tragic situation we are in, except pray to God that, HE gives unto us a dictator who is capable enough to deal with this ogre of corruption with a strong hand or else it appears that we are doomed to drown in the deepest depths of corruption and that, we will soon find it impossible to come out of the labarynth knit around us by our own men – yes our own men

Public finance of India

2008-10-12T07:09:00.002-07:00

Let us first understand what is meant by Public Finance. Public finance of country, as is obvious by the name, is the money collection of a country’s Government by way of taxes. The sources of revenue of the States and the Centre are called the public finance of a country, and this is because this amount of money is the money earned by the public and given to the Government for development works, and this is exactly why this money is termed as public finance.
Lately, the sources of revenue of the State and Centre have both declined considerably and the contribution of tax revenue has come down from about 37 percent in 1950-51 to just a 12 per cent in 1993-94. In the case of Central revenue, the direct tax share has declined from 36 per cent to 16 percent, while in the State tax revenue has taken a dive from 38 per cent to 11 per cent. On the other hand, rate of indirect taxes, the revenue has gone up from 14.14 per cent to 14.57 per cent. At this direct and indirect taxes. Direct taxes are taxes levied on the individual for his income, for his purchase etc. On the other hand, indirect taxes are taxes which are levied as extra to the cost of an item, e.g. customs tax. As item which has been bought for say Rs. 1000% is brought to India. There at the customs counter, the purchaser has to pay some extra amount as a tax on the item already bought and paid for. This is termed as an indirect made for the purchase of an item.
As far as India is concerned, in our discussion of Public Finance, we have to consider other points also, such as the distribution of incomes. The distribution of incomes and property in india are at such a variance that, the tax base for direct taxes becomes very very narrow. Besides this, there is a wide range of tax evasion. This problem of tax evasion is being met by the Government by reducing the rate of taxes, on the top of the scale. The real problem in india is this basic problem of tax evasion and it is this only which makes the revenue earnings minimal. This is because the category that can and should give the maximum tax, is just the category that evades tax, which in turn results in revenue loss for the Government. Besides these people which include the highest earning gentry, there are several small business in which there can not be an assessment of the actual incomes, and so, this category also gilts the Government. Thus it may be seen that, in India it is only the salaried class which only is bound to pay the tax regularly and correctly, and this is the class which has the least income. Thus, the poor and the rich classes in India all manage to avoid taxation and thus population. This tax evasion should be dealt with an iron hand, and the richer classes who take the lion’s share of income pay nothing or a nominal tax, should be forced to pay the tightful tax. It would be quite relevant to talk at this point of the VDIS scheme of the Government implemented in 1997, which brought out millions of worth of tax from the rich classes who had all along evaded tax.
There being an evasion of taxes all along, the non-tax revenues have seen an upward trend. This is due to interest receipts on loans given to various sectors for social and economic services. The failure also of a large number of public enterprises to generate surplus, makes this source of public revenue also get depleted.
On the other hand, the total government expenses as a percentage of the GDP has recorded in increase between 1950-51 and 1993-94. Development expenditure has shown faster growth in this period, compared to non-developmental expenditure. The expense incurred on education, health and family planning has been five fold in relation to the GDP, whereas, public expenditure on agricultural and rural development in ten times more than the increase in the GDP, between 1950-51 and 1993-94. Since there has been a faster growth of public expenditure in relation to the revenue, the gap between the expenditure and the revenue has been growing steadily. Though this gap has been encountered by borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India, it has brought with it an increased burden of interest so be paid. The central loan jumped from 2000 crores to 98000 crores between the period of 1950-51 and 1997-98and the interest burden hiked 200 time, over the same period. Even the States are facing a similar debt problem. Even foreign debt has increased at a phenomenal rate, it increased from 32 crores in March 1951 to 11000 crores in 1961 and at the end of 1988, this foreign debt is 23 times more than what it was is March 1961. These deficits of the Central and the State Government are an increasingly depressing phenomena of the Indian fiscal scenario.
Another important phenomena of the India fiscal system is the growing dependence of the State Government on the Central Government which becomes a continuous drain on the central pool of money resources.
To cap all this drawback of India’s public, finance is the worst factor to be encountered and this is the administration of the public finance. The concealing or evading of taxes should be minimal through an efficient administrative procedure. However, estimates show that, the actual tax evasion in India is in some cases even up to ¾ of the actual liability. This attributes to the major chunk of financial loss of revenue and also helps in developing a “parallel economy”.

Even since independence, the Government of India has been continuously resorting to the printing press via the Reserve Bank of India by means of issuing ad hoc treasury bills. The R.B.I. could refuse to print currency notes but it has not done so as yet. It has only pointed out from time to time the problems that can arise by creating paper money, which has all these years fuelled inflation. However successive Indian Government have recklessly shown a deficit graph going constantly up till at last in 1992-93, the deficit amount rose to Rs.12,300 crores. The unchecked Government expenditure mounting higher and higher every year has been the major cause of an unprecedented price rise through the years.
Now if a balance has to be struck in India’s public finances, expenditure of the Government must slashed down, and the mischief of tax evasion must be dealt with an iron hand. Without these who points being followed strictly and immediately, no retrievel of our financial position could be achieved.

What is Nuclear Non – Proliferation?

2008-10-12T07:09:00.001-07:00

What is really meant by Nuclear Non – Proliferation? In simple explanation, those countries who have accepted the Non – Proliferation Treaty, have accepted the right of a few powers to have and develop their nuclear weapons. On the other hand, the nations that have the view that, nuclear weapons contribute defence of the last resort, believe in the norm of nuclear proliferation. In reality, the majority of the nations of the world have had no say in evolving nuclear norms since this technology was almost unknown to them.
If nuclear Non – Proliferation is the international norm, it is these powers who have conveniently exempted themselves from all inspections and they allow all technology transfer among themselves. Even to-day, the five major nuclear powers do not commit themselves to the ultimate goal of a world that will be free of nuclear weapons. These nations advocate capping of all the non nuclear nations to prevent them from developing their know how and capability. In the comity of nations if some nations continue to keep their weapon laboratories and do not allow any inspection of the same, and also continue to go ahead with their researches in the subject, how can non-proliferation ever become a yardstick or a norm? if the non – nuclear countries are to accept capping their nuclear projects, all the nuclear powers should also be brought under international scrutiny. These double standards in the nuclear race cannot hold for long to any sense of common and natural justice. It is against all norms of natural justice that, the big powers continue to delve in their nuclear projects and the same five powers continue to ask the other nations to stop it all forthwith.
If non-proliferation is to be the norm then why is the united States promoting proliferation of British nuclear missiles? Today if the agreement between United States and Russia was to be implemented a number of weapons with most of the powers will be found to be many times more than what they were when the NPT was signed. Is this how the world is expected to observe the non-proliferation norms?
It is this discrimination among powers of the world which India has been strongly opposed to. India’s view is quite in line with laws of natural justice for India says that, either all powers big and small destroy all their nuclear weapons and simultaneously also stop all work on it, or, all powers, big or small should be allowed to grow into nuclear powers. On the face of it, India’s view is absolutely logical and in all fairness but, the brother the United States of America has been urging India to sign the Nuclear Non – Proliferation Treaty – (NPT). India however feels that elimination of nuclear armaments is a global problem and not just a regional problem. India has been producing plutonium from the mid sixties which means that, India has been having access to weapons material for quite a long time.
If India is not willing to sign the NPT, the United States suggests that, India and Pakistan should hold bi-lateral talks on the nuclear problem and find a solution. The United States has also suggested a Conference of five nations i.e. India, Pakistan, United States, Russia and China. To this suggestion, the response of China was that, it would be willing to participate in the said Conference only if its own arsenal would not be a topic of discussion. On the other hand, India feels that, apart from Pakistan it has to take serious note of the highly developed nuclear arsenal of China. However, besides India and Pakistan, there are more nuclear powers in the Asia – Pacific region, for instance Israel has a nuclear arsenal, North Korea has plutonium production reactor, Japan and South Korea can develop nuclear weapons if they so desire. In general the list of such countries would include Germany, Canada, Italy, Sweden Spain etc., Thus in order to make such a Conference a reality a large number of countries would have to be included, some nuclear states, some nuclear capable states which not have signed the NPT, and also some states that have signed the NPT, but can develop nuclear weapons fairly well.
In this process the initiative was taken by Rajiv Gandhi who foresaw a time bound elimination of all nuclear weapons. However though our ultimate target has to be total elimination of all nuclear weapons we have to prepare a long term plan in the time table. In reality, the United States does not foresee elimination of all nuclear weapons in the near future so, in these circumstances we expect other nuclear weapons States and nuclear weapon capable states also to retain their weapons.
Though the non – proliferation seems to be a distant dream, there are certain elements which may be agreed upon by most countries. Firstly, the Comprehensive and universal test ban, secondly an agreement on ‘non – use’ of nuclear weapons, and thirdly transfer of nuclear technology should be subject to peaceful use provision.
Seeing the Yugoslav situation, the Gulf War, and a lot of other turmoil all over the world the talk of ‘one world’ appears to be quite a misnomer. In such a situation, India can not be expected to dismantle its nuclear capability that has been built up in the span of the last forty years, and that also at the behest of the big brother, the United States wants it to be so. India on the contrary must maintain and also develop its nuclear capability and nurture high technologies. Lessons to be learnt from nuclear energy are of vital importance for developing self reliance, that cannot be overlooked in the hope of much talked of globalization.

The Indian Economy Today

2008-10-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

The horizon of Indian Economy is presently very bleak and dark, and so has it been for the last fifty years. The slow and sluggish Indian Economy can be attributed to a number of factors that have prevailed in India ever since we got our independence. The factors are many, and they are, recession on the home front, recession in all commercial and industrial playgrounds, and above all these the political instability. All these factors have together led to the complete sluggish growth of the Indian Economy. In this disappointing scenario, the only redeeming feature seems to be the economic scenario on the International horizon, which is also fraught with recession, and it is this that gives India a slight breather.
The fate of Indian economy is largely dependent on the trends of the world economy and it is this world economy that is now in the clutches of the worst ever crisis. The Stock Markets are crashing, industrial production has slackened, political upheavals are a common feature and the decline in exports in terms of important commodities is prevalent on a world wide scale. With all this in the world, it cannot be expected to find India escape unscathed or unblemished.
However, even with all this disappointment all around, we may recover from these painful shocks. Mr. yashwant Sinha, the Finance Minister 1998 – ’99, seems to be very optimistic and believes that, Indian economy would surely revive soon. It would be rather relevant at this juncture to add that, the present financial position of India, is the pent up results of decades of mismanagement of finances, and not a crisis created overnight. Mr. Yashwant Sinha has presented a very compact reform package. A few of the salient highlights of this package are as follows :-
a) The Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme which is likely to fetch Rs. 30,000 Crores.
b) The FDIs to be doubled.
c) An intervention of the Foreign Exchange Markets.
d) Spending on the infrastructure.
e) Clearing of fast track Projects.
f) Simplified Tax rules.
g) Privatisation of Insurance.

This is just a part of the tax reform package offered for our presently ailing economy. A few facts and figures would now help us comprehend the real scenario.
During the first quarter of the year 1998 – ’99 industrial production has grown by 5.4% compared to 3.7% of 1997 – ’98. The Agricultural production has been rather good. Direct tax collections have grown at 41.1% during April – June 1998. Corporate receipts have also risen by 120%. Besides all this, in order to salvage the economy out of its present unstable condition, the Government has planned to give a major thrust to the Private Sector Projects. The finance sector has also to be restructured, and reforms are to be initiated in the Insurance Sector. Tax and Company Laws are also in grave need for major reforms. Together with all these there has to be a marked increase in the inflow of investments. Foreign Investment norms are also to be set up.
All these plans of revitalizing the Indian Economy would come to nought if the Government at the centre remains unstable or gets changed. It is true that Indian Economy is going through a turbulent time, however, economic observers feel that, the Indian Economy would surely be retrieved, and that, its position and growth will be much better than most of the other economic players of the world. At this juncture since global economy is facing a decline, the interest of the world has been generated in Indian economic growth. The recovery cannot be predicted but, it is a happy trend to see that the Government is working hard towards the cherished goal of an economically strong and healthy India.

Computer Revolution

2008-10-12T07:05:00.002-07:00

The world’s technological horizon is dominated by the computer since the year 1970, and by now, it has entered into every sphere of human existence, and in the last two decades it has taken over charge of all that was once man’s handiwork.
A computer is an electric device which helps in boosting our efficiency and helps us in being more creative by taking up the work of repetition itself. The computer helps us create programmes, communicate and also help us to earn. To day, even in India it is beyond our imagination to conceive of any avenue where computer has not made a dent., may it be in business, banking, publishing engineering etc., This change over to computerization is welcomed by all and sundry but, it leaves one burning question in the minds of people. We are all apt to believe that, computerization is apt to throw men out of employment, no it is not so, this belief is just a misnomer. The reason for this is that, a man who was once doing the job of a clerk would now be able to execute more productive assignments, thus contributing his best to his employer society and the nation. The computer is expected to ensure enhancement of knowledge levels, productivity, earnings and living standards of the society. If India wants to emulate the economic super powers of the world it is necessary for India to completely computerize, and link the Indian economy and industry with International information in a super big way. This can be made possible only with the help of the computer and the Internet networks.
It was in October 1977 that the private sector Internet Service Provider ushered into India. And this was a great step forward, in the growth of telecom and communication industry. This single step is expected to open new avenues of technology in this country, in the next century. The Internet is a complicated web of satellites and cable network connecting millions of computers across the world. With this advent of the computer, information is shared in the form of data, pictures and graphics. The application of the Internet would include surfing, and access to data.
In India there are about 93000 computers linked to Internet so far. The ISPs have to give a bank guarantee equivalent to license fee for one year. In India, the VSNL, i.e. the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is the only provider of Internet Services. The Internet has come as a storm in the Indian business and industry. Indian manpower is about the best in the world, in about almost any sphere of work. Now we have really arrived into a new world of a global village.
In the Indian context, computerization is absolutely necessary as, tele – communication and satellite imagery are both computer based. Life in urban Indian is dependent on the telephone, E-mail, fax, internet connectivity and cellphone and all these services warrant the usage of the computer, for their operation and maintenance. Even in rural areas the computer can play an important role in crop development, software for seed research, crop diseases, rural industry and rural education. The avenue of rural tele communication has been revolutionized by the computer.
The computer could be of great value in education. This is because all information is stored and managed by computers, and so they become necessary in the modern times and are also accessible to all. India can hope to become a country of world standards, only when it computerizes its economy, business, scientific and all other operations. Only this technology can help India to benefit on all fronts. It is a certainty that the new century would belong entirely to the computer.

The Information Technology

2008-10-12T07:05:00.001-07:00

The close of the 20th century brings the world well nigh a revolution in information technology. In the last decade of the 20th century this technology has entered with quite a bang, and now, it is found in every home, each office, and every area of feasible entry. However, we are on the threshold of further achievement within a few more years.
The remarkable point to be noted at this juncture is, to understand how much India has contributed in the growth of the field of information technology, on the global horizon. For example, the annual revenue of India’s software industry would be reaching U.S. $ 6 trillion mark by the year 2000 A.D. Recognising the annual recession in the market worldwide by 1995 – 96 India’s Software export was 16.2%. This is no mean an achievement. We have the mobile phone, pagers, computer games, internet and software for application. We also have the E-mail or the electronic mail which is a high speed communication system, through the internet. This system of communication is very cheap, being as low as Re. 1/- per page. This is prevalent everywhere in the Western world and is now catching up fast in the Indian scenario. The future of communication system would include, E-mail connection, a telephone with STD facilities and a modern card. This system of E-mail would eliminate postage, courier and telephonic conversations. All kinds of data and information can be sent through the E-mail.
The next area of development in the pipeline is the E-com which is already prevalent in the West. This concept is also quite easy to understand. We would send an E-mail to our grocery shop for our grocery requirements. this would be sent through the Internet to the shop, and our items would be delivered to us. In the same way, firms would float their tenders and projects through the Internet. All those concerned would discuss the Project on line through the Internet, orders would be placed on the Internet and the execution of the order would also be done through the Internet. This concept of E-com is fast picking up in the Indian industry also.
Still further, another significant development in the field of information technology is the coming up of the Internet shops, in the urban areas of the country. Through this convenience, a host of jobs can be done. We can send and receive E-mail, surf through the sites of the Internet and collect any required information. The Internet is also a provider of fun, as, all city guides, magazines newspapers, news of fashions movies and other shows are all available on the Internet. Just as in the last decade we have been crazy about video games, henceforth in times to come people would surf through the Internet for any information on education, business, entertainment and leisure.
In times to come, a new technology may enable us to use our telephone as a mobile. A base set would be connected to the telephone line at home or office and we could carry an instrument similar to the present mobile phone and thus communicate with the place where the base set has been installed and, above all, all this will be at no extra charge. In the new millennium we may also see satellite phone. Through these satellite phones we could talk to anyone, anywhere in the world. Thus the coming of the information technology would make office work simple and all this without much paper work.
Vital growth areas in information technology are likely to include multimedia, animation, computer, aided design and artificial intelligence. The constraints in such development would be basically investment of money, resource shortage and policies of the Government. However, inspite of all these constraints the signs are for a very healthy growth of Information Technology.

Inflation in India

2008-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Inflation as an economic phenomena may be described as the continuous upward spiral of prices in all parts of the economy. This can be described as a boost to the economy, but, if it is not properly handled we may be burdened with rising prices which may prove detrimental to economic growth. The economic situation in a country can be analyzed under the following heads of production and distribution.
When we talk of production we are considering the fields of agriculture and industry. In the agricultural arena, the productive process involves all farmer’s activities in the fields together with the working of co-operatives for providing of facilities like better seeds, fertilizers etc., and last but not the least the facility of proper marketing by the co – operatives to enable the farmer to get the return for his labour which should be reasonable enough an amount for him to be able to look after his domestic needs and responsibilities.
This is desirable to enable the Indian farmer to progress. This seems to be quite logical and simple, but does it really benefit the farmer, how does it aggravate or remedy the process of inflation. In its effort to help the farmer, the Government buys the grain from him, and we have huge warehouses stacked with grain which is expected to feed the Public Distribution System. For this, experience has shown that, the lengthy distribution system has often resulted in a lot of wastage of food grains, while the Government on its part, is trying to fix a high price for the farmer’s grain and send food for the common man. Here again prices are fixed by the Government and steadily keep increasing resulting in aggravation of the inflationary process. If the farmers are provided facilities of better seeds, implements and marketing facilities, production would improve and the market forces of supply and demand would automatically fix appropriate prices.
In the same way, in the industrial sector, also, the Government can help to finance Projects which are found to be socially and economically beneficial, and there are fewer loans not paid back to banks. Thus even in the industrial sector it is important to have the national interest uppermost in the minds of the authorities. It is not uncommon to see large Projects worth crores of rupees going halfway and then being abandoned. If it was not a useful Project for the Nation, why was it ever started, and colossal sums of money wasted in it? The same trend has aggravated the upward spiral of the ogre of inflation, ever since the advent of industrialization in free India.
In the politically independent India we have seen great industrialists like the Tatas and the Birlas who have without fail combined industrial progress with rational utilization of their profits for the benefits of the people. We can be sure that, if their examples were followed for our guidance all the help in the form of Capital goods and money loans from the IMF and the World Bank would, in the span of half a century see India at a much better economic position than we are in, to day. As the number of rules and regulations increase there is less participation of market forces and prices continue to be fixed at higher and higher levels, with each passing year. Unless we learn to spread out our gains over a large number of people the inflationary trend will continue to be fuelled.
Every time we have the national budget raising any petrol or diesel prices, we see gradually all prices receive an impetus to rise, and inflationary trend just continues unabated. Hence, in the industrial sphere also we see how artificial fixation of prices leads to further inflation.
In India the importance of small scale industries cannot be ignored. In this area also we see that though, co – operatives are prominent and do a lot of good to the village artisan, but, once again, the marketing which is done by the co – operative, it is of great benefit but, once again the worker still does not get a proper share of the gains. The artificial fixation of prices in no manner ensures the gain for the workers because of the inflationary trend fuelled by fixation of prices rather than the sharing of profits by a larger number of people.
In essence, we have seen that, though India has progressed with the passage of time, this progress made does not compare favourably with other countries like Japan who managed to bounce back on the International Economic scene. Inflationary trends are essential when we have just started to invest in capital goods from foreign markets, and are just building up the infrastructure of roads, railways and dams etc., but that phase soon after a few decades should get over, when the industry starts using their machines to the optimum capacity, and the transport system facilitates trading activity even to the remotes part of the country, and the poverty line includes lesser people with each passing day.
It would be very unfair to say that, nothing has been done but, it definitely needs correction as far as large resources of the country stand blocked in the form of ‘Black Money’. The gap of this unaccounted money is becoming tighter and tighter on the economy. The result of all this being that, we have innumerable houses lying vacant, and myriads of people without houses, we have plenty of students needing admission to schools and plenty of trained teachers, but there is paucity of schools why? This all happens when we have unaccounted money and we cannot do much with it except pay high prices – and this class of money further fuels inflation. This is the fertile soil for all corruption which erodes the economy still further.
At the individual level also as citizens of India we can help in curbing this process for example, when we buy anything do we insist on taking a receipt for it? I daresay most of us do not, because, not taking a receipt helps the shopkeeper to save his income tax, and the customer saves the sales tax. Hence the system is today flourishing because each one of us, yes, each one of us is contributing to the very existence of ‘Black Money’ and this in turn restricts the spread of benefits of progress to the poorer classes, hence a major part of the Indian population continues to live in abject poverty, with a total lack of facilities, education, and have, hardly any chances of progress. Prices must come down by the play of market forces and not in the form of depression leading to increase of unemployment and poverty.

The Political Imbroglio in 1999

2008-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

The political scenario of the year 1999 could be easily adjudged as the worst possible existing since 1947. What we see is the net result of a continuous degeneration of the politicians and political parties. The mushroom growth of political parties each one with its individual agenda and its own partisan ideologies has added to the already political chaos on the central scene in 1999.
We know that, in the year 1999 till now the government was of the BJP and its allies, and the Congress and other parties were in the Opposition. Now, the obvious question that arises in the mind of any literate Indian is, why was it felt necessary to remove the Government. Why was the Vajpayee Government toppled when, it was in no way worse than any Government that held the reins since 1947. Why did, a State party that allied with the Government withdraw its support? Besides all this on the government side, the question that arises is that, why did all the other parties that were in the opposition concentrate all their efforts and fullest attention on the programme of toppling the Government? Above all, when the Opposition felt a desperate need for a change in the Government, why was there no alternative made before the fall of the Government, was manipulated? Above all, when all the parties on the Opposition held together tilt the Government, why did they break apart after the fall? What happened to make these parties fall apart? All these steps that were undertaken by the parties in the Opposition very clearly indicate how much our politicians are genuinely looking after, or are even interested in looking after the interests of this poor country that India is. They do not seem to realize that, a poor country like India can ill afford the hobby of annual elections. However, the caretakers of the country do not seem to feel any remorse at what they have done, and continue to do. Instead of at least, verbally repenting for what has been done we see each day each party only blaming the others for the dilemma, as if that sorts out all the problem.
The situation as it stood in March 1999 was that, the Vajpayee Government was starting stabilizing itself, and getting applauses for its multi-dimensional achievements and its policies, and this the Opposition could not just quietly swallow. Some political mischief makers started playing up the sentiments of possible changes and lo ‘and behold’ the desires of latent leaders took the clues and started the imbroglio plans, with dreams of high chairs in the offing. This saw the getting together of all the parties in the Opposition joining hands to dislodge the existing Government. They went to the extent of even saying that, Mr. Vajpayee must go, and “within the next one minute”, a Government will be in position. With this sort of comments it is not difficult to understand the logic behind the activities of the Opposition. They just could not bear to see the Government to stabilize as they were not used to staying without power. As far as the Opposition parties were concerned all of them had their own designs, aims and objectives in maneuvering the ouster of the Government and as soon as Mr. Vajpayee was out there was a list of contenders for the chair of the Prime Minister. What does this show? Is it not the hope of putting their own man on the chair of Prime Minister that prompted all of them to oust the legitimately elected Government? Finally on this point only they broke as, the Congress nominee was not acceptable to all. This so very clearly indicates that, the chair of the Prime Minister was the only concern of all and sundry and the country of course the concern of none.
It is so obvious that, if the Vajpayee Government was really doing so badly and did deserve to be throughout then, the Opposition parties should have fixed up an alternative before throwing out the Government. For a simple example, all of us want to continue to improve our careers but, we do not leave a job before getting a new one and that also better than the one in hand. However, this basic theory defies the understanding of our great politicians. They did not seem to realize that, a country cannot remain without a Government so, if they really wanted to do good for the country, they should have at least made a shadow Parliament and a shadow Government – no, but this was not found to be necessary by the opposition as, their sole purpose was to destroy rather than to make. Their purpose was not to give good governance to the country which they say that the Vajpayee Government was not giving, but, their only objective was to undo what was being done. They had no imagination of what they would plan for the future. Their eyes were just pinned on a simple destruction project.
In India after independence, Governments have come and gone but, the Vajpayee Government has set a record even in its losing the confidence vote as, it lost by just one vote, which in turn indicates that the opponents all together even were not enough to give a thumping defeat to the Government, by a large margin of votes.
Is this not enough indication that, the Vajpayee Government was not bad enough for the country to have to indulge in the very expensive hobby of annual elections. If it was not bad enough or unstable enough to be dropped at the ‘drop of a hat, is it not clear that the Opposition parties had some ulterior motives in the enacting of this big drama., which has to cost the Exchequer thousands of crores. This once again confirms to us the very callous attitudes of the modern politicians. They have already drained the Central and State Exchequers by their corrupt practices and their show of status and now their attitude towards the expenditure to be incurred in the elections. This is just another blow on the financial bankruptcy of the Indian Government’s Exchequer. With all this happening in the country and the country being in the hands of such vultures who only look for prey to kill and eat, then what can be the fate of the poor Indian people. It is only the bad luck of the Indian people that they have after 1947 never got a good and stable leadership.
Now this talk of leadership will lead us on to the stable Governments the Congress proudly professes to have given to India in the last fifty years. Yes, we must admit that they have given India a Government throughout but, has it been the party’s rule or a single family rule. I say no other party has such an extreme bankruptcy of leadership like the so called century old Congress. In a century or more of existence, it has not been able to produce a single leader.
All leaders of the party and the Prime Ministers of which the Congress boasts, got the chair of the PM on a platter as a reward for their birth in a family. Now where has the party given stability, yes it may be said that a single family has given a forced stability. Now, this is the last straw on the camel’s back that now a novice and a Roman born has been elected the President of the erstwhile party the Congress, and now in 1999 the so called age old party is presenting to India a gift of a Roman born Prime Minister. How great I’d say is the magnanimity of the Congress that they do not mind a foreigner to rule them. Besides being a foreigner, what has this foreigner done for India except moving about with her Prime Minister husband? I do wonder if this could be classified by the Congress as a sufficient reason for becoming the Prime Minister of the biggest democracy of the world?
At this juncture I would like to point out that, no country in the world yes, no country would ever allow a foreigner to become the head of the state. It is only we poor Indians who could allow such pranks to take the country for a ride. To add to this, the common man, the voter has been retained by the stable Congress Governments for 45 years as uneducated as possible – for just one single reason that, as long as the masses are illiterate they will provide a solid vote bank, as they do not have the capacity to think for themselves and are easily swayed by hollow promises made – so much so that, even after fifty years of promises made and not kept, the illiterate common man is still a good vote bank for the Congress.
In 1999 till now the politician was and is corrupt and the masses ignorant so, the corrupt are able to play up with the ignorant and make them dance to their tunes, I dare say that, it is this combination of corrupt politicians and the ignorant masses that has kept the Congress Governments on their saddle for the last fifty years, and it is this stability that the Congress boasts. If the Congress has been conscious of its duties as a responsible Opposition and as the oldest political party, instead of helping in the toppling of the Vajpayee Government, it should have advised the Government wherever it faltered, instead of joining hands with the rag tag opportunist parties. This action of the Congress has put to question their integrity and consideration for the country. The stability of the Government which Congress talks of, was really the stability of the Governments in the fifty years but the stability of a so called great family, in the shadow of whom, God alone knows how many more Prime Ministers will take birth. This is in my parlance the brazen misuse of a name only for, after Jawaharlal Nehru, no one, yes no one of his kin really deserved the chair, as they occupied it only because they happened to be his kith and kin.
If a country has to be lead like this by just one single family then why do we call it a democracy a better and more appropriate name for such Governments would be Monarchy or even to call it a dictatorship would not be very wrong, for the ruler has to come from there and no one else will ever be accepted. It is really shocking to note that crores of people from India are unable to produce one single individual to head the State that, we have to go back to the family, even if it be outsiders in the family.
This situation of the political scene in India in the year 1999, for one, depicts India’s absolute bankruptcy of leadership, and secondly we can see how an illiterate mass of people can be held to ransom by generations of one family. For this unhealthy situation, the greatest credit has to go to the oldest political party which has failed to produce a single leader in the last fifty years and has to go back to the family for support even if it be with just crutches. It is a shame for us Indians to have reached to this level of political insanity at the turn of one century and beginning of next. When the world is talking of Globalisation of the world, the world becoming one family, we have to continue to hold on to the apronstrings of one single family – without whom it seems India will die out.
In this situation as it stands in the middle of 1999, the elections were held in – October 99 and could not give us Indians relief of wish of single party stable government. This election again gave us a hung or to say a multiparty government but with the grace of almighty God is stayed for more than five years and is likely to complete its full term in November 2003.

Kashmir - An Indo Pak Irritant

2008-10-12T07:01:00.001-07:00

The Kashmir problem has been a continuous eyesore for India ever since the days of India’s independence. It is worthwhile for us to understand why and how it became a problem for India and Pakistan. In reality, the problem of Kashmir was created at the very onset of Independence when this State was the only one to be given a special status. All the other princely States merged into the Indian Union but, Kashmir was granted a special status. The special status for Kashmir lay in the fact that, Kashmir could have its own Constituent Assembly and the Head of the State was Sadr – e – Riyasat, and not the Governor, like in the other States that had acceded to the Indian Union.
The problem with this backdrop of a special status, became more serious when, in 1947 only when in that year the areas where Muslims had an absolute majority was being eyed by Pakistan, as, a part of their country. However, at that time the ruler of the State was Hari Singh, a Hindu. This desire of Pakistan to take away Kashmir from India has shown itself in several series through the last fifty years.
In 1947 itself, Pakistan attacked Kashmir with the help of the Kabaili mercenaries, even though it did not declare war directly. Now the ruler, Hari Singh signed the document of the accession of Kashmir to India, and thus, for all practical purposes Kashmir had become anintegial part of India by its own will. However, Pakistan’s view regarding Kashmir is based only on religion – for obvious reasons, that, the majority of the population of Kashmir is of Muslims, and it is only this reason that, even now, after fifty years, Pakistan stakes its claim on Kashmir.
This was thus, the situation regarding Kashmir in the year 1947, that is immediately after independence. Ever since then, Pakistan has been fighting and laying its claim on Kashmir. In 1965 and 1971 Pakistan even attacked India when armed troops were sent to Kashmir and Punjab in the eighties, just to create an awe in those areas.
In 1971, the historic Simla Agreement was signed by the Pakistan Prime Minister Bhutto and Mrs. Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. As per this agreement, India and Pakistan have to settle all their disputes only through bilateral negotiations and discussions – and no third party can, at any stage be allowed to intervene or mediate.
The position of Kashmir to-day is still rather precarious as, now India and Pakistan have both displayed their nuclear might and this race for military might could be expected to take a heavy toll in Kashmir. Any time Pakistan with its might and the aid from China may muster the courage to attack India with the plan of annexing Kashmir to Pakistan. Thus Kashmir has defied any agreeable solution through these long attracted international attention, India insisting on making it only a bilateral issue and Pakistan seeking International intervention. Kashmir is now the most talked of region in the world to –day as, Pakistan believes that, it can not live without Kashmir and for India Kashmir is its organ and its pride. Thus the situation is now very tense and can deteriorate any time. However, a well planned settlement agreeable to both the parties could surely be thrashed out if Pakistan and India leaders with a nature and a straight forward thinking sit together and discuss. All this could surely be achieved without any further armed conflicts. For such a settlement both sides have to make some substancial compromises and if they fail to do so, this single issue of Kashmir could provide a spark to ignite the Third World War.
Pakistan has been continuously trying to Internationalise the Kashmir issue – against the very breath of the Simla Agreement. Pakistan has been putting great stress on their demand for an expansion of the role and strength of the United Nations. Military observers group in India and Pakistan, just as observers be deployed on the side of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir is the insistence of Pakistan just to prove to the world that, India is wrong when it says that Islamabad is sending support to the extremists operating in India mainly in Kashmir. This tactics of Pakistan has been the latest of its attempts to dislodge any semblance of peace in Kashmir. For the last eighteen years, Pakistan is fighting a proxy war in Kashmir, in the hope that, India will surely after a time give way to its designs. Pakistan is training and providing with arms the young extremists to kill and loot in the valley with the view that, when there is too much of bloodshed and destruction in the valley, India will have to succumb to the nefarious designs of Pakistan, and then it will present to Pakistan the valley of Kashmir on a platter. However, this has not come to be, so now Pakistan is indulging in a new modus operandi of trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue.
However, all these efforts also put up by Pakistan, to internationalise the Kashmir issue has failed upto now and so, Pakistan only continues to back up and support the terrorist activities in Kashmir in order to dislodge all semblance of a civilized life in Kashmir. Pakistan is probably hopeful that, by applying such tactics it may be able to cow down the Indian thinking and, at some later stage, to this tactics. Let us see what finally happens to this burning issue between India and Pakistan, all that we can do is just to wait and watch and pray that good sense prevails and the tangle gets sorted out to the satisfaction of both the parties, without the further destruction of the beautiful Valley, the pride of India.

India's Nuclear Policy

2008-10-12T07:00:00.002-07:00

India has an age old tradition of being peace loving country and this, it has depicted in all its activities and attitudes through the ages. But, with the growth of Science and Technology, the world has gone far ahead in using its knowledge of Science as an instrument of destruction. The movement of the world in its knowledge of Science has been thought provoking for the Indians also, and they have had to do some rethinking in the matter.
Immediately after independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India started building friendships with other countries but, somehow, since its very inception, our relations with our closet neighbour Pakistan, have been mutually lacking in trust, and as such they remained strained always.
During the span of 25 years, from 1948 to 1971, India has three wars thrust upon it by Pakistan, which India obviously had to fight. In the year 1962, a war was also thrust upon India by another neighbour Chin. It is with this background that, India had to review its defence policy and defence budget. This it had to do only to be able to defend itself from onslaughts of others. Even after the wars India had to fight, in its thinking and attitude of not fighting. India did not undergo any change, but, it also realized that, with others continuing to advance in destructive management, India had to develop its knowledge of destruction, only if it was to save itself. With this background, and the scenario of the world India had to perforce plan out a strategy of defending itself.
The world scenario that has developed through the years is that, the great powers have increased their know how and also their arsenals of nuclear weapons, by leaps and bounds, and India is expected to just wait and watch. When India became independent, illiteracy and poverty were rampant, and Nehru started the process of planning the development of higher scientific and technological education and research in different fields. These were considered necessary for the eradication of poverty, development of agriculture and advancement of the country to compete with other countries of the world. It is with this in view that, the atomic energy establishment for study and research in the field was started in India, in the fifties, with the first atomic research centre, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre being set up in Bombay, for the study and advancement of knowledge of the Science of Nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy has a number of useful applications, specially in the field of power generation. A number of atomic energy power stations were established in the country with the idea of utilizing this energy for peaceful purposes. This was achiebed in India with the help form various countries who had know how in the field. The Indian scientists continued to advance their knowledge by a close interaction with their counterparts in other countries, and through their own researched.
What has been the advancement in the field can be verified only with nuclear explosions, and, like and other branch of Science this experiment is necessary to understand the extent to which we have progressed in the line. The knowledge developed in the laboratories was experimented by India in its first nuclear explosion conducted at Pokharan in Rajasthan, in the year 1974. This was just a simple ground trial of the laboratory research of the scientists. With further development, the second test of nuclear know how was conducted by India in May 1998. this test was also conducted at the same location of Pokharan in Rajasthan and is so called the Pokharan-II.
So much for the knowledge of India in the sphere of nuclear science but, what is our policy in the matter? Our policy has not changed from the early days of our independence, for, even to-day, when we realize that, we have the skill and the know how, we still are against using this knowledge as a weapon of destruction. The situation of the world to-day is that, the five big powers that have the maximum knowledge and reserves of nuclear weapons are, U.S.A., Russia, Britian, France and China. These powers are the five who have huge stock piles of nuclear weapons which they can legally develop and increase but, all the other powers of the world not supposed to grow in this sphere. Now that, some powers have nuclear weapons the natural corollary for all other nations of any magnitude is to have a desire to enter the arena even if it be in a small way. India’s nuclear policy has always been very clear in as much as, India is avowed to use its nuclear knowledge only for purposes of peace and never for confrontation with any one.
India has always been pressing from time to time on all world forums for a restraint on these big nuclear powers. India’s stand is that, they should stop the manufacture of nuclear arms for destructive purposes, and also destroy their existing dumps of arsenals, then, India will also convinue the smaller countries of the safety of their respective states. However this point pressed by India has not been acceptable by the big powers. With this attitude of the big powers, the small powers have a continued feeling of insecurity, and they have also started a movement on the path of nuclear growth. The examples of this, are the latest entrants in this race, India and Pakistan. The two countries did this only to highlight to the world their know how in the Science, and thus showed to the world that they are not very far from the others in their knowledge. However, on the other side, the five big powers want to impose a discriminatory world order called the C.T.B.T., that is Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, on all the nations of the world.
By this the big powers want that, while they themselves can retain their huge nuclear dumps and even keep on adding on to them, the other countries will not be allowed to develop their nuclear powers. In respect to this decision, India has said very clearly that, this treatment of diiferentiation will not be accepted, and it is in no norms of natural justice that, ther should be such a clear demarcation between the Haves and Have Nots. Thus, the truth of the matter is that, though the world claims to have reached the stage of global oneness but, in reality,some countries do continue to dominate the others. While some countries think it is their prerogative to sit on dumps of nuclear arsenals, they would not like the other lesser powers to develop even a simple know how of the technology. Thus India’s plea in the matter is absolutely correct when it says that, either all countries stop developing the nuclear weapons or all should be allowed to do whatever they can in the matter. For, when all countries are supposed to be equal then why this partiality? While some countries can fulfil their priorities, the others are denied the right. India’s policy is for the good of her own security and the stopping of the big powers becoming more powerful and thus more dangerous for world peace. Experience has shown the world how atomic invasions destroyed Nagasaki and Hiroshima in the World War-II, and taught all, about the potentially of the nuclear weapons for massive destruction. Thus so far, nuclear power has only acted as a deterrent to ensure that a military power does not indulge in any misadventure.
India wants to develop nuclear know how in all its forms specially for only peaceful purposes of nuclear energy. Being essentially a peace loving nation India can be fully trusted in, never being the offender in the matter of disturbing world peace. This is further corroborated by the latest declaration of the Prime minister of India that ours will always be the “No first use” policy as far as nuclear weapons are concerned. Presently just as in the past, India continues to press on al a world forums about-one, total nuclear disarmament of all the powers of the world. Secondly, India insists that, the big five powers that are established nuclear power must destroy all their nuclear arsenals in a phased manner, in a stipulated time frame. This action of the big powers total disarmament in the world. This will put a stop on the attempts of smaller countries trying to develop their know how and researches on the subject. This is the basic and though very logical approach of India, it has not found much acceptance in the comity of nations, and received any positive response from the nuclear powers. That this will lead to a continuing the latent attitude of suspicion of countries against each other, and this continues to point at the fact of the desire of the big countries to dominate the world scene. In this matter it would be advisable and more practical to achieve results that, the big brothers give examples to the younger brothers round the world, by disarming and destroying their nuclear wepons by and by. This will build a confidence in the smaller powers and then there is a chance that they may follow suit, and drop their pursuit of nuclear studies and research. For this, it is all important for the big powers to control themselves and then they may get obedience as, the smaller powers will feel secure and confident. This would be ideally achieved by the elder brother cajoling the younger, instead of punishing by means of imposing sanctions.
To-day this is the policy of India and when it has achieved a breakthrough, instead of appreciating the growth of the once backward country, the big brother is punishing by sanctions. How far does this indicate the equality of nations, or similarity of attitudes towards the rich and poor countries. India’s stand on nuclear arms is quite logical for, once other powers get nuclear and India is not allowed to grow on this front will it not be left behind in its growth of knowledge? Is it not enough for India to declare that it will never use it first to show that, it does not want to develop nuclear know how with any destructive ideas in mind. For India to become a nuclear power, it requires a colossal investment for the manufacture of the bomb and its delivery systm. An economically weak country like India is not likely to embark on such a course unless its security environments compel it to. This also is a serious stopper placed in India and would always prevent it form trying any misadventure of nuclear destruction. Seeing this scenario, India can not take upon itself the onus of any destruction by nuclear arms, as for one, it can not afford the fun, and for second, it is not its policy to destroy, it has always been peace loving and mature country.

If one day the Earth stopped rotating and revolving

2008-10-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

If the earth stopped revolving and rotating, it would spell disaster and all prayer would be diverted to Heaven to help man out of the predicament. The Earth as we know is a Planet and a part of the Solar System. The Earth, like all other planets moves round and round the sun. it has two movements very well co – ordinated with itself and with other planets.
The two distinct movements are rotation of the Earth on its own axis and revolution of the Earth round the sun. the moot point to be considered is that, these movements are not to be seen as just movements but, in the context of what these movements give to us on Earth. So, obviously if these movements stopped the gifts of these movements would also cease.
The rotation of the Earth on its axis gives us on earth our Day and Night. In this the 24 hours of the day are so neatly divided into day and night, with the day being for work and night for rest and relaxation. On the other hand, the Earth’s movement round the sun gives us, people on Earth our seasons, the hot, the wet and the cold. These seasons are also great assets to us as we get to enjoy the fruits of these seasons, the pleasures of these seasons and besides all this, they give us a sense of change and freshness. When one season changes into the other, we feel as though a new life has been infused by a mere change of the season.
With so many gifts to us by the apparently simple movements of the Earth, we can hardly underestimate the utility of these movements to us on Earth. Now let us imagine what would happen if one fine day the Earth stopped moving. The Earth would then present a scene of utter confusion, chaos and unhappiness. If we men were not used to day and night and changes of seasons it would have been a different matter, but in the present circumstances we have, for ages, being accustomed to these changes so, if they were to be denied to us we would feel terribly dejected and forlorn.
At the point of time or moment the Earth would stop moving we would be having day or night or dawn or dusk and one of the three seasons. With stopping of its movements, each place of the world would have to be confined to either day, night, dusk or dawn and whatever season we would be having at that point of time. We would not know how to handle the new situation as, we are used to changes. How would we time our daily routines, when would we work and when would we sleep. The strict discipline of nature of passing on from day to night and from night to day would be converted into a static position. Loss of discipline in nature would cause increase of indiscipline in our daily routines. The guiding factor of day and night having gone, we would just rest when we would want to and work when we want to. This would be a scenario of utter confusion and absolute indiscipline.
The loss of seasons would also prevent us from preparing ourselves for them. We would then be in a permanently hot, cold or wet zone. This would never give us relief from the tortures of extremes of any season and we would be unkindly plunged into the effects of one season, never to get solace and relief from a change in the season. How would we enjoy the blessings and fruits of all seasons, we would get stranded in the precincts of one time of the day and one season only.
The day the Earth stops its movements round the sum will be a day of doom for us on earth. All the advantages of these movements presented to us on a platter would seem to be unkindly withdrawn. We would be sufferers at the hands of the Almighty and all hands would raise in prayer to HIM for restoration of the gifts, HE has so graciously awarded to us since the very inception of creation.

What is Addiction ?

2008-10-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Addiction as the word normally implies is, to get used to something to such an extent that life cannot be conducted without it. It is an old and wise understanding that we should do everything, eat and drink everything but never get addicted to anything. This is because addiction leads to dissatisfaction, frustration and ultimate destruction. No matter what we get addicted to, it is bound to lead to a sense of annihilation at some stage or the other.
In the context o today’s scenario in India, we use the word addiction mostly to, addiction of drugs. Standing at rooftops, speaking from public platforms, we all decry addiction but, has anyone of us cared to analyse the cause of this addiction. This addiction of today, commonly to drugs, is not just fun for the young, there is a deep seated cause of this epidemic. This deep seated cause is in the violent change of styles, of family life, of society and of demands and ambitions of parents. All these together make life hell for the younger generation and they take recourse to drugs for solace and peace of mind.
Let us objectively and rationally study the causes of drug addiction. First cause I can attirubte to this, is the home. The father and mother are always busy in earning money, no elders are at home. The child and the home both flourish on the work of servants, ayahs and crèches. Now, when the child small or big comes home from school, what does he see, a pet dog, a servant or a cook. This is the first cause of frustration, whom is he going to tell his experiences, in school, his woes and enjoyments? Parents often compare their children with their peers. Peer pressure adds to the child’s frustration. I feel, it is the parents whose unfulfilled ambitions come to play a prominent role here. However, they don’t ever seem to realize that this criticism of the child will not make the child but mar his desire to study.
Next in line of culprits comes the Society who only keep comparing children – they seem to forget that “comparisons are odious”. These comparisons make the children hate each other.
It appears here that parents and society seem to forget that all children cannot achieve same targets, all have their individual limitations. Friends and elders what would you do if some day your child turns up to you and compares you to other parents whom he feels are better than you? Would not it cause frustration in your mature minds? Then what do you expect to achieve by comparing children and being over ambitious.
Because of circumstances at home and immediate social circle children become prone to substance abuse. When they are lured by their seniors, whom they see as their ideals, they become entrapped. This section of society is the greates contributor towards increase of drug addiction in India. If the drugs would not be easily available at sweets shops, in front of schools and colleges, from where would the children get them? We elders help them to get drugs and addicted to drugs, and then shout about it.
When this addiction crosses a certain level, the addicts cannot do without them and the next step is to steal from home, money to buy the drugs. So, till now they were only drug addicts, at a later stage, they get an added qualification of becoming thieves in their very homes.
When the child has reached this stage of addiction that, there is no going back, the parents cry and brood but, what is the use of crying over spilt milk? I squarely blame the home, society and this world of elders for getting our younger generation addicted to drugs.
Every generation has been young then why this special frustration in the present generation only? This is because, I daresay the elders of this younger generation have become more callous than any elders ever before. With their continuous lust for money, the world of adults doesn’t seem to see and understand where they are leading the younger generation. To improve the lives of the young, I daresay the elders must mend their ways, for, if life continues to move at this pace it will not be long that we will have to sit and bemoan the loss of a younger generation i.e. the future of the country.

A Scene in Front of a Cinema Hall

2008-10-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

These days movies have become a great source of attraction for young boys and girls. They are rather crazy for films and film – stars. They know more about these film – stars than about their great men of the past and the present. They can do without their meals, but they cannot forego the latest movie. A cinema house attracts more people than a temple does. Young boys and girls in particular are mad after pictures.
There is a lot of hustle and bustle in front of a cinema hall. On one side there is a thick crowd standing in a queue pushing and elbowing one another. On the other side rich persons in the best of clothes stand near the booking window where there is a heavy rush. Various types of people besiege the cinema house and are very anxious to go inside. Gatekeepers stand at every gate to check tickets. The sound of the horns never ceases. Rich people pour in with cars and scooters and middle class people in rickshaws or on cycles. The riff – raff come on foot and shout, clap and hiss. Policemen move to and fro to control the traffic.
It is seen in front of a cinema hall that till the last minute people continue rushing in. some go in and occupy their seats and others stand in the open and indulge in gossips. It appears from their faces that they have more knowledge of human nature than does a full day in a library. A cinema hall is a human museum or a fir of human faces with different dresses and belonging to different walks of life. The scene is so busy, tempting and exciting that none feels bored there.
A few persons manage to get a large number of tickets and sell them at high prices. There is none to check this black. Marketing even in cinema houses. The great rush of people offers a good opportunity for the pick – pockets. Even the eve – teasers have a busy time. Sometimes a few ever – teasers receive a sound beating from the people.

My Favourite Leader

2008-10-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our country has produced a galaxy of thinkers and theoreticians, but there have been very few who have translated theory into practice and converted promise into performance. The life and work of Sardar Patel, whose forty – seventy death anniversary was observed on December 15 lst year show that “things are revolutionized not by creating revolutions on the streets but by achieving practical solutions to the existing problems”. In these days, when virtually India is writing another disappointed story of disorder and disarray in its beleaguered history; it is of paramount importance that the nation’s attention should be invited to Sardar Patel’s concrete and constructive contribution in various areas of Indian polity and administration. Sardar Patelji, the first Home Minister of free India, was a remarkable personality and he is my favourite leader for his innumerable qualities.
There is no one in modern India who has achieved so much in so many directions and in such a short time as Sardar Patel. At the time of his death, the Manchester Guardian wrote that without Patel, Gandhiji’s ideas would have less practical influence and Nehru’s idealism less scope. He was not only the organizer of the fight for freedom but also the arcthitect of the new state when the fight was over. The same man is seldom successful both as rebel and statesman. Sardar Patel was an exception. We learn from his life that it is the constructive work alone that can inject meaning into the veins of history and civilization. The great questions of the day are not settled by speeches and slogans but by sound and solid actions just like did by Sardar Patel in his life.
One of the greatest triumphs in real sense of realism and responsibility of Sardar Patel was integration of over 500 princely states. In respect of this great task, he has often been compared with Chancellor Bismarck who unified Germany in the late nineteenth century. But Sardar Patel’s achievements are far more remarkable than that of Bismarck. The latter had to deal with only a dozen states in comparison to 561 dealt with by Sardar Patel. Patelji brought about a bloodless revolution as compared to the policy of ‘blood & iron’ of Bismarck. He showed an amazing capacity to size up men and moments and to strike when the iron was hot. His efforts resulted in adding of about eighty thousand square kilometers of land to the Indian Union.
Sardar Patel’s great contribution was warmly recognized by both Gandhiji and Lord Mountbatten. Gandhiji observed about Patelji : “The task of dealing with the princes was truly formidable, but I am convinced that the Sardar was the only person who could have coped with it”. In a letter written by Lord Mountbatten to Patelji, it said “There is no doubt that by far the most important achievement of the present government is unification of the states into the Dominion of India. Had you failed in this, the results would have been disastrous. But since you succeeded, no one can see the disastrous consequences that you avoided. Nothing has added to the prestige of the present Government more than the brilliant policy you have followed with the states”.
Sardar Patelji first formulated the great design for a well-knit India and then proceeded to materialize it on the ground. He aroused the patriotic sentiments of the princes and remind them : “We are at a momentous stage in the history of India. By a common endeavour, we can raise the country to a new greatness, while lack of unity will expose us to fresh calamities”. At the same time, he took care not to allow any grass to grow underneath his feet. Patel was accused for sometime for being anti – Muslim. Unfortunately, in the present day India, this accusation has to be faced by all those who are the real benefactors of the Muslims but who have the courage and commitment of calling a spade a spade, and making a distinction between appeasement and fairness.
The approach followed by Patel was direct and dynamic. He often combined his morning walk with the inspection of the streets of the city. Taking clue from Sardar Patel’s solid and selfless work in the streets of Ahmedabad, Gandhiji advised the municipal councilors all over the country for not seeking honours or indulge in mutual rivalries, but, he advised them to have real spirit of service and convert themselves into unpaid sweepers and roadmakers and above all take pride in doing so. Patel was an embodiment of probity in public life. The only property he left comprised a few dhotis and kurtas and a suitcase. He did not tolerate malfeasance anywhere. Even a minor impropriety by his partymen was sternly dealt with. Patel constructed a model which solved many of the acute problems of sanitation, health, water supply, waste disposal and traffic.
Today our country is facing a serious threat to its integrity in which administration is collapsing and terrorism is extending its tentacles right from the State of Kashmir to the other end of Coimbatore. At such times, it is essential for the nation particularly the ruling elite to remember the teaching and approach of Sardar patel and ward off the coming anarchy. I still love to read books written by Sardar Patel and get inspiration from his achievements and teachings. I wish that the present leaders must take a cue from his books and make ways for the prosperity of the nation.

We The people of India.

2008-10-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

We, the people of India are a rich tapestry of cultures, faiths and festivals. The people and communities of India are best seen in the regional context. The regions are ancient and culturally cohesive and go back to the pre-historic period. Even our earliest literature refers to the Andhras, Vangas, Angas and Cheras. The Mahabharata is truly a story of all the communities in India. The Aini-i-Akbari was the first national gazetteer of India which lists the dominant lineages drawn from different communities in various parts of Akbar’s empire. The ‘people of India’ project was the first plan-Indian survey of all the commuities in India from 1984 to 1996.
Mostly Indians are a highly mixed people. Yet their likeness appears to be more prominent than their differences. The number of genes in which they differ are only few in comparison to the vast number of genes they have in common. There is a much greater homogenization among communities in terms of morphological and genetic traits at the regional level. In fact, most communities within a region of state many traits. This has been significantly brought out in the anthropomorphic survey of population in various states.
The people of India as per the constitution of India in a collective sense are identified into five human groups namely the Scheduled Castes. The Scheduled Tribes, the Religions and Linguistic Minorities, the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, and the Anglo Indians.
All these groups are spread all over the country and most of them have been heterogeneous un terms of their perception of themselves, their differing versions of origin, their kinship structures, their life cycle ceremonies, their occupations which have now diversifies and so on. These communities derived their identities from their environment, their resources, their occupation and their original territory or villages.
The roots in the local cultural system, is an outstanding characteristic for the communities, no matter what religion they are attached with.
Indian society is marked by division and hierarchy. There are no communities without divisions. On the face of it, segments including exogamous divisions or groups, synonyms, surnames and titles add up to a mind boggling figure of about eighty thousand. However, at some different platform, they form an interesting tapestry market by different levels of perception, status and identity. A wide range of interaction is also shown by them including sharing of linkages and commonalities among communities in a linguistic regional and inter-regional context.
Further it is seen that all the communities and races living in India are also placed in a hierarchical order. Hierarchy differs from region to region. Based on the different perceptions, communities are ranked in a low, middle and high order. Ther has been an overall pervasive impact of the development process. As the movement towards the political equality grows and it gets translated into economic terms, there has been communities from the lower order move into the middle zone. This explains the burgeoning middle class, an amorphous category which encompasses a whole range of people moving up and going down into a arena of economic activity. We, the people of India, highlight the rise of the middle class over a large social spectrum including most communities and from almost all regions.
Among the people of India, there are still some communities which do not have adequate representation in the classified ranks of the society. Similarly, the remotest communities have been drawn into the vortex of Indian politics, and they are the participants in the recent political processes going on in the country. However, this process has still to move forward so as to encompass each section of people in order that our democracy, the social base of which is widening, becomes truly fully participative one. Further, it is a fact that the people of India are located within the civilization vocabulary cutting across various language barriers. Our late Prime Minister had truly said that India is a cultural unity amidst diversity, a bundle of contradictions held together by strong but invisible threads of lobe and affection.
Another thing which is very interesting about the people of India is that we share traits far more than the traits that we do not share. A reason for this could be the fact that most communities have emerged from the same ecological, ethnic, socio-cultural background, even though later they embraced different religious or other ways of life. Contrary to the general impression and inspite of the higher value attached to vegetarianism, only about twenty percent of the Indian communities are vegetarian. Mild culture has spread in the wake of the white revolution and a large number of communities report the consumption of milk. In the eating habits of the People of India, there has been a general shift from non –vegetarianism to vegetarianism. However, at the same time, there has been a sharp increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages by men in various Communities with growth in economy in the post green revolution phase, there has been a diversification of occupations among the People of India. Today, there are very few communities whose members follow only one occupation.

Population Policy : Need for a Chance

2008-10-01T10:20:00.001-07:00

The population problem in India has acquired such a serious dimension that the stage has arrived to realize that adherence to the principle of voluntariness will not do. A family planning programme based on only education, persuasion and access to contraceptive facilities is simply not enough. There is need to formulate a population control policy which would envisage supplementation of dedicated efforts in these areas. These schemes need a drastic change rather than the present incentives and disincentives – a carrot and stick approach just to nudge the country a two child family norm.
In recent past, there has been a spate of accidents involving school children getting plunged with their school bus or getting crushed under the cruel wheels of a speeding bus/truck. Such incidents really lacerate the psyche of any civilized society. Though the drivers of such vehicles do deserve severe punishments, but the other aspect of concern is the overcrowding in the buses. This is all due to increase in population without any considerations at any level or thought by the society. Overcrowding due to more population symbolizes the ugly face of a leadership that has displayed a mind – boggling abdication of responsibility. Even as the country is bursting at the seams every government getting power at the centre has done nothing but twiddle its thumbs. Although slated to become the most populous nation on Earth within the next two decades, India does not have a population control policy in place.
The incentives – disincentives scheme at the national level to control population can cover only the organized sector. Such organized sector consists of employees of the central and state governments as well as the corporate sector in initial stages of implementation. There are about seventeen million employees under central and state governments whereas the private and public sector under corporate have only 28 million working class. Thus incentive – disincentive scheme covers only 45 million couples which is a negligible gain as compared to the overall population of the country. Such a scheme of incentive – disincentive has been debated at many occasions at the national level in various forums. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) also prepared a document called “Population and Socio – Economic Development in India” that lists various incentives and disincentives which can be applied for a better population control policy and would be widely accepted.
Under the population control policy through incentive – disincentive scheme, the best measures can be extension of retirement age and increase in pension, educational allowances, special maternity leave with full pay upto only two children, preferential treatment in respect of house rent allowance / housing loans / purchase of vehicle for transport and cash awards to acceptors of sterilization. Further free medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses up to two children would be a better incentive. However, more disincentives should be imposed on those who do not follow the norm of two children. There is a need for enactment of a law under which the central and state governments as well as all companies would be mandatorily required to implement an incentive – disincentives scheme and specifically pay some minimum cash to such of their employees who go in for sterilization.
The most important incentive for securing most viable results would be providing handsome cash awards to those who accept sterilization. Truly. It is the money that “makes the mare go”. Actually neither the state nor the central governments have any scheme of sufficient cash awards for workers undergoing sterilization. The corporate do almost nothing towards such schemes of cash incentives. Rather they would give some incentive on piecemeal basis. In some of the public sector undertakings there is a provision of monetary incentive to the acceptor of sterilization in the range of Rs. 200 after two children and Rs. 150 after three children. Such undertakings must also provide an incentive of Rs. 500 for accepting sterilization to an employee after the first child.
The government companies or the private sector don’t understand the traumatic experiences at a personal level faced by the workers both during vasectomy and tubectomy. The meager cash awards of Rs. 200 or Rs. 300 amounts to the mocking of the system. The cash incentive must be made very attractive with a base level fixed at minimum of Rs. 3000 for sterilization. The corporate sector has also shown very disappointing approach towards implementation of such incentive schemes in their companies. This is despite of the fact that all expenditure on promotion of family planning is eligible for 100 percent tax rebate under section 36(I) of the Income Tax.
In addition to the above method of population control, there are other incentives which can be given to employees who do not go for sterilization but use other methods of contraception like the pill, IUCD or condom. The only difference will be that the monetary benefit would be of a deferred nature. Under such schemes, certain fixed amount can be deposited by the organization periodically in an account to be opened in the name of the beneficiary. This accumulated amount can be given when the wife of the employee reaches the menopausal age of say 45 years. However, if the couple gets a third child, the accumulated amount must be forfeited altogether. This way, each employee will be having an inspiration that he can get so much accumulated sum after certain number of years. Such amounts will be available to the employees without contributing anything from their own pockets.

Computerization in Banks

2008-10-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

Almost a decade ago, automation was introduced into the Indian Banks. During this time, personal computers and servers have been installed and are being continuously installed along with banking software packages at various branches. This has automatised many of the bank branches’ activities. But this has still to be met as per the banks expectations and help deliver enhanced customer service. We have to enter into new markets and deploy new products quickly to get the best out of this automatisation.
But the point to be seen is, whether all these products are friendly with the customers and profitable to the banks. Is this network enough to move both information and money efficiently. Is the top management of the banks getting the right information on time to enable them take better and faster decisions. Whether the technology which we are using today is open enough to integrate seamlessly with emerging technologies. Such type of questions are arising increasingly in the present liberalized and highly competitive environment. Many nationalized banks are not ready to accept the same. All the issues associated with the above automation stem from two main things. Firstly, the drawbacks of the existing branch banking software and secondly the lack of networking infrastructure are the main constraints. Both combine to create islands of information which do not help effective decision making.
Existing branch banking applications do not afford some very important facilities such as the bank cannot deploy new retail products and new delivery methods quickly and economically. And then the bank branch cannot have an enterprise – wide view of its assets, liabilities and profitability. Further the banks cannot integrate corporate and treasury operations to gain synergies. Only a centralized banking solution can enable the provision of facilities which are critical to the efficient and effective functioning of a bank. A centralized banking solution does not mean a main frame.
In fact, the latest advanced solutions run on powerful saleable, secure and cost effective systems. With such centralized solutions, the bank can retain or simply upgrade its existing software and hardware. These solutions give the bank the flexibility to start computerization at a lower scale with few branches and scale upwards afterwards and connect hundreds of branches in a multi – tier manner.
In the present Indian scenario, there is a preponderance of brick and mortar branches and any solution which does not provide for a minimum data base at a branch for operations purposes will not work when the number of branches multiply to higher numbers. Actually, the banks buy only when they need to expand services or add new facilities. Contrary to this, solutions available on proprietary mainframe technology do not enable the banks to start small and also have very high incremental costs. These solutions were designed in an older era and are hence rigid when it comes to customizing especially for Indian conditions. The proprietary mainframe based solutions do not provide for a smaller backup database at the branch level. The risk of having all customer data residing only at the head – office is well known.
A more realistic approach is provided by the open UNIX and Windows NT based solutions. In addition to the central database the head office, there are lean branch databases which allow customers to avail of banking services even during communication link failures which is not at all an uncommon phenomenon in India. And because of the cost effectiveness of the open technology, this combination of the central server and small branch servers alongwith their databases is far more economical than the expensive proprietary mainframe and proprietary database and cost – effective to maintain and upgrade in the longer run.
It is imperative that Indian banks start to seriously consider migrating to a centralized banking approach which is flexible and based on open technology. It is the most cost – effective way to increase back office efficiency which would enhance front – office effectiveness. With this centralized banking customers get more varied and faster services. The customer will have access to “anywhere banking” wherein anybody can transact against his account from any of the bank’s designated retail outlets/branches. The customer can have banking as per his convenient timings. Customers will be able to have comprehensive account sweep and on-line funds transfer facility which will enable better funds management for large corporate customers. This will remove time consuming inter branch reconciliation and transactions between branches is sorted and stored at the head office system and resolved before being posted. A relationship banking practice is possible with centralized information of the customers. The customers are treated in a more holistic manner rather than as a set of accounts.
With centralized banking, it is easily possible for the customers to avail custom made & innovative products more quickly. Centralized solutions are usually highly parameterized softwares and changing combinations of various parameters give rise to new banking products. Hence defining and implementing new banking products becomes much faster and easier for everybody. Further, a centralized system on open and latest technology insulates the bank from any type of obsolescence by providing a standard based architecture using client server, Web technologies and distributed objects. The bank also has the option of individually implementing forex, securities operations and money markets in day to day operations.

Pen is Mightier than the Sword

2008-10-01T04:17:00.001-07:00

Pen stands for expression, for literature, for what comes out of a writer’s pen. And it is true that literature or writing wields far more power than arms can ever wield. Battles are fought over a certain period time and within a particular area. They certainly affect and influence events but in a limited way. The effect of the pen or literature is wide. Sometimes it is universal. The messages of Buddha, Christ, Confucius, Gandhi and Marx are universal in their appeal. They are valid for all times and for all climes. The sword has a physical effect, it hardly affects times and for all climes. The sword has a physical effect, it hardly affects the mind and the spirit, while the pen affects the mind, intellect and spirit. The latter can shape the minds, hearts and spirit of people in a desired way if only the wielder has the mastery of its use in the required measure.
The pen is a source of power and inspiration for all times and for people in all walks of life. The fact of superiorty of the pen over the sword should not lead us to believe that the sword has no value. Arms have changed history. Sometimes only force brings about results. When everything fails, when persuasion negotiations etc., fail, the use force to teach Ravan a lesson. Arms were used to ensure the victory of the forces of good over the forces of evil. If the great war of Mahabharat had not been fought, the forces of evil which the Kauravas represented would have continued to plague the kingdom and the rule of justice and righteousness could never have been established. Lord Krishna, therefore, induced Arjuna to fight a violent war to destroy the forces of evil and rehabilitate the rule of the right.
There is might in the sword, nobody can gain say this, but there is more might in the pen. The American Revolution of 1776 was the product of the writings of a host of political philosophers and statesmen. The very slogan of liberty, equality and pursuit of happiness raised in their writings by the American revolutionaries and almost the identical slogan liberty, equality and fraternity raised in the writings of French revolutionaries not only did much to change the history of these two countries, but also revolutionized the very thought and outlook of the people about the role of the state. It is a matter of common knowledge for a student of History that, what Benjamin Franklin, Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in America and Rousseau, Voltaire and Motesquieu in France, could do by their writings could never have been achieved by was an outburst of the centuries old people’s grievances, but the background for it had been prepared by the writings of a host of creative writers as well as statesmen like Trotsky and Lenin.
Erroneous view is held by some people that the sword is mightier than the pen. They actually do not understand the meaning of pen. When comparing with the sword they have in mind only some object six inches long with which one can write. This object of six inches in length and about one inch in thickness compares ridiculously in power with the one or two feet long sword with sharp edges, the very sight of which sends shudders of fear down the spine.
What Gandhi could achieve by the use of his pen could never be achieved by thousand of strong emperors ruling by the force of their arms. The writings of a host of patriotic writers and men of literature contributed very significantly to burning of the fire of patriotic zeal in the hearts of the multitudes of people and inspiring them to sacrifice their lives for the sake of freedom. V.D. Savarkar’s ‘Indian war of Independence’, Lala Lajpatrai’s ‘Unhappy India’, the fiery messages of Swami Vivekanand exercised much greater power than the actual thought which issued from the minds of a host of individuals and liberal writers has done more in democratizing and socializing our attitudes.
An important role in preserving human civilization from the onslaught of barbarism can be played by the strength of a pen only. A writer can make the whole world see things in their true light and facts of life. They can really make the world aware of the tragic horrors of wars, racial wars and ideological wars of all types. It is only false propaganda that cause of spread of violence. Only a writer can conquer such a lie. Writers can move the soul and touch the hearts of the affected people in great depth. The writings can serve a powerful and swift force waging a relentless struggle for the dignity and glory of human soul.
It is the strength of the pen only, which can stress the similarity rather than the differences between people living at distant places. A writer can create a better understanding of each other’s problems and thus lessen strife and conflicts. All types of wars and battles emerge from misunderstandings which can be resolved by a powerful instrument of the writer’s pen. The concept of ‘One world’ becomes real and effective only through the words of a writer.

Role of India Towards World Peace

2008-10-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

India is a peace – loving country and has been the member of the United Nations from the very existence of the United Nation Organisation. India has always played a key role in bringing peace to various countries on war and thus fulfilling the objective of the UNO. It has also been an active member of the various agencies of the UNO like the UNESCO, the WHO and the UNICEF. Once the President of the General Assembly of the UNO was Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit. India has also been elected as a member of the Security Council.
Soon after the World War II, it was observed that many countries of the world got divided into two major groups. These two groups of various countries could not tolerate any development or progress of the member nations of the other group which was lead by the then Soviet Union. Many countries were tempted to join these groups based on the military pacts. It was appearing that there could be another war the way things were moving. Such a war would have stopped the progress and new development activities taking place in India. Poor countries were poised for a great danger to their existence. It was our late Prime Minister Panidt Jawahar Lal Nehru who foresaw the danger and was deeply concerned. He started consultations and discussions with leaders of various countries like Egypt and Yugoslavia. At the same time, he began to caution the poor nations about the disastrous impacts and consequences of the war and danger to the freedom of these nations. Thus leaders of these countries joined under one umbrella and jointly laid down five principles of cooperation with each other. Thus the Non – Aligned Movement took birth and it became a big movement.
The starting of Non-Aligned Movement at the initiative of India prevented the small nations from joining military pacts and leading to world peace. With the passage of time, more and more countries realized its importance and joined in this movement for security of their country. As on date, more than one hundred member nations of the UNO are the members of the Non – Aligned Movement. All these countries want to have peace and get assurance that their freedom is not lost. India has contributed its maximum in echoing the concern of the poor and small nations in the United Nations.
During the conflict of Iran – Irag, India had sent its forces to ensure peace. At the request of the UNO, India deputed its soldiers in Korea to bring about peace in that part of the World. Similar work was also carried out in Zaire.
India has always raised its voice against injustice taking place anywhere in the world so that each one has peace. The oppression of the Blacks by the Whites minority in South Africa was strongly opposed by India. A world opinion was formed against South African policy of apartheid (discrimination based on colour) for the Blacks. It argued for equal rights for them and no discrimination against them. Even the cause of freedom for Palestinians from the Israel has been widely supported by the Government of India.

The Stock Market Scandal: Role of Banks

2008-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Indian economy is in the throes of a recession. But its fundamentals are still strong. But the Indian stock market is not going with a steady rise and it is more or less fluctuating towards a downward trend. The forex exchange situation of the country has slid a wee bit from $30 billion to $27 billion, but that still is a strong position. Inflation is low. Interest rates are pretty low, but picking up nevertheless. Short term interest rates have hardened, which is a sign of improving economic activity. However, capital expenditure and project financing have taken a beating, chiefly because excess capacities were built up during the heady days preceding the current slowdown. Since demand has not lived up to expectation, these capacities have remained idle.
It was a paradox to observe select non-banking finance companies (NBFC) stock rising on the bourses when Reserve Bank of India unleashed tighter norms regulating these companies accepting public deposits. The outcome of the regulations would be to make the scenario more competitive and reduce the overall spreads thereby impairing profitability. On the other hand, RBI has failed to stipulate what action would be taken against those who default in repayment of fixed deposits, fail to meet the required criteria or exceed the prescribed limits. Surprisingly, fixed deposits accepted by an manufacturing companies have not been touched by the fresh set of regulations. As a result, the objective with which RBI initiated new regulations is not clear. It seems to be just to reduce the number of NBFCs in the country. Rather the objective should have been to discipline the companies accepting the fixed deposits and initiate strict punitive measures against those defaulting in repayments and those exceeding the prescribed limits. The only good step is that companies getting owe than A rating would not be allowed to access deposits from the market.
The year 1997 could probably be looked at as one of the worst years for the primary market in the recent times. During this year, only 128 number of offers could tap the market through corporates mobilized Rs. 5032 crores against 1445 issues in the year’95 which mobilized Rs. 14576 crores and 1183 issues raised Rs. 12400 crores in the year ’96. it seems to be the repercussion of plethora of issues that had tapped the market in last three years and thereafter left their investors in the lurch. All types of companies flooded the market with many issues during the last three years. Investors invested their hard earned money in hope of high returns, but contrary to their expectations there were no buyers for their investments. This resulted in no quotation of these companies today leaving aside any returns on investments. Belatedly, regulatory body awoke from its slumber and tightened the entry barriers, specifically related with finance business. Now as per the SEBI guidelines a manufacturing company needs to have three years dividend paying track record to tap the market. A new company can come to market only if it has five percent participation of FIs / Banks in their projects.
From the face of the Indian stock – market, the small investor has been virtually wiped off. It is evident from a recent survey by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce that the household’s sector investments in shares and debentures have dipped since 93 – 94 and now account for just 0.5% of the gross domestic product. Much of the apathy of the small investor can be attributed to the poor state of the country’s primary and secondary markets. While some of the basic reasons behind the decline of the primary market are macro-economic, such as the credit squeeze in the economy. In the secondary market also, excessive speculation, sharp volatility, and systemic problems played havoc with the small investors’ confidence in the capital markets.
As a direct sequel to the present debacle, record competitiveness is a persistent argument for a weaker rupee. And how, as an extreme measure, the Reserve Bank of India has hardened its stand to prevent a further downfall in the rupee. From this standpoint, it is time to look at the fundamental issues which intrinsically guide the movement of a currency, like interest rates which can affect stock markets to a greater extent. Clearly, some banks are yet to learn their lessons. In the circumstances, it would be a gross mistake to assume that the round of hikes in Prime Lending Rates is due to any lack of liquidity in the system at large. We must distinguish between what is essentially the consequence of an asset – liability mismatch in individual banks and a systemic problem for banking sector as a whole.

The United Nations

2008-09-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

The United Nations came into existence in the year 1945 i.e. the year in which World War II came to an end. The World War Ii had caused great miseries and destruction throughout the world. Cities and towns were ruined and industries destroyed. Hundreds and thousand of people lost their lives and livelihood. Then mankind could understand that waging wars of this magnitude was the greatest folly. It became clearly evident that the next world war would be far more fierce which could destroy the whole of humanity and the world. It was thought that enormours wealth which is spent on wars could be used to bring happiness, prosperity and development for all the nations. It was this very though that gave birth to the establishment of the United Nations.
The first and foremost aim of United Nations Organisation (UNO) known as U.N. is to promote peace and security for every nation by avoiding every kind of war. UNO also made a declaration of human rights which included right of every human being to live as a free citizen and have equal rights to education, travel, worship and no discrimination based on religion or sex. The UNO has been trying very hard to implement these human rights through the active support and cooperation of the member nations. During the last fifty eight years of its existence, UNO, through its most important organ the Security Council, is trying its best to maintain peace among the member countries. It is always ready to listen to the problems of the member countries and tries to sort out them through discussions at various forums. During this period, UNICEF which another agency of UNO is helping various countries in programmes of education of children, in teacher training, in the education of disabled children etc.,
Many countries have been benefited from the works of UNICE. One such programme in India is ‘Anganwadi’ for the development of poor children for their education, health and entertainment. Another important organization of the UNO is the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is helping nations to improve their health services by preventing spread of diseases.
UNO has still on hand various problems with which it started fifty eight years back. These problems are many and varied out of which world peace and security of each nation are the basic problems. Then there are problems of poor health, lack of education, uncontrollable population growth, poverty in many countries and illiteracy. Now everything depends upon how all these problems are tackled. The UNO has taken the lead role in preventing the use of atomic and other destructive weapons. Now there are signs that the world is gradually realizing the dangers in production and piling up of destructive weapons.
The outbreak of war on various occasions has been prevented by U.N.O. A war between England and Egypt over the question of Suez Canal was prevented and it checked the Korean war & Arab – Israel war from turning into a world war. In fact, UNO is the only hope of world peace in the present scenario. It is the efforts of UNO that ceasefire could be achieved between Irag and Iran and thus a decade old war was stopped from turning into a World War. It has also tried to solve the problem of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, though this issue is still lingering on and Pakistan is trying to take advantage of everything and at the same time creating terror in the valley.
Many countries think that UNO is dominated by the US block and it is not able to work impartially. They believe that UNO could not do anything to solve the problem of Vietnam which was attacked by USA in a very severe manner. Also the genocide of East Bengal could not be stopped by it. Even Israel invaded Leabanon and massacred thousands of innocent Palestininians and UNO could not do anything. The big five countries make the working of UNO ineffective by exercising their veto power at the time of crucial decisions. It was only after twenty – five long years of efforts that Red China got its appropriate status in this organization. However, in spite of all such shortcomings, the membership of UNO is increasing with the passage of time and always more & more countries are opting to be member of the UNO. To make it a big success, it requires the help and cooperation of all the member nations. It is essential that membership of the Security Council should be increased so as to give this organization a universal look for welfare of mankind. No single country (USA) should be allowed to dominate the proceedings of this organization. This world power rather should work with a constructive and progressive attitude towards all the nations.

Terrorism The Social Evil

2008-09-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Terrorism has become a world wide phenomenon these days. What precisely do the terrorists prefer to call themselves when they gain nothing by attacking common, innocent people whose death or maiming does not better the strategic or tactical position of terrorists. Common man begins to hate them and is ready to denounce them as soon as he thinks it safe. Thus terrorism becomes a social evil.
Terrorist acts can hardly help their perpetrators towards realizing political plans and programmes. Unless, of course, the terrorists are funded by outside powers that have no considerations and sympathy for their slated cause but are interested in destablilising the victim nation. Today, those governments which support terrorism in adjacent areas and think that the result would develop into a Vietnam like situation, are heading for rude disillusionment.
Terrorist groups have usually sought to justify their cowardly attacks on uninvolved persons and destructions by claiming that it is done for the “patriotic purpose of freedom and sovereignty” Debate has often tended to centre on ways of looking at it. In fact, crime by one is considered as a revolution by the other. This appears to be more and more of non-sense.
The killing, maiming and kidnapping of innocent and unconcerned persons in terrorist act, such as recent bomb blasts in Delhi, is just plain crime. United Nations has also now given its seal of authorization to this view. The bomb blasts are in addition to terrorists killing by gunfire and destruction of places of worship. There is no reason for the killings other than, apparently, to create panic and instability in the local administration. Innumerable killings by gunfire or bomb explosions have taken place in Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and in other parts of the north – east, and various other cities.
The evil of terrorism has grown basically in two kinds namely political terrorism and criminal terrorism. Political terrorism seeks to achieve its political gains by spreading panic and creating fear in the hearts of people on a large scale. Their ultimate aim is to get political power through there muscle power. Then there is criminal terrorism which indulges in extracting large amounts of money as ransom by kidnappings and hijackings etc. Very often it is found that terrorists have received their training and guidance in using various weapons from various terrorists outfits. Terrorists operating in Punjab were found to have all training, weapons and other forms of material assistance from a neighbouring country. Also all terrorist groups, which are active in Jammu & Kashmir, receive their assistance in all respects from an adjoining country.
The unity and integrity fo our country has always been threatened by the forces of terrorism. For dealing with terrorists, our government passed the Anti terrorist Act which provides for deterrent punishment for terrorist acts. The Act has also provision to punish anyone indulging in “disruptive activities” which may lead to harm the sovereignty or the territorial integrity of our nation. The use of religious places for political gains, for taking shelter by anti-social elements and for creating communalism has also been prohibited by enactment of laws. Terrorists actually continuously change their hide – outs and their tactics to prevent arrest and punishment. Even if they get arrested they try to commit suicide using poisonous capsules or they are killed by their own associates so that, no information is passed on to the police under severe punishment.
The law enforcing agencies alone cannot curb the acts of terrorism. To remove this social evil, terrorism needs to be controlled through negotiations to usher in an era of co-operation instead of confrontation. The UN General Assembly also adopted a twenty – four article International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings by means of a resolution : “Criminal acts intended to provoke terror in the general public or a group of persons are unjustifiable, whatever be the considerations political, religious, ethnic or ideological.
To tackle the problem of terrorism in India, it would be worth while to identify its causes in order to work out a strategy. It is observed that terrorism is direct action not for achieving something but for quenching the fire of vengeance against those who are responsible for their misery. A conciliatory approach is the need of the hour. Confrontationist measures will not solve the problem in our contry. It is essential that the warm – blooded youth, especially those who have a tendency to take to terrorism must be involved in decision making processes. There should be quick and right decisions. No injustice should be done with anybody. Good examples of honesty and integrity will have to be set forth by the leaders themselves. Their actions must be faithful and above board in order to inspire confidence in one and all.
Our whole educational system also needs to be restructured and streamlined. It should use each ounce of energy of youth for constructive purposes so that they may not be induced to adopt violence as their creed and dead.

Failures are Stepping Stones to Success

2008-09-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Success and failure go hand in hand. Success gives us a sense of joy and pride and failure discourages and depresses us. But we should not forget that in the battle of life, failures do come. In that case we should not lose heart and give up trying again. Man is imperfect, so he often stumbles in life. Misfortunes try him, as fire tries gold. Failures appear to be unpleasant, but they are helpful in many other ways. They are our best instructors. Each time we fail we learn some lesson. We come to know the reason of our failure. In the next attempt we guard ourselves against committing the same mistake.
The experience we gain each time makes our path of success smooth and easy. If we give up trying as soon as we meet with failure, we remain defeated in life, though we may possess the necessary strength to reach the goal. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. We, at the same time discover our hidden powers. Every failure makes us more experienced than before. They should not be regarded as an inefficiency of the person concerned. If a man, armed with the experiences of failure picks up courage and goes on doing a thing, success will be his. So we need not feel ashamed if we fail in any undertaking.
Every one aspires for success in life. Only a few lucky persons manage to get success. Often it is failure which falls to the lot of most of the human beings. Is the failure something deplorable? Is there anything good in it? Do all successful people feel happy? Such are the questions that arise before all of us. The answer is that failures are not deplorable and every success does not contribute to perfect happiness. In fact, happiness is not the outcome of failure or success in life but it is a mental phenonmena.
In a happy mood a man tolerates a failure but in a sad mood even a success doesn’t give him any joy. Failure and success are the two relative terms. Failures provide experience. After all a man learns by experience. Failures are stepping stones to success. King Bruce of Scotland fought for the freedom of his country. He failed many times but he did not lose heart. Ultimately he was successful in his objective.
We must study the causes of our failures, and realize our defects. It will surely help us in achieving success in our attempts. Failure, therefore is not a hindrance, but a help, not a bane but a boon. Life is a sum total of experiences and failures. It adds to our experiences and opens our eyes.
Failures make a person bold, active and vigilant. Failures and defeats make a cowardly person to lose heart but these inject vigour and enthusiasm in a brave man. Failures provide a chance of self improvement. So in order to make the most of their use one should face them boldly and cheerfully.

If I Were The Principal of My College

2008-09-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

The present educational system in India is not able to fulfil its purpose in guilding the students towards building of a strong and prosperous nation. The present system is not suitable to the needs of our country. This is perhaps because the present system was established and promoted by the British rulers to suit their objectives. They wanted the Indians to be their slaves forever. As such, immediate and appropriate steps are needed to reform this prevailing system of education. New education policy needs to be implemented at a faster pace.
If I were the principal of my college, I would try to make my college as an ideal college by introducing various reforms towards attainment of high objectives needed as on date. Firstly as on date, it is seen that the character of students is getting deteriorated. I will give proper care and personal involvement to improve the same. Only bookish knowledge will not be pumped into their heads. All efforts would be made to enhance the moral, physical, mental and emotional intellect of students so that they can be sincere to their studies. They will not treat education as an instruction only, but they will treat it as a ladder of information and knowledge to heights of success.
Another important aspect is to have highly qualified and dedicated teachers in the staff of the college. It is the hard work and goodness of teachers only which can win hearts of students and make them honest towards their studies. I would like the teachers not to be harsh and be sympathetic and they should not find fault with students. I would like my teachers to set examples by their deeds so that students get inspiration from the quality of personality of their college teachers.
I would provide the best equipments in laboratories of my college. It is not the good and vast building and costly and decorative furniture which make a good college. Rather the latest and modern technology in imparting the education should be available in the college like computers and inter net, e-mail etc. The best updated books will be provided in the libraries. The students would be encouraged to make books as their best friends and devote their extra time in libraries. Thus the students of my college will keep themselves apprised world knowledge on all topics and they will compete better with outside.
On the main bulletin – board, interesting and knowledgeable news will be displayed daily. To improve the general knowledge through entertainment medium, radio and TV may also be got installed where students can spend their vacant periods.
To keep the students physically fit and regain their lost energy in studies, sports and games will be made an important part of education. The hostel students will be asked to get up early in the morning and advised to have some exercises or do jogging and breathe fresh and pure air. The sports will not only refresh their minds but also keep the students more active and healthy. I will try to provide the complete infrastructure in my college for best sports activities. I will stress the students to take interest in Indian games like Kabaddi, wrestling as well. Participation in sports will be given due importance and weightage.
I will improve the working of administrative wing of my college. The clerical staff will be advised to be co-operative and polite with students. They will be asked to listen carefully and grievances or hardships of students and try to solve them in the best possible manner and quickly. Any unresolved problem could be brought to my notice immediately. I would also try to take care of the working hours of clerks. When they have to given extra pay for over time in addition to other regular incentives for achievements of the college. College peons will be given proper uniforms and advised to help every student wherever required.
I will not discourage election activities of the students. I will observe that they conduct fair election of their representatives or office bearers. After all, these students are the future citizens and leaders of our country. They should know how to install the best governments. I will spread prevalence of democratic spirit in the college. However, I will take very strict action if any body is found to be misusing his freedom and he would be taught the value of keeping discipline. Rules and regulations of the college whether it is class-room, auditorium, play ground or hostel will have the top most priority.
To bring about any reforms in working atmosphere of the college, I will make a phased programme. And such initiatives would be taken with the co-operation of college staff and advice of old senior members in the board of the school. The college will be made a temple of knowledge where the students pay due regards to education as well as to whose who impart them education.

Hostel Life

2008-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hostel life is entirely different from life at home. Many parents prefer to send their children to hostel so that they are away from homely pleasure and learn to live and grow on their own. Hostel life provides the most ideal atmosphere for study. The students get more time and suitable atmosphere to do their studies, to get help or guidance for anything from their class-fellows and morever, from seniors who are living close by. Even a careless or negligent student starts working hard when he sees his room mate or neighbour competing for position. Thus hostel life inspires a lesson of mutual co-operation and the spirit of healthy competition.
The greatest blessing for students away from home is the independence in hostel life. No-body is there to question them whether they go to bed late at night or get up late in the mornings. Everone is a master of his own, in spite of strict rules and regulations of the hostel. Those who love freedom, like hostel life very much. Even during vacations, such students do not wish to visit their homes. Further there is no elder to check the activities. The student does not have to live as other members of the family live and he is required to adjust on so many occasions. He is to keep in mind the convenience of others and may have to study in spite of presence of guests at home.
In hostel life, a student may learn many good qualities after coming into contact with many other students from different cultures, states and walk of life. A student can get inspiration from other mates in hostel who daily go for morning walks or exercises. A single student can set good examples for other students in a hostel. The characteristics of a good hostel life are love, co-operation and sympathy for fellow – friends. All round development of the personality is possible by living for few years in a hostel. The students are always in touch with people of their own age and who have varied aptitudes and tastes. Friends can be selected based on your own choice and liking.
In hostel life, students learn a lot from the mutual discussions. Whether it is the political scene of the country or the criticism of a latest picture seen by them or about their favourite heroine or her or about a cricket match or favourite sportspersons, every discussion becomes lively and a source of unlimited information and knowledge. Then there are holidays, special events like eating competitions and indoor or outdoor matches which make hostel life a thing of envy for others living in homes. Further whenever any student falls ill, all other students take good care of him and provide him all type of help. They try to guide him for the missed periods of study in the classroom.
Hostel life has many drawbacks also just like the two sides of a coin. Sometimes, freedom of hostel life leads them astray. They find the atmosphere entirely new and free. They start following some spoilt children of the rich class and start asking for more and more money from their parents. They make it a routine to go to cinemas and waste time in only enjoyment and merry-making. Even some students start smoking, gambling or even go to the extent of drinking. They do not care for the hard earned money sent by their parents. However, such students have to repent in later part of their lives for not learning anything in spite of the best opportunities.
Hostel life can be made free from all above harmful effects by following specific and strict rules and regulations. These rules need to be implemented and not just written down for records sake. The management of the hostel should be professional and practical in approach to achieve the ultimate success of its students.

Today's Students Tomorrow's Nation Builders

2008-09-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

The backbone of any strong nation is its students. Students who are the youth of a country help the nation in times of emergency, drought, floods or any type of riots. Students, by virtue for their energy, are best suited for tough jobs for building the foundation of a nation. They can undergo any type of sacrifice. Students have a fund of immense knowledge which if channelised in proper direction can prove to be of great help and value. Whenever the honour and freedom of a nation is facing danger, it is students who come to the fore front and protect it at the cost of their lives.
Students are full of energy and have sufficient time for their studies. Student life is not very long. As such, it becomes the duty of students to acquire as much information and knowledge as possible during this short period. Only them, they can prove themselves to be the true and proud sons of their motherland. Students have to build a high quality character during their studies because a nation is known by the character of its citizens. The moral character has gone downwards during about three hundred years of foreign rule. Students must learn from the very beginning of their education life the lessons of self reliance and sacrifice & sympathy towards the causes of nation building. Even in the classroom, they should live with love and co-operate with their class fellows.
A nation with indisciplined youth is always in the danger of extinction and can never prosper. Indiscipline can play havoc with the social life of a nation.
Today’s students will be tomorrow’s citizens. As such, if our students today start learning and following a disciplined life, then tomorrow they will be matured and disciplined citizens of the nation. These students can pave the way for building a strong and progressive nation in future. The will be responsible and honourable leaders in assemblies and parliament. Such disciplined students will not indulge in public property damage, burning of buses and killing of innocent people.
Disciplined students become literate citizens of a nation. They understand the dirty play of politics. They know how to keep religion away from politics. They will be proved to be best voters because they know the misue of various issues by political parties to win votes. Students should also try to follow the path of non-violence because violence leads to terrorism and loss of public property. Students should participate in reforming and contributing towards political stability but not at the cost of their routine studies. It is first education. Which is essential for them to help do something for nation building. They have to prepare themselves today for the bright future of the nation.
Today’s students should equip themselves both mentally and physically so as to make themselves strong foundation of a great nation tomorrow. They can build the best work force for the upliftment of the country. Today’s students will be required to tale place of present leaders who are going to retire in future. Moreover, today’s student will be the best judges to analyse the problems of future. Students have contributed to check price-rise, un-employment and unnecessary reservation. They have the capacity to spread the message of co-operation and sportsmanship as they learn the same while playing in the sports and games at various levels of education.
Students also learn the whole nation’s diversified cultures, people, languages and ways of living under different environments. As such, these students will be best agents of national unity and integration. Students learn to adjust themselves to new conditions under various hardships and, therefore, they can play better a role towards nation building.

The Union Budget

2008-09-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Budget making is the process of projecting expenditure of public money. Individuals are free to spend their own money as and when they like, and in any manner they like. They are also not accountable to anyone regarding this expenditure, except to themselves. However in the case of public money, all expenses incurred by the authorities, to do so, has to be done in accordance with certain laid down rules and regulations, and they have to be in the best interests of the country’s public, to whom the money really belongs.
The union of India presents a budget every year in the month of February. This budget projects the collection of the revenues of the government under various head, through a variety of taxes. These taxes are collected from the individuals of the public, organizations, products manufactures and imports and exports. This money is collected by the government, and, is intended to be spent for the welfare of the people. This is done by the government in the form of providing civic services, expansion of civic services, maintenance of the public and the country. The internal security and defence of the country and several other allied works are also the responsibility of the government, for which it collects taxes.
Various ministers of the government looking after the different aspects of government functioning draw out a revenue collection and its expenditure programme for the coming financial year which is from April of current year to March of the next year. Some wings of the government collect more money than they can spend, and some public service wings, spend more than what they are able to collect.
The budget proposal submitted by the different ministries are consolidated by the Ministry of Finance, which also does some modifications, in consulations with the concerned Ministries. After doing this, the Ministry of Finance tries to strike a workable balance between the revenue collections and the expenditure. A surplus budget shows more revenue collection than the expenditure incurred and a deficit budget show more expenditure than the collection of money made in the year. All the money collected by way of different categories of revenue goes to the Consolidated Funds of India, and then the expenditure is planned out of this fund. For any expenditure that has to be made, an approval of the parliament is required. It is for this purpose the budget proposals are put before a specially convened session of the Parliament, called the Budget Session of the Parliament. This is normally done the end of February, for the approval of the budget.
The proposals are discussed in every detail in the Parliament, modified on the basis of views of the members of Parliament. When the budget is finally approved by the parliament, the government starts spending and collecting as per the approved budget. These budget proposals are kept as a closely guarded secret till the budget. These budget proposals are kept as a closely guarded secret till the budget is presented to the parliament. This is done in order to avoid individuals and industries from taking any advantage with the advance information.
In the year 1998 a special situation arose due to the change in the government just at the time of the budget session, thus, the regular budget for the year 1998-99 could not be passed in time by the Parliament. Which led to a special situation. When grants had to be sanctioned in lump sums, and the approval of the Parliament was missing, a special situation had arisen. The budget that is usually passed and approved by the Parliament by February, had to be presented only as late as june, when the new government took up the task of working. This budget was thus approved and passed later after stormy discussions and some modification.
This budget of the current year, 1998-99 lays special stress on the infrastructure growth in the industrial sector, primary education, health care and other basic civic amenities. Since massive funds are required for all the above mentioned programmes, and these, the government neither has, nor is able to collect through a variety of taxes, the government has stared private sector investments, and is also encouraging an inflow of money from outside India, for investment here. The result of this has been a liberalized and competitive economy at the global level, instead of state controlled economy, practiced earlier, and which also failed to give the desired results. It is now expected that, with a greater flow of money from the private sector from within, and from outside, the country’s economy should improve and that, it will be able to provide better basic services to the common man.
In India, the state governments also follow the same method of budget proposals and sanctions. Their budgets are approved by their respective State Legislatures. However, if the state is under the central rule then, its budget is approved by the Parliament.
The budget is thus the picture of the revenues and expenditures of the year gone by, and the proposals for the ensuing year.

My Priorities in Life

2008-09-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Life has a lot to give to each one of us but, we must at all times remember that none of us can get everything that we want nor can we get all that exists in this world. However, we all do get gifts in this life, and punishments too, but it is so very typical of us humans to want what others process and think that others have more than us. Besides, we as weak humans never realize or count all the gifts we have from life. Most of us are apt to believe that, all that we want all others have, only we are bereft of gifts from life.
This basic attitude of human beings keeps us unhappy all the while. The basic cause of this is that, we never seem to feel gifted. In order to be happy we must understand one principle issue and it is that, we definitely cannot have all the gifts life has to offer. So, let us now fix our priorities – there we must say to ourselves, we must try to get what we have to fix our priorities in life in every sphere, our preferences and choice in life. For this, we have many examples of people in different walks of life, who become our ideals and whom we would like to emulate, if possible.
As far as I an concerned my priorities in life are very clear. Regarding emotions I would prefer to be a person who is loveable rather than a person who is feared for, I prefer to work for love rather than work with fear and get work done by fear.
This one emotion I feel can create wonders in life. It can change people beyond all recongnition and with love, work can be handled for more efficiently than with the stick. My priority regarding emotions is to become a person who is loveable and so, be loved wherever I go. This single emotion breeds other delicate emotions of respect and regard which I will automatically get if I get the gift of love, which is my priority.
Regarding appearance, a beautiful face is one that reflects a beautiful interior. No amount of cosmetics and beautician’s magic can make an appearance beautiful if it lacks the internal beauty of character and conduct. I would like to appear a personality with a beautiful interior rather than machine-made modern product of attraction. This is my priority whether I achieve it or no, is a matter of God’s gift.
In respect to a profession I feel no profession is bad, if it is done with sincerity. However the profession I would love to follow is one of Mother Teresa rather than of Bill Clinton or Tony Blair. The career of Mother Teresa is one which instills in the individual a sense of giving, which I first adore. Besides, even I were to be selfish as all of us human beings are, I would love to be Mother Teresa for she will really never be forgotten by this world. While Bill Clinton and Tony Blair will only find place in history books and will be replaced. However, Mother Teresa will stay in history books and in the hearts of millions of people and their families whom she served. She will always be spoken of, as a harbinger of love while Bill Clinton and Tony Blair will only remain to be mechanically declared heads of states. Regarding attaining wealth which has top priority in the sequence of thing today, my priority is to have wealth enough to live and if I get any extra, share it with god’s other children who may be less fortunate. Thus my priorities are clear in every sphere of life. The clarity is the fountain of satisfaction and happiness within me, with this I am sure I can avoid unhappiness for myself, my family and my friends. It’s my earnest request to all, that we must fix our priorities and try to achieve them. This will surely help us out of the maze of dissatisfaction. If we all do this, we will spread greater happiness in the world around us.

The need for Prohibition

2008-09-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Prohibition is one thing which is undoubtedly necessary but not practical. The nuisance of drinking is well known, its hazards for the family and society are also known to all but to prohibit it is not the answer.
Prohibition has been tried in India time and again ever since our Independence but it has never been successful. Instead, whenever and wherever there is prohibition, drinking starts with a greater vengeance. Even several social reformers have tried to uproot this evil but they have also been failures. Mahatma Gandhi was also against the habit of drinking and it was due to his influence that the AICC declared that, prohibition would be its main item of social reform. As a result of this attitude several ministries in several states imposed near total prohibition. Even after these five decades of effort the message is clear that, Government in 1996 – 98 also failed. It is by now, well understood that whenever an act is enacted, the first aspect we must study is that will it be possible to implement the act. When we do not possess the machinery to implement any law, it would be better not to bring the law than, pass it, and get it abused and disrespected. Besides this, a social evil can never be scrapped by laws. An evil in society has got to be dealt with by social awareness, and not by political enforcement. Let us be clear that social evils cannot be handled by political bigwigs. Social evils can only be handled if at all, by social reformers.
When the law of prohibition is enforced through the agency of law and police, people are encouraged to make illicit liquor. Liquor making becomes a house to house affair, a cottage industry of sorts, which I think is much worse than buying a bottle from a shop and then consuming it. Nothing is bad in its entirety. What is bad about this evil of drinking is an addiction to it.
An addict has got to drink no matter how and where he does it. While he can afford it, well and good but, as soon as his pocket does not afford it, he sacrifices everything else at the altar of drinking. He now starts selling his wife’s jewellery, all his belongings, just to be able to drink. His children suffer with malnutrition, they do not go to school as now, nothing can really be afforded as, the addict has his single priority of drinking and all else has got to be given up – even the necessities of life by him, his wife and children. Herein comes the real evil aspect of drinking. At this stage, the addict becomes a nuisance not only for his family but for the society at large. With several of such addicts, what will the society crumble to, can be well assessed. However, with prohibition laws having failed to deliver the goods, what can be the remedial measures is the question to be fixed uppermost in our minds.
Since prohibition has been tried off and on and invariably failed everywhere, and all the time, it is now time to look for an alternative method. I feel that, only social awareness of the people, towards the evils of addiction to drinking can make a dent on this evil.
Besides prohibition being a futile effort, it causes a great loss to the Government revenue as, now the evil goes underground and the government loses its income on the sale of liquor which turns out to be in crores. Prohibition could be useful only if its implementation was made possible but since that cannot be achieved, we can leave thinking of prohibition, and social awareness of evils of this addiction should be spread. This may possibly lead to persons leaving the evil themselves. Social reforms are best done by Social organizations and not by the laws of the government. This is because, laws force obedience and cause rebellion, while explanation of the evil will be understood and assimilated by people. It is now high time that, the government leaves tackling such issues and give this domain totally to organizations of social welfare.
Here I am sorry to add that the government of Delhi has on the other hand started selling the liquor on government run shops, so what can ve expected from the law and the law makers? Social organizations should come forth and voice their dissent, and in their effort awaken the citizens out of their slumler.

"Experience Keeps a Dear School, But Fools Will Learn in no Other"

2008-09-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

When we talk of experience we mean that, we have seen and understood a particular system or thing, small or big. To experience an ogbject, an incident or a style is to have seen it understood it and also developed the capacity to visualize its impact reactions or repercussions. Whenever we have a particular experience, we have had to face the traumas involved, the pleasure deciphered and all that could be a part of it. It is this wisdom to understand the reactions of a particular action which is called experience. However, it is the plight of man that he realizes that a particular action is most likely to result in a specific way, yet, each one of us, yes, each one of us wish to do the experimenting ourselves, and refuse to learn from what the others have gone through. Most of us are inclined to believe that, we will not make the same mistakes the others made and so, we will not face the failures the others have had to face.
With this attitude we all wish to jump into tangles of undesirable experiences which we could very easily avoid if we learnt to learn from the experiences of others. In the bargain we suffer, we face failures and traumas, yet we refuse to learn the easier way, i.e. by the experiences of others. We find experimenting everything ourselves the most appropriate and probably, the only way to achieve. It is in this way that, experience and probably, the only way to achieve. It is in this way that, experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. At this juncture I am reminded of a saying that, 70 per cent of us are fools and the rest of us are in the fear of getting infected. When this is the position of our foolishness, we have to learn only after personal experiences rather than the experiences of near and dear ones. We must, fools as we all are, learn at the feet of experiments in failures.
On a very large plane, a very striking example that I would like to highlight in this context is the exchange of cultures of the East and the West, which is a topic of debate at several platforms today. The East lost in the maze of all that is dazzling progress of the West is trying its level best to ape the West even at the cost of leaving far behind its very rich and tried cultural strengths. In this bargain, we are losing what was ours, what was tested through annals of History. We are doing all this notwithstanding the debacles the West is facing due to its own cultural norms. The West is repenting for example, for all the freedom of sex and otherwise. The latest example of freedom of children showing itself in an ugly performance by children of the ages of twelve and fourteen.
The children of this size were lately involved in a murder of other children, and that also in a school. Seeing this, the United States is worried about too much freedom and exposure it has been giving to its children, at the young impressionable age. However, we even after reading about it, are not at all concerned about the result of freedom and exposure our children are getting. We refuse to learn the fact that, at the impressionable age children need more of care and less of freedom. We still continue to give or even increase the possible exposure to our children, all the time, waiting to experience the evils and the traumas ourselves. Is this not foolish?
We continue to grant all the licences of freedom to all and sundry and are as if, waiting to see the results. I do wonder how and why we feel that our children will never turn out to be so troublesome. As far as I think that, put into the same circumstances, all children will surely behave the same way. We should not believe that our children will never do what the children of the West are doing for, after all they belong to the East. Yes, they do belong the East, but if they are taught things of the West, they will definitely react the same way, there is no reason of believe in anything else. I do wonder why the experience of the West is not enough for us to learn, we must as if decide to learn the hard way, i.e. by personal experience. So, here comes the truth of the saying that, “experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other”.
The next glaring example of this we find in to-day’s life is in our running after the glamour of the West. The West, yes the average common man there is sick and tired of the wealth around him as, this is not all that an individual needs to be happy. They are coming to the poor East for solace in our simplicity and prayer. They are joining our religious cults to get out of the traumas that accompany excessive wealth and affluence. They are joining our Ramakrishna Mission, they are joining our organizations like Krishna Consciousness to get away from the dazzle of money and its power. Yet, we Indians, dissatisfied with our gifts of solace and belief in God, are getting lost in the maze and glamour of excessive wealth. I suppose we are once again, just waiting for the onslaughts of financial excessiveness. We will one day realize for ourselves that satisfaction that India preaches is the only solace to man’s paining nerves. This satisfaction typical of Indian tradition will once again return to us, but not without our suffering at the hands of affluence.
On the national horizon, these are the two glaring examples of East and West exchanging each other’s way of life just to test the advantages and disadvantages of each. May be both are wiser after the bout they have with experience.
On the personal level also, all of us try to copy each other, hoping that we will never make the mistakes others made, and so will be more successful than others. Regarding personal habits also, let us take a simple habit of smoking. We hear about people suffering due to cigarette smoking, we even see some suffer because of this evil habit but, we continue to follow the tread path because we are confident that such things cannot happen to us. So, I daresay that, even on very small issues we just refuse to learn from the experiences of others. We must watch and wait for our own experience, no matter how expensive the experience may turn out to be.
Thus it is very correctly said though experiencing may cause serious debacles for us, but we foolish human beings must experience everything yes, everything ourselves to understand the intricacies. How can we ever learn from the experience of others? For, if we did this there would be so much less suffering on the individual plane and so much less of destruction of generations. We continue to strive for what, we could easily shelve, and be the wiser for it – but no we have to prove the point that, experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.

What is Aethesm

2008-09-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

What is Aethesm – let us try to understand. Aetheism is the non – belief in God. An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of God. He thinks that, god is a hoax, a farce, an aberration, a creation by the weak for their own protection. This is the attitude of an aetheist for, he thinks that, seeing is believing, and so, what we cannot see we need not believe. There is no sense in believing in an apparition as it would be – God
There is, I feel no harm in believing or not believing in God, but it is an aetheist’s attitude of condescension that is uncalled for and objectionable. An aetheist sees no one as great as himself, or as much as a doer as himself. Together with this, when he firmly believes that seeing only is believing, and, when God is not a visible entity, he is no entity at all. This logic appears to be quite rational but there could be no one no more blind than a person who refuses to see, even though he has eyes. I’d say that such a person is not blind but, he is adamant and obstinate. He only uses rationale and logic to undermine the idea, but, where does his logic go, when the obvious faces him?
Let us look around, towards any direction, to any distance, we will find God’s emissaries everywhere. The proof is in the Sun, the Moon, the stars, the greenery and, above all, the miracle of man himself. When it is so easy to see and recognize God, we continue to have arguments, holding discussions, and debates on the existence of the one who is omnipresent, for us to notice and feel. This blind attitude of the aetheist is really beyond comprehension.
The very existence of the world we live in is a living proof of the existence of God, what more do we need to see to give God a clean chit of His presence. I am sure that, at this juncture, the aetheist – the man will certainly say that, the world we live in today, is definitely not the creation of the Lord. The plea taken is that, did God create the amenities we all enjoy in this world today? Did God even come to teach us all that we have learnt to do to make ourselves comfortable? No friends, God certainly did not make these items for our use, and, neither did he come to teach us all this BUT – who gave man the computer of his brain, that has done so much to make life comfortable? This was certainly we man’s contribution. This was the gift of God.
We talk of mechanization, doctors, engineers and so many more who have made all that we see but, from where did the raw material – the brain come? We talk of machines – yes, man has made great strides in making and the using of machines but, once again, may I ask my aetheist friends, who gave the iron and steel, or the raw material for the making of these machines? When we read a book, we must at least sometimes, appreciate the author, and not forget him completely, for, if the author had not written the book, how would we enjoy it? We talk of gas, water power being using by the intelligence of man, yes but, once again, who gave us all these to be used – God. When we admire our achievements, we must never forget the giver of the raw materials, without which we could not have achieved anything.
Let us for a moment think whether man created or if man is capable of creating the raw materials he uses. Yes, man’s greatness lies in his ingenuity in using all these but, could he has created all this? Man’s greatness lies in using all the gifts of God intelligently but, let us be clear in understanding that, the creator of all these is someone else – Who? That is for us to comprehend, visualize and understand.
Another aspect in which we see the existence of some power greater than that of man is in the occurrence of major natural calamities. Such calamities befall the earth off and on, why? Has not man been able to keep a check on these in spite of all his scientific and technological knowledge? In spite of all man’s creativity, ingenuity, intelligence and know how, man has not been able to over power these natural calamities. They come only to remind man and specially the aetheist of the power, the real power that happens to be above and beyond our comprehension.
If the aetheist has only one code of understanding that, only seeing is believing then, I’d ask him does he not see the waterfalls, the mountains, the beauty of the world and the calamities, all in a package, from God, or at least from somewhere. Does he not see the hand of God in death of all that is living? Death occurs, even today, in these hi-tech days in spite of all medical advancements – why? This is because there is some power visible or invisible to people, who conducts all these programmes of life and death. This power keeps the reins of final display in his hands, and seems to exist in every nook and corner of the world, only as if waiting to be noticed by an aetheist, who has eyes, ears and brain yet, neither see nor understand him.

White Collared Crimes

2008-09-21T09:27:00.001-07:00

Crime – what is crime? Crime is an act, which is evil and is punishable by law – such as stealing, cheating and murder for personal benefit. From times immemorial, such acts have been done by people but, they were usually done by the poor, depressed just to enable them to make their ends meet. However, today the scenario of crime has also changed like every other. Originally, the traditional occupation of the poor, has now become the occupation of the community of people already flourishing in other businesses.
The world of crime has been now taken over by the so- called elite, the white collared gentry of the society. In this modern world of advancement and education, the one time prerogative of the poor is being shared by the rich and well-to-do. The world of crime has become sophisticated and they are in their world of crime, a method of mechanical advancement. Now in the end of the 20th century, the world of crime is no more the domain of the poor, but it si a profession of the elite, the affluent. Now, the so-called white collared educated class has a hand in the pie of crimes. The crimes of the white collared are increasing, and the crime of the poor of course continue so, the crime graph is continuously on the rise. The crime is increasing and the styles getting more modern and sophisticated. To some extent we can say that, the criminal of today handles crime without using his own hand, he organizes it so well that no one can ever suspect him, and above all, he seems to run a parallel government, an entire strength and a force. Now, the poor criminal of the olden times, well known for his association with crime, is now, on the pay roll of the elite criminal, who is well equipped with all modern facilities of conducting the crimes.
With the change of hands of criminals, the style and modus operandi has become sophisticated, and so this crime comes under the new category of crime, called the white collared crime. The methodology has changed, and of course the criminal is also an individual of high rank belonging to the affluent and educated class. Crime has always existed, ever since man realized that there were good things of life which he is bereft of, but it was always the avenue of work for the people who could not eke out a living otherwise. But today, why do the rich dabble in this art of crime, is a wonder. They commit crimes by proxy, on payment to the poor criminals on their rolls, so, they never get exposed – oh! what a hi – fi style of criminalization.
The modern criminal maintains a plush office, with scores of poor people serving him on meager payments, and the promise of secrecy. The real criminal whose gameplan the crime is, is never seen by the people who work for him. This sophistication has led to the poor criminal of the old, exposed to a double threat. One threat is the obvious one that, if he is caught, he is to meet the gallows. If he does not succeed in the crime, he faces the danger of being killed by his mentor. So, the so-called worker, is now exposed to a double risk, as he works for someone else. He has a double threat of being destroyed while, when the worked for himself and by himself, he only had to encounter the danger of the police, if he was caught in the act of crime. Today, he is at the mercy of the boss, who may destroy him whenever he feels like it.
In the olden days of less advancement or backwardness in the field of crime, crime was committed to gain some wealth. Though the objective is still the same – gaining of wealth, crime covers a much larger spectrum of activities. Not only are robberies committed, crime has taken a new shape and form. The criminals are not only looting people but are indulging in duping people of their hard earned wealth, in a variety of ways. For example, those who are in need of a employment are duped by people of the white collared community of criminals by running parallel employment exchanges.
The poor unemployed get themselves registered in these exchanges, little knowing that their employment will never come into being for the exchange is itself a hoax. People in need of driving licenses, are getting forged licenses. Those who want to pass an examination, get it done by buying the papers beforehand. These and many more are the avenues of work for the sophisticated criminals, and the list of their activities goes on. With their ingenuity, their education and their wealth at their backing, they continue to thrive in every nook and corner of the country. The horizon of the criminals keeps on increasing by the day, their wealth keeps on heaping up, his manpower is high and mighty, and the world does not know of him. Aha! Why do I say that the world does not know him – the world knows him but, as a big gun, a big sahib and the one who can do no wrong. The other side or rather the real side of his face is not known to the world, he is highly respected in the society.
The brain and the back-up support of the criminal helps him to establishing a network which is more intelligent and more sophisticated than the network of the criminal catching agencies.
One can see the hand of this white collared criminal in almost every sphere of development. The latest avenue is the sale of land. He is selling through his agents, the same plot of land to scores of people, all unknown to each other, and not known to him. They all pay him the money for the land and not one of them gets the land. It appears as if the land is in the custody of the criminal as a safe deposit, he can use it whenever he needs it to make any amount of money. In this way his money power increases, his Empire expands, and the irony of it all is that, he remains incognito, so there is no danger to him at all, in spite of doing so much of wrong. He still remains a through gentleman in the eyes of the world.
Thus we see that, with the advancement in all spheres, crime efficiency has also reached an all time high. The criminal is now, an unknown entity, working on signals, buttons and computers, and the poor worker on the ground being a mere tool in the hands of the boss. He is working here either to make his two ends meet, or he has been entrapped by the class criminal to attain his object, without endangering himself. If this sophistication in crime is allowed to grow, a day will come when these criminals will be wielding all the power of the country and the country will not be able to get out of their clutches. How I wish this ingenuity, this brain and planning and money were used for fruitful purposes for the progress of the country, we would have achieved manifold success in every sphere of our existence. We would not remained in the country of the third world for so long. The pity is that the community that can really help in the progress of the country, has got itself busy in manipulating its own growth instead of contributing to the growth of the country. This white collared crime must end for, it is the cream of our society indulging in this nefarious task of working as criminals. Only god can help a country where the backbone becomes a stick, and instead of helping the country to stand, is intent upon breaking it.

To be your own Best Friend

2008-09-21T09:26:00.001-07:00

In this context, let us first analyze as to who is really a friend. A friend is, a person who fluids you correctly, advises you in time, gives you continuous support, moral, mental and physical. In spite of all this, a friend is one who criticizes you to correct you and not to belittle you. One would wonder why, a person who criticizes can be called a friend, this is because he does not want you to do something wrong, so, he is found criticizing you. He is really your best friend because, in spite of all your flaws, and drawbacks, he loves you. In reality he is critical of you only because he loves you. This friend does not wait for you to achieve something before he can be appreciative of you, he does not wait for you to ask for help or advice, it all comes as he is a friend. If this is, in a nutshell what a friend should be and is expected to be, the next step would now be, to consider as to who could be your best friend.
In these days of human deterioration, a friend of the above description is difficult or rather impossible to find. Then what should a person do if a friend is difficult to find? Living in this tense and charged atmosphere without a friend would be no short o just torture, yes a torture. So what does one do in the present scenario when, it is impossible to live without a friend, and a friend in the real sense, is a missing number to-day.
In these circumstances then, it would be most appropriate to become your own friend. Now let us consider how to get about the task becoming your own friend. This is very easy but, a cumbersome exercise no doubt to be your own friend obviously you have to do what the friend does for you, step into his shoes and start doing just as he would do for you and to you.
The first priority should be to love yourself, just as the friend does, for, if you love yourself, it would be well near impossible to decry you, and you would have created an atmosphere most congenial for yourself to bloom. Besides this, as we said earlier that, a friend loves us as we are, and inspite of what we are. This should not be difficult for you, you just remain yourself and do not copy any one else. You must retain the characteristics of your behaviour as, only then you will be able to respect yourself as you.
Next on the list of activities of your friend, you must learn to be very critical of yourself. A friend is a person who truly criticises you to find an improvement in you. So, by very analytical and critical of all your actions, this habit will help you improve in all that you do, and yet, you will continue to love yourself. Why can’t you criticize yourself, this is not difficult if there is honesty in your actions. Your attitude and behaviour will change and improve if the actions are critically monitored by you, just as your friend did for you. In this way, there is bound to be an over all improvement in the personality and you would have been your best friend. It is only when you understand your flaws and shortcomings that you will be able to help yourself as a friend does. By now you will have developed the capacity to understand your own capacities and view your own vulnerable points, and the work of a good friend would have been done. Now when you have done so much, to analyse and appreciate what all you really are, there are no possible restrictions on the furthering of your interests, plans and achievements.
Thus it may well be understood that, there can be no friend for you, who could be better than yourself. You can be your best friend as soon as you step into the shoes of your friend. At this stage the difference would only be that, the friend would no more be another individual in another human frame but, he is one – yes one with you, your own conscience, your love, and your true understanding without any biases. Once you manage to take up this dual role of your friend within you, there could be no stopper to your progress, your happiness and your achievements.
Thus you can be your own best friend if you take up the role of your friend, and find him within your own self, and the off heard slogan that we are two bodies with one soul, becomes the slogan that we are one body one soul. It would be a wonderful day when all of us could become our own best friends for, who knows us better than ourselves, and who can check our actions and behaviours better than ourselves. The result of this would be a world of no betrayals, no disappointments and no treachery of a friend.

Natural Calamities

2008-09-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Natural calamities are the calamities which are inflicted by God, or Nature, on man and his world. At these calamities, the unseen hand wreaks havoc in the part of the world it chooses to act upon. On these natural activities of nature no scientific or technological developments can wield any control. They can occur as and when and where nature ordains it.
Natural calamities can be of many different kinds, but the similarity in all, is their massive destruction in the area of their occurrence. The natural disasters are of many kinds, they are drought and famine, flood, earthquake, hailstorm and a cyclone. In the wake of all these, in one sweep there is complete devastation and destruction, due to which normal life comes to a standstill. Loss of life is well nigh complete, and belongings of people get lost, blown away or swept away. The scene is one of awe, of some unknown power that appears to wreak some revenge on the people of the area. One feels that, there will never again be life in the area, there will never again come up any construction in the area. But, nature plays its part in this also,and even after the most ghastly disasters, life has come up blooming as ever as before in areas of such devastation.
A very touching scene is of a drought effected area. In any country that depends on the annual rainfall for its source of water, if there is no rain, for the water supply, the obvious famine comes in its wake. This condition of getting no rain is called drought, and with it, as its automatic corollary comes famine. For with the scarcity of water there is no vegetation and food scarcity follows. The crops get burnt up with heat, the earth gets parched for water, and all life seems to be cracking in the heat.
Just the opposite condition occurs when there is a flood. A flood is another from of a natural calamity. On the one hand, we find men dying due to want of water while on the other, in flood we see them marooned by huge expanses of water. High rise buildings start as if floating in water, men, livestock, and materials get an opportunity of floating, swimming and even drowing. If this flood is accompanied with a storm then there is no panacea for the sufferers. With the impact of the strong breeze, trees get uprooted and there appears no hope for the survival of life.
Regarding an earthquake, Oh God, the earth cracks and creeps with the huge solid face of the earth moving light as light as a cradle, moving in a loving soft breeze. However, this cradle of love is no less than a destruction of the highest magnitude, and causes massive destruction as of the other calamities. The earth appears to be crying under the weight of civilization and breaking and cracking in places with an unwarranted speed. The result of this swing like action of the earth is, the occurrence of cracks big and small in different places and, the falling of huge high rise buildings, felling of trees and complete annihilation of life and materials.
A hailstorm and a cyclone also result in absolute disaster and breakdown of lige. The latest of such tragedies has been a cyclone in the Gujarat state of India. Trees have been blown off their very roots, and houses and huge buildings have been as if dug out of their very foundation, and all life has been destroyed or dislocated.
As far as India is concerned, I feel that, nature has been very kind on the one hand and very cruel yes very cruel on the other. I say this because, not one year goes when there has been no natural disaster. However, when such calamities do occur in India, the entire Indian machinery, Governmental or non-government does fear up to provide succour to the disturbed area. The Government sanctions crores of rupees for the rehabilitation of the people in the area, food and medicines are air dropped and the entire country feels and acts together. However, it is a matter of thought that, even after 50 years of self rule, the Government has not been able to take any concrete steps to avert such natural disasters. For example in Assam every year there is a flood in the River Brahmaputra and then the machinery is geared up to take the people out of the trouble, but, no success has been achieved in averting the disaster.
It is to be thought of why we have not been able to avert the calamities which are annual. For if know of a calamity that is to come, we should be able to save ourselves from it. At this juncture, let us analyse why and how these calamities have remained unchecked even when we are so deep into civilization and development. The obvious reasons to my mind are two – one that, we are not able to, and second, we are not sufficiently interested in removing the hazard. I feel the Indian scenario is a combination of the two causes. We are not able to check them and also we are not as serious as we should be in trying to prevent these tragedies. For example in Assam, as just mentioned, every year without fail, there are floods. Though there has been instituted a Brahhmaputra Board that has done some work to clean the river, and increase the stretch of the river bed, the floods come non-stop. This proves another point that, man has no power over the will of nature. Though to-day man thinks that he can do everything and nature is now irrelevant, yet, all his efforts to counter the pangs of nature fall flat and fail. The repeated disasters that befall on earth are a continuous reminder to man that there is always a hand that can undo all that man does. For if this was not true, man would be ruling like a monarch on earth without a fear but, as we all know, this is not so. Nature plays its game off and on and gives pin pricks to this self styled monarch to remind him of his drawbacks and disabilities, and keep him in a balanced state of mind.

Atrocities On Women

2008-09-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

From time immemorial, women have been the butt of all the fury of men which shows in atrocities on women. They have always been mere chattels, to serve and please men, but it is their misfortune that, in return they have got only discrimination, hatred and torture. It is thought provoking as to how and why this could continue unabated for centuries after centuries, and no one yes, no one ever thought of the plight that women had to farce.
To my mind the most moot point in favour of male domination for so long has been his physical strength and his being the bread winner of the family. These two together lay all the pressures of domination on women and they could do nothing so they had to succumb to the male dominance. From the time of Manu, dating to centuries past, women have always been a distant second to man, in everything. I daresay that, this is not true of only backward countries like India but, subjugation of women is a reality even in the most advanced countries of the West like Britain and United States. Even in these two so called advanced countries, women had to fight for their right to vote, and women in Kuwait, are still bereft of this right.
Atrocities on women have been manifold. Let us take a birdseye view of the normal and average woman. As a child, she is not looked after or cared for like her brothers. She is not educated, her health is no one’s concern, as, she is not important enough to look after her health. She has no rights of any kind on her father’s property, no right to education, and no right to have any a say in any family matters. All this of course if she is allow – to live at all. In this context, I would like to mention that, in several parts of India, the girl child is literally killed within three days of her birth. She is burden in birth and after birth. Thus her childhood, if at all the sees the light of day is a bundle of unhappiness where she sees here brothers being tended and she being ignored. This scenario does not improve after her marriage. The life after marriage is just an uglier extension of her early days of childhood.
When she grows, she is married to whomsoever is chosen for her. Now, her family changes, her relations increase, her horizon expands, but, her fate remains the same. She is in the new family also just a servant like relation, who is brought as if for her own good. She is there only to produce children for the family and serve as an unpaid maid for the whole family of the husband.
Here, if the husband is not considerate she is in for a living hell. Just see the irony of her fate, she becomes here the virtual backbone of the family resting upon her for all their services, but, she is of no avail to the family, and in no count in the family – what a fate is yours woman. She can be abused, tortured, beaten without immunity, and yet she can not raise an eyebrow or reduce her work. If she has brought less dowry than promised at the time of the marriage, then, Oh Lord, she has had it, and the misery in store for her cannot be imagined. She only has to wait cautiously for the fateful day when her husband and her in-laws join their malicious hands and do a small trick of soaking her in kerosene oil, and showing a small matchstick. This would end her worries but, women will continue to be tortured so. After killing her so cruely, all the in laws, go free and possibly start looking for a new bride for the poor boy left alone in his youth.
From the 18th Century onwards, the march of women towards emancipation had started, and they have taken long strides to the direction of their goal. Today we see that, women have gone a long way, they have their rights to education, to work out of the home and the right in their father’s property. All that is theirs but, still, FATE remains the same, and refuses to smile at them. She has, actually in the bargain doubled her troubles. For now, even if she is working outside on a very lucrative job, her home is hers to look after. No matter what she achieves, she continues to retain her identity as a chattel in the house. She continues to be an unpaid servant of the house and an unsung warrior in the struggle of life. At one time it was believed that, all would be well for women if they could be independent and earn a living but, that was a misnomer, she has achieved so much but to no improvement in her status at home or outside. Life still has not much to offer even to the educated and working woman.
In many ways she has added to her woes at home and outside. At home she remains at the same level of a doormat, working day and night to do justice to her home and her job in the outside world also. Women working in offices are not too welcomes, they always encounter men ogling at them, sneering and jeering at them. They are paid in most cases less than their male counterparts. I must add here to my dismay that, men probably can not see women rise from the dust they have always been and try to crush them at every step and every step ahead is disastrous for men.
I’d say that, right from the cradle to the grave, life for a woman is full of atrocities on her whether they be physical, mental or spiritual. She is crushed to the very bone and is not allowed to bloom. To add to all this there has been a latest trend in the lives of women and that is, killing them before they are even born. The latest technique the scientist, a man, has found is a method of testing the sex of an unborn child. This test is called amniocentasis, and by this test on the pregnant women the doctors can certify the sex of the child, and, obviously, if the child is a girl, she is killed forthwith. Aha – so now we can destroy the child without being born if it happens to be a girl. It may appear to be a great achievement of the scientists but, I personally feel that it is a boon for the unborn girl. She is saved from a life full of tortures, differentiations and humiliations. At this juncture I daresay that, if male chauvinists hear and understand this side of the picture they may even stop these tests as, how can they bear to see a woman to be, saved from atrocities and unkindness of this man’s world.

A Good Leader

2008-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

A good leader is not a product grown in fields or on trees. He/She is born to be a leader. There are quite a number of qualities that are essential for being a good leader, and I daresay that, those qualities cannot be imbibed in persons by training or teaching, they are inherent or inborn in a person. So I’d say that leaders cannot be made, they are born or are produced since birth. Now, the next question that arises is what are the qualities that are essential for becoming a leader? Can these qualities be taught or given by training? So we concentrate on discussions as to what the qualities of good leaders ought to be.
A good leader is a person who an lead the people in the name of an obviously good cause. For attracting a following a leader has to, himself be deeply involved in the cause only then he will get a following. We Indians have a glaring example of such a leader, in Mahatma Gandhi. He was determined to be non-violent and with certainty believed in the tenets of non-violence. He showed loyalty to the cause, faced at the trials that barred his way, so, he got his due return in the great following he mustered. Had he just spoken from high pulpits about non-violence but did not follow the tenets of his own preaching of non-violence, I am sure he would not have achieved the goal he did. Only when people see the leader do what he says or preaches, they do have a mind to follow him. This is an essential quality a leader of any stature must possess.
A leader must always be genuine in his targets to be achieved. The targets he talks about must be practical and he must be seen to be working genuinely towards the goals set, only then the leader will get a following. For there also we can look up to the leadership of the Mahatma. Had he not been genuine in his efforts, his following would have receded.
Another very important quality of a good leader is that, he must identify himself with the followers. He should not sit on a high pedestal, and from there keep ordering about. He must mix with his brood and work hand in hand with them. He must be able to step into their shoes and try feel and understand their problems and difficulties, and if possible try to solve their problems. He must make it a point to be one of them and one with them only then they will reach out to be the leader. The Mahatma remained one with the masses, he partook of the minimum of food and clothing typical of the common man of the India, and that was the secret of the huge following.
Now, these few qualities are absolutely necessary for a budding of a good leader. Now, let us think if we can really imbibe these qualities in men/women? I daresay a firm NO – NOT AT ALL. These qualities are within an individual and cannot be taught by any amount of education and training, they can be copied but not imbibed. A copy as we can well imagine can never be the same as the original. However, today we find a number of leadership courses being organized in schools and colleges etc. Yes, they may be able to teach the children that, qualities are essential for leadership but, it would be an exercise in futility if we expect that such programmes would generate the mushroom growth of good leaders.
Regarding the growth of leaders I think I can say that, India excels in producing leaders. It appears that they are grown here on tree tops and can be broken for consumption raw or pipe whenever required. It is such leadership in India which is creating the havoc we see everywhere in our country. I vouchsafe that, it is not everybody’s cup of tea to become a leader.
In the final analysis, I feel that leaders are born, this is because the qualities mentioned above cannot be inculcated in individuals – they are within an individual since birth. Leaders cannot be made, and, if we do make them, as we do so in India, we can see what happens. This is because they are not genuine leaders, wedded to their causes. They are not original leaders, made to lead, they are just duplicates created to steer a ship and most probably make it sink. It is this lack of good leaders account for the overall deterioration in India for, a good leader in reality is a difficult item to find. It is God who makes leaders, and it is not man, who can train men to become leaders. This is amply proved by the fact of children like born to do great tasks and to be leaders in their own rights. Such men are real leaders and I am certain that they cannot be coined by any human efforts. The leadership qualities are inborn in them, and are visible in them from their very childhood.

If I was the Education Minister of India

2008-09-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

If I was the education minister of India, I would make very drastic changes in the education scene of India. In the last 50 years, the government of India has changed several hands, Commissions have been formed, reports have been made and received and gathered dust, but we are in the same situation that is not all enviable.
The main thrust I would give will be on the Primary Education. This area has been grossly neglected in the last five decades, and, that is why we find that, even after 50 years of our own rule, more than 50% of our Indian population is still illiterate. I would give top priority to this and encourage free education till at least up to the level of Vth Std. my resources would also channelised accordingly. For this is because I personally feel that, only when we expand and improve our primary education, can we produce a fine younger generation. It is at this age when we can inculcate values in the children, and it is only at this time that we can teach them the values the knowledge we give them. Once this age is past, no amount of sermonizing helps to teach the bigger children any values. Since this area has been neglected for so long, we have produced a generation of ill-behaved uncouth, almost barbarians. Education must be spread in the rural areas, where real India exists. All long the 50 years of India’s independence, education has been the prerogative of the urban classes, and this is why such a huge percentage of illiterate in the rural areas. So, if I become the education minister of India, I would lay more stress on educating the masses in the rural parts of India. Teachers would be sent there or picked up from there, and given handsome incentives to work for the country there, in remote areas. Their interests would be well looked after, so that, they would like to got and reach in the rural areas of India.
Next would come under my purview, the colleges and the Universities. To this education I would put a real stopper. In the last 5 decades these institutions have had a mushroom growth, the result being creation of places for the politicians to grow, to hibernate, for crime to take its toll and above all these institutions turn out multitudes of unemployable barbarians. In order to change this atmosphere I would make college and University education very, very selective. College gates would then be opened only to those children who are really interested in studies and do not come here only to waste away time, and only learn to be villainous. The affluent would, in my time, be made to pay a heavy fees for studying in these institutions and that also only if they were found fit to study. On the other hand, the poor students who are good in studies, but do not have the finances to study, would be sponsored by the Government for studying in colleges, to improve their prospects. The rest of the chaff that is now found to be crowding colleges would be diverted to colleges of vocational studies.
As the education minister, I would establish vocational colleges where, after class XII,
Children would be sent according to their personal choices of vocations. Here also, the affluent who join, will have to pay a heavy fees and the poor be sponsored by the Government. In this way, with a combination of colleges and vocational centres we will be able to channelise the children to their respective professions. In the bargain we would be providing employability to all the young men and women turning out of the various institutions. This will help in creating a mass of people who have the potential of being employed and also avoid unnecessary rush in the colleges.
Besides these, the Medical and Engineering colleges will also be made very selective, in their choice of students joining them. The fees here also will be high, and the education here should be self supporting. I ask why should the Government spend on these children who, mostly, after acquiring skills go to serve other countries. They should be made to pay heavily for being educated here, as after this education here, they will be more than compensated by working outside the country. All these years we have been spending huge amounts of money allotted to education on the children who go away as soon as they complete studies, never to come back, and all this at the cost of the poor rural children who are left bereft of even the basics of education. How far has this been fair to be poor can be understood by one and all.
If I never become the education minister of India, my approach would be enhance the status of the primary education an it’s reaches would be felt even to the remotest areas of India. It is these areas where we really produce our raw material. If the raw material is bad, or in short supply, how then can we expect the finished product to be upto any expectation.

Has Man a Future?

2008-09-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

It is rather difficult to prophesy what is in store for man – but, we can assess to some extent man’s future by seeing what the position of man is today. There really can be no exact prediction about man’s future but, the present is the only indication from where we can make an approximate assessment of the future. Now, in this assessment also, there are bound to be wide differences as, each individual sees the present in a different perspective, and so, the views about the future will also be different, and so, the views about the future will also be different as they come from different people. There may be people who find the scene well set for doom while others there may be who find that the world and its man is on a continuous march towards betterment of life. These views have to be divergent according to the type of people expressing the views.
As far as I am concerned, I personally feel that the present is not pointing to a very fine future for man. When we discuss about the future of man, we have to analyse the scenario in its entirety. We can not doubt the affluence and luxury man enjoys today, which shows that man has the affluence and luxury man enjoys today, which shows that man has progressed immensely from the bygone days. This would imply that, if man continues like this, there is no scope for him to have a near bad future. However, this position of affluence and luxury is man’s present, but where will this same affluence lead him to is what will make or mar his future. Now, we say that, the gifts of Science and technology have given man all the luxuries of life, this of course can not be denied by anyone, but, the other side of this same blessing of Science if considered in its true perspective, is no less than a curse. This man sitting in all the luxury of the world, is also at the same time sitting on top of a huge stock of explosives. These explosives may blast ant any time and then all the luxuries of man will be gone with the wind. I’d say that today man is sitting on just a press of a button away from complete annihilation. If this side of the picture is given its due weightage, then, I daresay, the future of man is very very dark, or rather man has no future for, what is life that is being spent in fear of destruction. To-day, entire humanity is living on the brink of destruction, and no one can fortell what future has in store for a man.
Today, we also claim to be highly educated and knowledgeable, as never before, and believe that the future will bring complete spectrum of knowledge in our arms. The first point in this is that, knowledge can never be complete, and secondly as far as I feel, if all the knowledge we acquire, fails to make us human beings and we remain to be mere beings then. I daresay that we have no future in this field also. We are laying stress on all subjects for children and adults to study but, we have forgotten the basic result that must accrue from education – the formation of character. Knowledge is undoubtedly a power but, this power is also only seen to be destroying us. I personally feel that as long as human beings do not learn to be human, all the syllabi and knowledge hold no future for him. In this context, I would like to mention an old adage that says that, if wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, something is lost, and if character is lost, everything is lost. So, in the light of this adage, man has already lost everything, so, from where can he expect a future?
In the sphere of health also, advanced medical practices have given man the gift of longevity, but, may I ask what is the use of a long life spent in the misery of long drawn out illnesses. With the advancement of medical know how, it seems that there has been a parallel increase in the fears of maladies like Aids, Cancer and the like. Never before were such things heard of. What is use that long life of which years have to be spent in the hospitals, ailing seeing and feeling the torture that life can be. In this scenario, I daresay, it would be better for man if the medical supremos found out ways of curing illnesses rather than leaving men to be tortured at the hands of crucial illnesses which have no cures. Given such longevity I’d say is a curse rather than a blessing as we are apt to feel. I thus say that, a long life at least in India has no future. A life is life only if we can live it happily and enjoy it, and not spend years of it on our death beds. I fell that in this sphere also there is no future for man. He still languishes in hospitals, and after a long wait gets his cherished end – death.
Besides these down to earth facts that make for life, we have still another very important aspect of life that is character. In this sphere also there can be no two opinions of the fact that there is complete loss of character. This has become a missing entity in the world of today. We, have become so very depraved that, in the future there is very little chance of the revival of this essential ingredient of a good life. So, as per the old quotation mentioned above, man has already lost everything by losing hold on character so, when all is lost, what can be future, is for anyone to guess and visualize. There can be nothing except absolute hollow of darkness when the present holds what it does. The future, to me is like a mirage, appearing to be when it is not there – there is no hope.

Money is Not Everything

2008-09-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Money is essential that brings for man all his necessities and luxuries for his comfortable existence. Life without money is undoubtedly a virtual hell, with pangs of hunger and thirst eating into man’s very bones. However, at the same time for man to think that, money is everything, is also a great mistake. Money is necessity only in as much as, it is the thing which buys for us all we need, but, beyond that, money is a harbinger of all sorts of vices. Let us remember that money is to be considered as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. The end, is a comfortable life, and the means is money.
If we consider money as a means to our end of having a comfortable life then, we would be seeing money in its proper perspective for without money we can not live as, we are not able to buy anything if we do not have money. So much, so good but, in the present day scenario, money is no more a means to an end but, and in itself. To collect money, to hoard money and become richer and richer has become our sole aim in life. It is here in our outlook towards money that we have erred, and so the disastrous situation we are placed in, is not hidden from any one. Each individual has set a goal of hoarding money and money only, and this also not fixed to a certain amount, we just have to go on and on irrespective of how much we need, for the lust for money has become our very style of life. It is a wild goose chase that we are all indulging in, and that, at the cost of all the rest we had.
True, money gives us all that we require but money is not all the only thing that we need to keep happy and fit. There are several other things that make life beautiful and mind that these can not be purchased with any amount of money. For example, a gush of wind from where we take our very breath of life, cannot be purchased at any cost. We can wear the most glamorous dresses but, to give health to that same body, no amount of money is enough. We can buy the thickest and costliest of mattresses with money but, no amount of money can buy for us a good sound, night’s sleep. These few facts are sufficient to awake us to the fact that, there are many other important things that make for a happy life, and money is not all. We should thereby give money only its due importance and not make it all important, for, if we do that, we are certainly going to sacrifice some other vital items of a good life. Now let us analyze to some extent how this money is capable of playing havoc in life.
In reality, the position of the society today, is far from being enviable, is largely due to this money mania that has caught hold of the society. Each and every individual is busy in his/her money spinning activities. At this juncture, I would like to mention the fact that in our Hindu mythology, the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth has an owl for her transport. This is very significant as it is believed that the pursuit of money, as it is today; make an owl of a man. I’d say that we have all become money maniacs, sacrificing every conceivable pleasure on the altar of wealth. Is this not owlish sense? When we lose our equilibrium, we become the significant owls.
Today, we have sacrificed the bliss of a happy and contented family in the guise of material luxuries which, we think are all that we need. We have no time to love each other, care for each other or, serve each other in the family because each member of the family is busy in the struggle of making money. In this unit of a family, where, at one time the love we got was an elixir for our tired nerves, is now a missing entity.
On the other hand now, we have plush carpets, foam on our beds, and a beautiful dining table with, no one at home to share our joys and worries. This is what money has done to our family succour. The parents are busy making money and have no time, to spare for the children, the husband is busy buying diamonds for his wife, but has no time even to take a glance at her when she dons them. The wife is busy in preparing the office routine, but has no time for the routine service of the family. So, in this avenue of life, mony has done more harm than good. In as much as money was essential to buy for man his necessities and to some extent even his luxuries, it was good but, as soon as it became the be all and end all of life, it wreaked havoc in life.
On the social front also, no one has any time to be even aware of about the welfare of the neighbors and colleagues, as each one is busy not only spinning money but, spinning money more than the neighbor. When such an unhealthy competition exists for the hoarding of money, where then will a society exist at all. Where no one knows anything about anyone, no does anyone care to know anything about anyone, then, where does a society exist? The society has been blown up into fragments, with each family of the society only busy raising bank balances more than the neighbor’s.
It is this money and the lust for it that has afflicted uncounted miseries on man. All the competition that persists today is only to rise above the others not in any other way than just the other’s bank balances. Man has become so very depraved in this chase of money that he can do, and he also does anything; yes anything to get hold of money. Is this what money was meant for? Family squabbles, social bickering, political gains are all managed for the sake of this money. This is why today; no one understands any language, except the language of money. For money people are killed children or even adults are kidnapped. It is for this money the modern sophisticated man has become a little less than a beast.
After having a bird’s eye view of the present scenario are we still in a position to say that money is all that we need? Yes, money is all important but, only to a limit. Once the limit of satisfaction is crossed it converts man into a mere animal, a brute and a devil. It is this excess of money that leads man to all sorts of crimes. We should realize that money is not all that we need for happiness, for, I daresay, the opposite is correct – and all the unhappiness spread in the world to-day is the obvious corollary of excess money in circulation, and the lust for it. The unhappiness and crime registered in these days of lots of money, surpasses the unhappiness of any times before this. In spite of so much progress and prosperity why is there so much of ill will, degradation and unhappiness? It is I think because we are laying too much stress on money and only money. The fact of rampant unhappiness goes to prove that, money is not all that we need to live, for, it is by now apparent that, to be happy, we need so many other things, which money cannot even buy for us. Now, the position is that, we have sacrificed all the finer needs of our happiness for this mundane money and the result is obvious and for all of us to see, and understand.
I suggest that a stage has now come when we must give up our on fighting for money and give it only the amount respect and importance it deserves, it should be treated only as a means to an end, and not an end itself, only then we will be able to strike a balance between the inputs of money and the inputs of other things we need to live a happy and satisfied life.

Status of Women in India - Today

2008-09-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

When we talk of status, we understand that it implies the social and legal position of an individual or, an individual’s standing vis-à-vis others. I do wonder why, in a country where women were at once time, ( and even today ) worshipped as incarnations of goddesses, there should be any problem of status for women. However, this is the irony of the fate of Indian women that their status which should have been an identity to reckon with, has become a topic of debate. This situation has emerged in India during the period of Muslim domination wherein was set the purdah system with all its concomitants.
This system so deteriorated, as time passed that the status of women became an issue to be discussed on several platforms. The last few decades have seen a mushroom growth of organizations struggling to get for women their dues, and these organizations have also made great headway in this direction, but, how far has this helped in the improvement of the status of women in the home, in society in office, or in the country as a whole, is still a debatable issue.
The last few decades have no doubt seen women coming out in the open and joining the mainstream of development of the country. Ever, it is to be seen whether this has helped them in achieving a status for themselves, in the minds of people at large. Can we consider women now equal to men in status, at least those who are working with men? No, I really don’t think this has been achieved.
Women are today, found in every field of man’s working, and several have even become economically independent but has even that enhanced our status? On the countrary, with this onward march on the one hand, we can see a mushroom growth of crimes against women, never heard of ever before. At one time a young girl only was an item of lust for men, but with this advent of so called women’s lib, infant girls of four to five years and even less, or ladies of sixty and above are becoming objects of man’s lust. It is high time that we analyse the cause of all this, for if our achievements on the one side result is such chaos on the other, we will have to weigh the advantages accrued to women against the holocaust set for them.
The last fifty years the Independence of India, we have seen women coming out to be educated, to do jobs, to make careers, yet the perception that women are second to men has not been erased. Now thus it is time to study and analyse the anomaly that, though she work shoulder to shoulder with men, she still remain second - why ?
We women are fighting in the wrong way. Why do we, women feel that it is only by entering into the domain of men can we bring succour to our pained nerves, and does experience of the last fifty years justify this by our achievement in the field of stauts? I feel that, the more we are going out, the more we are prone to dangers, and the more we are destroying our images, and the more we are making men feel adamant against us, women. This is because we enter their domains, thus causing of working outside the home but that should not be our sole objective, because when we do that, we are trampling on men’s toes. Our women’s objective should be to excel in our own domain, instead of entering the domain of men.
Our field of work is no mean task, it is to bring up the family and rear children, bringing up a happy Nation and a happy future. We should not consider this as a meagre task, if we have such a tremendous task, then why do we have to try to emulate men and get into their avenues of work. I feel that even though continuing to achieve a greater spectrum for ourselves to work upon, we should also need to change our attitudes to our targets. Happiness for women obviously does not lie in emulating men, but in doing our own tasks with excellence and continuing our onward march towards equality with men in status. We must remember that, when we educate a woman, we educate a family. So this is clear that, our present march forward should continue but our attitudes to the matter should change for, our status will not change only by entering the world of men, but by creating a niche for ourselves, as best as we can.
I do not vouchsafe that women should not enter jobs etc, no, it is not so, but if we expect only this to produce results, I’m afraid, the past experience of fifty years has shown that this is not enough. We must realize that, first and foremost, how many of us women can become financially independent, and if at all we do so, the point to be then considered is that after achieving financial independence, do we women start feeling equal to men, or, do start getting treatment like men? If not then women are putting in a fruitless effort. Are we getting any extra honour and respect at home in society, and from the would at large, if not then what have we done, where have we gone wrong? Our pursuit of status for ourselves is obviously not giving the desired results, so I feel that we women need to change our attitudes in order to achieve our goals, and the men too must be made to feel differently. Men have to feel that women are their equal partners, only with different attributes and different assignments. On the other hand, women must understand and different assignments. On the other hand, women must understand that, by emulating men we will not become their equals, instead, they will start taking us as their rivals and so never cooperate with us. We must realize that our women status depends a lot on how we carry ourselves in this male dominated society. Two people having different assignments can be equal only if they have a clear perception of their roles. By interchanging or exchanging roles we achieve nothing tangible, we only trample each other’s feet, and call for an altercation instead of amity.
So now, after five decades of trying to emulate men it is time for us women to take stock of the situation and make a more rigorous effort to fight for out rights and equality with men with men with a changed attitude, and not only a change of assignment or appearance. Two people with different assignment can surely be equals so, why do we women have to hanker for stepping into men’s shoes and take up the roles of men. Let us now change our strategy of the struggle and not only stamp men but create for ourselves a new horizon.

Kaleidoscopic Image of Independent India

2008-09-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

India has seen Centuries of life, and a lot of turbulent times, and hey day too. However, the Sub-Continent has withstood all this and exist even today, is not a miracle, but, it is a proof of its inherent internal strength, may be spiritual.
The last fifty years have been a gift to India from its freedom fighters who gave their all, and presented to us a free Nation to breathe in and grow. This gift package of the last fifty years, is what we are here to discuss at the moment. Even these fifty years have also depicted India’s strength through all the rough times, and here we stand even to day. I feel quite convinced that, if it was some other country in India’s place, with so much chaos and lethargy rampant everywhere it might have stood annihilated but India, stands as firm as ever, in the face of all.
From 1947 to 1997, we have seen an absolute change in India’s image in every sphere of its existence. The development rate has been tremendous, scientific and technological know how and usage has increased by leaps and bounds. We have entered the Global market in business. There has been a terrific increase in schools, colleges, and technical Institutes to spread education at all levels. Increase in roads, railways, airways, has been astounding, communications system has witnessed a Himalayan rise. With all this to our credit, why does India still stand as a Third World Power in the community of Nations? For this peculiar situation, we must analyse the actual break up of all the growth chart, and the causes of the lacune.
Regarding the break up of all the growth, the handicap is not far to seek, for, all the growth items are being utilized by a slim minority of India’s population, and with the growth, there has also been a major headway in corruption, selfishness, and lack of our character, personal or national. All these malaise know no bounds in our independent India, so the crumbling image, inspite of a lot of change for the better. For example, in an area, where the growth could have been and should have bee 70% , on the ground, it has been only 20%, the rest of resources being symphoned off by those at the helm of affairs. This is a fact that is not a secret any more, even from the most backward and uneducated of our populace. The proof of all this is not far to seek, when we hear of a scan a day, on the average.
With this situation, there has emerged a yawning gap between the rich and the poor, and the Haves and Have Nots, which continues to grow at an alarming pace, even as I write this for you. With this huge gap, all the development stands, absolutely nullified. In this scenario, the image that India to day presents is one of extreme opposites. On the one head, we see prosperity moving at break neck speed on the roads of all Metros, crowds of people eating in restaurants and hotels, and enjoying discos every night. On the other hand, we see beggars of all hues on the same prosperous looking roads, children and elders eating from dust bins, and enjoying sleeping nights, on pavements and in drain pipes. Seeing this extremely diverse image of our free India it is felt that we have not achieved much. A country which has such poverty on the one hand, has no right to celebrate independence. What are we celebrating? Our inefficiency, our selfishness or, our failure to provide the minimum eminities to all our people. It is time for us to consider, whether the freedom fighters had this image in their minds, when they fought for freedom? Is this what they dreamt of, when they entered the warpath, to give all they had, to India? Our first priority at least NOW, should be to forget ourselves and provide the minimum of food, clothing and shelter to all, for at least this is their right also.
Instead of studying any other subject in foreign lands, now, we must send our emissaries to foreign lands of East or West to study how they manage to maintain a minimum gap in the Haves and those who have less, for I think in no other country the gap would be as much as it is in India. We should have our heads hanging in shame when we see young children begging instead of going to school and the old sitting on the streets when they should be huddled up cosily in a warm corner of their little house.
At this point I would like to remind all friends that, “life takes a new interest when we invest in lives of others.” Only if we would share our well being with others, I am sure we would be no less but, they would be much more.

The Mechanical Man of the Mechanical World

2008-09-20T08:42:00.001-07:00

It has often been heard that, the effects of physical environment have a deep impact on the mental balance, mental attitude and outlook on life. However, it is a wonder that specialists dealing in different aspects of Environment are not apparently interested in the effect of deteriorating environment on the mental standards of human beings. Let us ponder upon a few aspects of the effects of environment on the mental attitudes and aptitudes of modern human beings.
This can best be assessed when we study a cross section of the younger generation who are becoming the products of this mechanical environment. They are still growing so, the impact of the environment can best be seen in their attitudes.
The razing of Mother Earth and greenery around, and in its place, construction of high rise buildings all around has had a very great impact on the human attitudes. The love and appreciation of beauty in Nature has been completely erased and, instead, the love of grand sophisticated sky rocketing houses and palatial buildings have taken its place.
Walking in fresh air, and basking in the sun has given place to staying confined inside air conditioned houses, wherein, man feels that, he has captured Nature, and, has himself created the cool and warmth of Nature. This appreciation and life of a closed environment has lead to several diseases physicall and mental, it has lead to a closed and individual oriented and pervert attitude of man, who having all mechanical amenities looks down on all those people who can not afford these luxuries of enclosed palaces. With this sense of values in the present senior generation who create the social environment, the attitude of the younger generation is absolutely enveloped in their search and zest for glamour and easy money to buy them the glamour. So we can say that the desire for luxuries which can be bought only with plenty of money lead to the ever increasing desire for earning this by hook or by crook. This glamour and easy money are the obvious concomitants of this style so called progressive and mechanical living.
With Nature out of our lives, natural feelings are also now, of little consequence in the present scenario. It is thus, no surprise that, the naturally made man has now, by his own progress and knowledge been converted into a mechanical lathe, cutting and shaping and shaping a life style of its own, far from all basics of nature. When nature and natural living is disappearing from our social environment, it is but natural for the natural man also to be less natural, for, how can a natural being exist in the mechanically charged atmosphere. Man is now machine made with mechanical responses, instead of natural reactions and emotions.
It is high time that, if we have to change the mentality of budding generation we must change the environment into a more natural one, and try to live with less artificiality. My personal view is that, even if it be at the cost of giving up a little comfort and sophistication we must be more alert to the needs of the time, and try to reverse our outlooks to nature and be less artificial in our life styles. It is the result of this so called progress of the mechanical world that, to-day we beings exist but the human is becoming extinct.

97. 5% VERSUS 95%

2008-09-20T08:41:00.001-07:00

The scenario in every field of progress in India, to-day aptly presents the above mentioned ratio of growth, of two clear sections of Post, Independence Indian Society, the per cent of HAVES, and the 95 per cent of Have Nots. The parliamentarians themselves, have accepted this ratio of growth in their six day special session of the Parliament held in August ’97.
If this is the ratio of growth in an independent country, it is indeed mind boggling to consider whether this achievement really calls for a celebration of any kind. What are we actually celebrating, the widening of the gap of the Haves and the Have Nots? Where are we moving is it to the complete annihilation of the ‘GARIB’, under the muffled slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’? fifty years of our very own regime has shown us that, the ‘Garib’ is an enhanced class, as, the spiraling prices are bringing down the respectable middle class, by and by to join or rather completely merge into this ‘Garib’ class. So, in a nutshell, this has been the sum total of our achievement in fifty long years. It is high time that we sit and retrospect, moving down memory lane, to find out where we have gone wrong.
Our laymen’s arguments to prove that we have progressed a lot, are simple and sundry. We often hear people saying that, in 1947 where did we have so many roads, where could we see so many high rise buildings where did we see so many towns dotted with cars of umpteen makes etc., and the list of such great achievements goes on and on. All this is undoubtedly true but, let’s pause to think who is taking advantage of all this progress? It is the same 5 per cent who is taking all the benefits of all these so called signs of prosperity. In every sphere of growth, the leanings are towards the already prosperous class. Who are the people who live or work in all these the high rise buildings, who move in those prosperous looking cars, who affords the posh bungalows, the beauty of the towns, whose children study in public schools, who are the people treated in those hospitals, who are the people found in the places of entertainment – the reply to all these questions will be – the prosperous 5 per cent class of riches. All these signs of progress are being enjoyed by the 5 per cent, while, in the same country, the 95 per cent, are even after fifty years of so called progress, still fighting for their basics, food, clothing and shelter, and other necessities of life like, education, water, electricity and health. The scenario presented by India proves the existence of God, without any doubt, as people below poverty line, here see their own luckier brethren flourishing further and further and they do not revolt, they don’t demand, and above all, they don’t even die, in the face of all these man made adversities.
The question that now arises is that, when will the 5 per cent start thinking of sharing all the wealth of the country with the 95 per cent, less fortunate. Even in the end of the 20th century, a country which still has thousand of beggars on the roads, millions dying of hunger and heat and cold, has no right to celebrate or even think that it deserves any applause after fifty years of independent living. Our century has produced two saints, one in the guise of a princess and one in the incarnation of a saints, one in the guise of a princess and one in the incarnation of a Mother of the downtrodden. Let us learn from them and pay homage to their memory by sharing our lot with others, as, friends, we can never be happy till our surroundings spell of contentment. Now it is stock taking time, and the 5 per cent MUST awake to the right to an honourable and healthy and comfortable life for the 95 per cent of our very own brethren, under privileged section of our society, as, they also have the same rights to health and happiness and well – being, as us. The 95 per cent has grown to quite a size, now, let us concentrate in helping the 95 per cent to reach our level or at least some level of human existence before we further our interests ahead.

Children Need Models, Not The Critics

2008-09-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

A child is what we make of him and what he sees of Us – elders. He can never learn by our criticisms of him but the examples we give to him. A child needs models is evident from our lay research and survey of the last two generations. This study will confirm to us that a child continuously learns from what he sees and not from what is said to him. A study of the present two generations, the younger and the fuling generation will prove the point that a child needs models, and from these models he automatically learns, without any specific classes or the rod etc.
Each younger generation is such a true picture of their senior generation that there has to be no scope of discussions to the effect of models set for the young. Whatever model the children have in front of them, they just inherit all the qualities thereof.
Now for this statement to be proved correct, the best judgement can be made when we study the growth, development and progress of the present younger generation. There is a huge cry often heard everywhere that, the present younger generation is going haywire. It is quite true and evident to all but, let us look into ourselves, and assess for ourselves, what are the models in front of the younger generation? If we do this, we will not have to go very far to find the source of the behaviour of this generation. We will find it all in us, if we are impartial. At home, the parents either pamper out of all proportions or neglect the children. This inculcates in the child an attitude of indifference, as, he feels that there is no consistency required in behaviour, seeing his parents out to love him at one time and out to admonish him at another, without any obvious difference in the child’s achievement. At school the child sees teachers also pamper some children and discard some, for no obvious reason for the child, so here again, the child sees lack of cohesion in the behaviour of the teachers. So, the three ideals of the child, the two parents and the teacher all behave as per their moods it seems so, the child without being taught, learns being moody and his behaviour becomes unstable. Thus his ideals are uncouth and unworthy of their roles in all sobriety, what will happen to the child, is not far to seek.
Do not the children see the difference in the behaviour of the their parents outside home and inside, do not they see their disgraceful behaviour with their old parents, do not the children see their parents hanker for money, and do not the children see their parents’ indifference to their neighbourhood, society and the nation? As we know that they see all this, then what can we expect them to learn.
The parents are their role models, and they follow them implicitly, without any change. So, no matter how much the same parents and other adults or society cares to criticize them, flout them or mock at them, they will not change, or to say they cannot change. Why blame them, they are following verbatim the role models in front of them, and I suppose this is what is expected. Does this not go to prove that children need and only use models to copy, and that no amount of criticism can change them or mould them.
Besides the parents, the next and closes friend and model for the child is the teacher. Here also does the child not notice favouritism of students among teachers, don’t they see teachers sometimes even changing marks for no obvious reason. At the college stage do the children not see the college teachers and University teachers selling question papers, passing undeserving students for the small buck? What then can they learn at the feet of such Gurus? Except to indulge in malpractices wherever possible.
The influence of other models comes to complete the disgraceful growth of the children is, other examples from the adult world. This comes from the Television and the cinema. In this also a visual picture of the adult world the children get from the media is not very inspiring or encouraging. Here also they see none else but a depiction of their corrupt parents and teachers, earning of money by foul means, crime and nothing else. So with this gets completed the picture of the adult world for these children, and they know well in time that this is all that they too have to do as soon they enter the adult scene.
The final blow given to the bringing up of the younger generation is by the politician of our times. He is such a complete picture of immorality and corruption that, the young get the impression that, if they wish to become a politician, they have to follow their footsteps and corrupt practices. This now completes the horizon of the training of the younger generation in its entireity.
The present scenario goes to prove beyond all doubt that children do not only need models, they can learn also from the visual aid of live models of the world of elders. Thus, if we want the younger generation to be good, or even better, we have to produce, to train them, better role models, and only then can we expect better results. A word of caution will not be out of place at this juncture. If we elders want to see a generation of good and promising young men and women, we will first have to change ourselves to goodness, and then only we can hope to see a better younger generation, and hence a better future.
We have to remember that the child must be taught what is right by means of moral lessons, but that would not be enough, this must be followed by showing what is right by live example by elders around the child. Even the latest and modern techniques of teaching and education lay stress on audiovisual aids, which goes to confirm that the child learns more and better by what he sees around by way of examples in front of him, and what he hears in the world of elders. No amount of lecturing and ordering can imbibe in the child any value of life. A child learns all that he sees and nothing that he is ordered.

Religion and Politics

2008-09-18T07:36:00.004-07:00

When we consider the link between religion and politics, it appears as though we are trying to link two subjects or objects which are absolutely divergent. While politics is the name given to the art of governing a country, religion is the name given to the acceptance of a superhuman who is governing from somewhere, above all, the human race. A person who has a religious bent of mind is known to be pious and God fearing, scrupulous, conscientious and having concern for all. If these are the qualities of a religious minded person one does not see how and why we should keep such people out of governance.
The situation prevailing in the world and mostly in India is because there is absolute segregation of religion from politics. When religion is set aside, it is but natural that religions people are also swept away. So, the governance falls automatically in the hands of those who lack the qualities of a religious minded person. It is exactly these qualities as being missing entities in our politics, and that is why, this situation of the country, and both politics and religion have gone with the wind, because they have severed relations.
Now let us consider each of the qualities mentioned that are supposed to be found in people who are religious minded, and see how the lack of these very qualities have worked hell into our politics. A religious minded person is expected to be pious and God fearing, i.e. to be dutiful and god fearing. Now, since our politicians lack duty, the sense of duty, they have no qualms about all they are doing, what they owe to the electorate, that has placed them on a pedestal. Since they are not God fearing, we see the entry of criminals into politics, and the fast and continuous criminalization of politics. The politicians are known to get crimes committed for achieving their own ends. Al this is because they have no religion and they are not even frightened of God.
The politicians are not scrupulous i.e. not bothered about any details of their working as long as the personal ends are served – he just does not care as to what he does, and what the repercussions of his actions will be. All this is because he is not religious minded. Not only this, he lacks sincerity and conscientiousness because he does not seem to care for any job in hand as, he has had his prime objective of reaching a chair which gives him a return.
Regarding the politician’s concern, it is neatly concentrated in himself and his family only. He has absolutely no concern for the poor people who have voted him to power. His concern is simple, HE, HIMSELF and HIS FAMILY.
After studying all the qualities of a modern politician, one would say that he is irreligious and that is why he is so degraded, depraved and selfish. The present scenario of politics and politicians is because of an absolute delinking of religion from the realm of politics. Religion cannot make anything, anybody or any system bad.
However, in today’s politics, being religious has taken a back seat, while at the same time, religion is being used as a tool of destruction. It is here that religion plays a nasty role in politics. It is not the merging of religion and politics that is bad, but it is the exploitation of religious sentiments by politicians that is disastrous. The politicians are not religious minded but take the cover of religion to play up one section of the society against another. It is this aspect which bad, an not religion or politics. Thus we can say that mixing of politics and religion can be a wonderful blend if the attitudes of religious people and religion be developed in all politicians. Instead, our politicians misuse religious beliefs to destroy both the political fabric of the country, and the religious fervour of the Indians.
The part of religion that has nothing to do with politics is the rituals. These depend on the individuals and the State or politics should not interfere, but the absolute severance of religion from politics has led this country to this dead end. When we do not understand whereto our politics and politicians are leading us, and where our religious sentiments take us. This confusion is all the creation of our politicians and an achievement of our fifty years of misrule. We have in the bargain destroyed the standard of the politician, who has always taken refuge of religion to meet his own ends. If this continues, we will soon have forgotten what governance is and also what religion makes of us. Religion and religious thinking should make of us good, sincere human beings and not corrupt traitors as what we are today. This is not because religion and politics are dealt with from the same platform, but because both have lost their real meaning and sanctity and their impact on those who matter.
If religion could correctly and wisely be merged with politics, we would get a community of well meaning, hard working, and loyal politicians who would do wonders for the country. I fail to understand why, people believe that religion should not be linked with politics for, I believe that the two would make a very healthy and congenial whole, if used appropriately.

Advertising

2008-09-18T07:36:00.003-07:00

The art and science of advertising is taking great strides in the world of business and trade. In foreign countries, advertising is done very methodically and on a very large scale. There, the big business houses have regular departments with experts working on the art of advertisement.
Today, advertisement is the very backbone of any business, whether big or small. This is necessary because, unless people know about goods that are being produced, how will they buy? So in other words, advertising boosts up sales of items, small and big. Businessmen is a lot of skill and competition involved. Some of the business houses put up large hoardings on important crossroads, slides are shown in all cinema houses, small handbills are distributed through the vendors of newspapers. These are the few of the commonly know modes of advertisements. It has become an absolute truth that today, no business can stay or progress without appropriate advertising, there is so much of cut throat competition that, an opportunity missed is no likely to be made up. So, in this scenario, advertising goods is a of all business. It may be aptly said that advertisements are the axis on which the world of business revolves.
Advertisement of different kinds are also found in all daily newspapers, which cater to almost all spheres of human activity. There are advertisements for education, lost and found, tender notices, exhibitions and sales, matrimonial, and all other conceivable aspects of modern existence. We come to know a lot from these advertisements for, besides our responding to them, we at least become aware of what all happens in the world.
But advertisements must, like everything else, maintain some quality and etiquette, which are we often find missing in most of them. For example, an advertisement must be relevant to the item it is advertising. For instance, when there is an advertisement of say spectacles, where is the necessity for the advertisement to depict a woman and that too only in a two piece swimming suit, and wearing spectacles. I know that, to this comment, the advertisers will give their own justification that the advertisement must be attractive will give their own justification that the advertisement must be attractive and appealing. Yes, I agree that they are right when they say this, but if their paid artists find no other way to attract public except of exposure of a female body, they are not fit to be called artists at all. If our gentry cannot be expected to be attracted by any other form of art I am amazed at their standards of art. Besides, can it not be foreseen by the advertisers that when this advertisement attracts a section of the society, it may also have some viewers who find it obnoxious. It is very pertinent that advertisements must attract attention but, may be if more sobriety could be fitted in the art, it may not adversely effect the business.
Advertisements should be short and to the point so that the public sees them and at the same time does not feel that time is being wasted in them. The advertisement must be repeated often, so it must be short, eye catching and memorable. More so, these advertisements should be based on the psychology of the customers. As we know that different goods cater to different sections of society, an advertisement must also take into account the people their item has to attract. For instance, if a car has to be advertised, an advertisement must be such that it caters to the sense of the rich. However, if soaps or washing powder has to be advertised, consideration must be given to what will attract the common man.
Another important point that the advertisers must take into account is that, what they show and talk about the item must be absolutely true. If a customer even once finds that the credentials pronouncements in an advertisement are not true to the product, word will be spread that the item is not true to its publicity. If this happens and there is a counter advertisement by the public even by word of mouth, against the authenticity of the advertisement, it will play havoc for the item and its sales will come crashing. Thus, an advertisement must be wholly true to its strength, for, if there is any exaggeration and untruth in the advertisement, the customers feel cheated and the sales are sure to go down. This should mean that in an advertisement there should never be an over play of the greatness and goodness of an item for this may cast a nasty spell on the business.
Advertisement being the very life breath of a business, even the very big and well established business houses have got to take recourse to the business of advertising. This is necessary because of the very keen competition arising in every field. If the business do not entered newly, achieve some heights, and the big businesses do not advertise their products, may be one day the smaller industries will overshadow the big industrial houses only because of their lacking in the business of advertising. The system of advertising goods has become necessary due to the cut throat competition in every field of production.
Advertisements are no doubt necessary but they should, like everything else, cater to basic norms of propriety and ethics. As such, advertisements must be true, genuine and relevant. They should not cheat the trusting public into buying their products, for, this cheating fool some people all the time, all people for some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Happiness

2008-09-18T07:36:00.002-07:00

Happiness, the word itself seems to be too vague and blurred to really understand it. The feeling is rather vague to explain, as happiness is nothing that can be defined or explained or touched. It is an emotion, a feeling that can only be felt from within and it defies any explanation. This vagueness of the word is very well translated in the feeling also for, in al truth, happiness is just a state of the mind which cannot be inculcated in us by some outside agency. We can just not argue that, as soon as we get so much money, or so many houses or so many children etc. we will be happy No, this state is never possible for, we can just not assure ourselves of being happy when we get a particular thing. Instead, when we get, for instance one crore of money, our lust for further enhancement of our financers, prevents us from being happy, and, instead, we start desiring for more and then more, this becomes our phobia, so where will the happiness come from? This type of happiness is not possible because we can not assure ourselves of being happy if we get so much. It is the same position with all other material items. We can never be satiated with any amount, so, this means that, happiness is something else, and has nothing to do with mere material achievements.
On the contrary, we see several people happy even with obviously very little of material wealth, and others with a lot, always sore with fate. This implies very clearly that, material wealth and belongings has nothing to do with happiness. This would eventually mean that happiness cannot be measured in terms of the items we possess. In this context them, we have to understand that items we dote upon do not really give us happiness. This is something that comes from within the heart and has nothing or very little to do with what we have. No man can be made happy by giving him things but, he can be happy and remain so if he is satisfied with all that he possesses, and does not fret for what he does not possess. We can be happy only if we master the art of being satisfied with whatever we have. This does not mean that we should not try to improve our lot but, if we aim higher and try for more, we should at the same time be happy with what we have – this attitude only can lead us to the bliss of happiness.
We often go out in search of happiness as if it is an item that can be bought or purchased for a price, or something that may be waiting on some crossing to encounter us. This is because, most of us find life’s out in search of happiness. However, if we do not know where it lies, then how can we find it. In this peculiar search, we get more and more involved with materialistic gains, and instead of finding happiness, land up in the clinics of psychiatrists. The hard fact is that happiness lies within us and we look for it outside then how will we ever find it. We are on the wrong path in the hunt for the treasure. Let us be clear in our understanding that worldly material things do give us happiness i.e. in reality, momentary pleasure and no really happiness as we know it. Then I am really confused, what is really happiness, do riches consist of happiness – No, they give us all conceivable pleasures but not happiness. Let us analyse this statement, if riches were the sole giver of happiness, we would never find the rich only we find pining or in pain. On the contrary, it is mostly the rich only we find pining for more and more and thus getting lost in the labyrinth of unhappiness. The Bible has clearly stated in this regard that, “blessed are the poor for their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven”.
In short, I’d say that, happiness consists in accepting life, as it is, for those who do not accept life as it is, can never hope to be happy no matter how much of wealth and other worldly gifts they may procure.
People who always complain about life, can never be happy. Besides this category of people, those who live alone enveloped within themselves can never be happy, as they are destined to be lonely, taking no interest in the world around them. At this juncture, it would be nice to remember that people wrapped up within themselves make a very small and insignificant package destined to be unknown and unhappy. So in order to be happy, it would be a nice thing to be involved in the well being of others which gives us immense happiness, and it is worth a try.
We have all to live of routine but, if we put all our beings genuinely in all that we do daily we are sure to be happy. For every work done with interest, love and a touch of genuineness gives us happiness in the bargain.
Thus, in a nutshell we have to accept that happiness is just a state of the mind, and thus only those who are bent upon being happy and remaining so, can be the only ones who can boast of being happy, no matter what their material being may be. The most important ingredient of happiness is satisfaction, yes satisfaction, in whatever we have, whatever we do and whatever we are.
A few clues mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may help us to become happy, feel happy and remain happy, however, we have to remember that, to be happy we have to take the initiative for being happy, no one else can enthuse us or help us to become happy. If we decide that, in every eventuality we must be happy, no one can prevent us from reaching that pinnacle of success that is HAPPINESS.

There is no Short Cut to Success

2008-09-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

Success in all our endeavors is what we all want but, most of us forget that for reaching success, the road is not strewn with roses. The walk is not a cakewalk, nor is it a gift on a platter. Success is an achievement by constant diligence and most of us fail to achieve because most of us lack the essential quality of diligence.
The magic of hard work and perseverance cannot be underestimated. We see in general that people who have succeeded in life have done an immense amount of hard work and their success is we all see, but the effort put in, we fail to measure. We do wonder how he could achieve so much, but it is absolutely certain that achievement has come his way after much of continued effort. Most of us do make efforts but, soon lose heart and leave our projects and this is why we fail to reach the pinnacle of success. It must be clear in our minds that, we never can achieve with just a simple raising of a finger, we have got to put our heart and soul in a particular job and that also with continued vigour in every attempt then only we can hope for any success. Those of us who leave effort midway are obviously left midway by success also, and then we are disheartened and broke, just to ogle jealously at those who have succeeded. If we have the confidence in our effort, there is nothing that can deter us from achieving.
History presents to us several examples of achievers whose achievements were due to the single magic of the labour they put in their project. For example, Tenzing Norgay could achieve world fame, only after making dozens of unsuccessful efforts at conquering the Mt. Everest.
India could achieve its goal of achieving independence from British regime only because of continued effort and sacrifice of our leaders, like Mahatma Gandhi and others of the generation. Ever since 1856, which saw the first war of independence for India, a continued effort of more than a century, we finally achieved our objective in the year 1947. If this century’s effort was not there, the position of India would have been quite different and our history would have been something else. This shows that continuous effort can even change the course of history of a nation than what about smaller achievements of an individual.
Even after seeing that effort is the magic wand for all achievements, some people still hold the view that, at least some people in the world do get whatever they want without much effort. This may be true in the case of a very few who may have been born with silver spoons in their mouths’ but, by and large, all others whom we see on the pedestal of success are there only after hard labour. We have not seen them working but we are able to notice them only when they reach certain heights. On the other hand, there may be so many who might have fallen on the way, and this must certainly have been because there was less strength in their effort. Success is mostly not God sent it is mostly a reward God gives for hard work. Those who put in constant labour towards an end, surely achieve a position of great advantage. It is of course always an uphill task to improve prospects.
Let us see right from childhood, those children who work hard and constantly and regularly are always the ones to stand first. We do often admire or feel jealous of people rising, but we fail to see what extra effort they are putting in to improve their prospects. Those who sit pretty and just complain about the success of others are never the ones to do much in life. Those who make continuous effort in the right direction rarely lose in the struggle of life. One important password for all of us to follow is that, there is no short cut to success, the road to success is thorny and very long. Those who dare to cross this road and undertake the tedious journey with a continuous effort always find leisure at the end.

The Day I Won a Lottery

2008-09-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have always been very fond of buying lottery tickets. The moment any state declares a lottery scheme I am here to buy tickets of the said lottery. For a very long time say for almost a decade. I have been contributing to these lotteries, but aha! I have never had the luck of so much as getting even a dime as, Lady Luck has never cared to smile on me in the last decade of my eager participation in the hobby.
It has been my hobby to, not only buy tickets of different lotteries but also do a lot of day dreaming and planning in quite some detail what I’d do, if ever I’d win a lottery. My blueprint of plans for spending the lottery money has been ready for the last so many years but alas! Where is the lottery money? It is really depressing when we find that plans for a take off of a project are ready but the propelling force, which is the money in this planning to put a stop to this extraneous and useless hobby of mine. Though it did not cost me much financially, it did cost me a lot of mental agony with continued disappointments in so many preceding years. I had so loyally and honestly bought all State lotteries but of no avail.
While this gloom of frustration and disappointment was reigning high in my mind, I decided that it was high time that I put an end to this foolish effort of being lucky. I decided that now, after seeing the results of the ticket I had, I would completely stop this frustrating hobby. Determined as I was to stop it all, the newspaper came, flung at me. That day the Delhi State Lottery result was to be announced, and this was the last ticket in my hand. I just realized that this was the last time I would be facing the torture of disappointment, I opened the paper, which was lying rolled in front of me. Lazily I opened the paper and being sure that there was to be no miracle in luck, I decided to read through the paper first and only then go on to scan through the result of the lottery. As I was reading through the news items, advertisements, editorials etc. my heart was continuously thumping within me and making me feel very very uncomfortable. I wondered why this peculiar feeling threatened my heart, was it a heart attack, was it a blood pressure? All these thoughts pervaded but, I continued reading the paper as if most unconcerned with what was happening with me, and my heart continued to throb harder and harder and hit the walls of my thorax.
The wonder I felt was as to why this feeling of upsetting, was I doing something unusual that hit my very inside. With this peculiar and exciting feeling, I read the paper till finally I decided that now, it was tome to read about the sealing of my fortune with lotteries. I opened the page on which the result was printed and now what a shock I got. I felt as if a current of electricity ran through my body. What had happened was that the very first number in the A-Series of numbers was mine. Did I have to believe it, or was I seeing a dream with my eyes open. I just could not make myself believe it as, it must surely be a misprint. I to come to me at once. She, worried at the unusually loud shout, came rushing to me, wondering what could have happened to me. As soon as she came and stood near me, I looked blankly at her, and she was “What’s wrong. Shall I call the doctor? How are you feeling”. Now I realized how I had spread panic in her, and cooling my nerves, told her to read the first number in the A – Series of the Delhi State Lottery printed in the newspaper and compare it to the number on our ticket. I told her, “just compare the two numbers it seems that the first prize number announced in the papers is ours”. She read the two numbers, compared them again and again and believe it or not YES, the two numbers were identical, and I had won the first prize of 50 lakhs. I decided to sit for my heart beat stopped. After a few moments of being dazed and fact that, finally after all, luck had smiled us, and it was now time to enjoy the fact of our having won such a big unanticipated amount of money.
This was the happiest day of my life not only because I had got what I had been yearning for, for long years. It was made clear to me that we should never be totally disappointed with life, for, life is not completely unkind to anyone. I felt that at some stage of life, everyone has the pleasure of lady luck smiling at him/her. It is only true that, for some people the time of disappointment may be less than for others but, everyone has a chance at luck, for some people less effort yields result while for others more effort is required but, all do get luck sometime or the other Efforts always yield results, this is now my understanding of life by this little incident.
Now, after having come out of the maze of indecision, and accepting our fate, we, my wife and I now gladly sat down to decide how we should plan to spend the money, once we get the cash in hand. One thing was decided even in the blueprint that had been prepared long time back that, most of this money would be spent in our long cherished project of social service.
That day was the 27th of July 1995, and I still remember the sequence of event of the day – a red letter day of my life. I could not believe my eyes, my luck and of course God’s grace. That was the day when, most of my dreams took substantial shape. One dream of getting a lottery further substantiated my other dreams of serving humanity with this money and of course, also improving my own standard of living. That day was a red letter of my life and I do wish such days come more often in my life and in the lives of my other friends and relatives.
We are even to-day reaping the harvest of the seeds sown on that day. A mobile hospital has been started for villages, a small free school has been started, which now has a strength of 500 children, who come from the nearby villages also. A Nari Niketan has also been started for the downtrodden and suffering women. That day has brought so much thrill and purpose in our lives. Oh! what a day it was.

Cowards continue to Die

2008-09-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

We all know that death comes to every living thing and the most surprising thing about it is that, when we know that death is inevitable, why do we dread it? Isn’t this a contradiction in terms. When we know a thing has to happen they why do we fear it? The fear creeps in because of the uncertainty of the time when death will come, and here comes the continuous death of the cowards.
All of us fear death but, cowards face death all the time, they stay in the agony of death, as if waiting for it, and this is how they continue to die. At every bend in life they fear that they may meet death waiting for them, and in this way they die several times before their real deaths. Even when hail and hearty and alive, they become lusterless and cease to live, fitting in so well in the definition of death. This is because the cowards always keep worrying and brooding.
If we continue to worry about what will happen tomorrow, we are certainly destroying the very fabric of today, and in this way, we are dying all the time or we continue to die. Sometimes if we think rationally, we will realize that, we worry about things that are just imaginary and have no remedy, as they do not exist at that moment. To live in such constant fear is worse than death itself. It is these cowards who lose in all battles of life while the brave are always there to get the last laugh.
In contrast to cowards the brave dare to accept challenges that face them, fight them and also win them. This is because they keep struggling against all odds without worrying and wasting time like their coward brethren, and this is why, the brave finally win the battle of life. The brave find their minds ruling over matter, while the cowards keep fearing the unseen, and do nothing due to this innate fear in them. The brave faces all the trials and tribulations with courage while the coward sits imagining all the trials that may or may not come, and wastes his valuable time just frightening himself about what MAY happen. This attitude makes him mentally lifeless and weak which turn prevents him from becoming a physical force either. Instead, he becomes a mental wreck.
All the energies of a coward are channelised towards dangers that may be. Which obviously well nigh paralyses his very thinking and acting processes, and he as if enters the family of the dead, inspite of being absolutely and fully alive. Such a man continues to die throughout his life and real death is always looming large on his dead. On the contrary, the brave accept every challenge of life and keep moving ahead unaware of impending death. Even this fear of death does not daunt the brave because he just does not have the time to think of it, for he believes and rightly so, that, death is nothing to be thought of, it has only to be enacted and that also only when the Director of Lives sends the signal to the individual. This is the power of reasoning that gets lost in the minds of the cowards. They do not seem to realize that death has to come ONLY ONCE to every men, and that also only when it is ordained to come. This is also af fact that when it has to come it will not be delayed or averted. When all this is known to every man, yes, every man than the fear of death is just ridiculous. However, the foolish coward who lives throughout his life in the fear of death makes himself miserable at each moment of life, living under the tremendous pressure of the unhappiness to come WHEN. This weight of unhappiness cannot keep anyone comfortable any lively.
The rule best followed in this context would be fear not death and enjoy each moment of life for, life is short, and so surprisingly, the only unchangeable fact of life is death, then, why bother about it let it come when it may. Why fear that thing over which we have no power, and which cannot be averted no matter how much we may want it to be. So COWARDS – wake up and start a re-thinking on you unhealthy attitude to life and death. You will surely enjoy every moment of life if you only allow your soul to rule over you material self. Never think about a thing on which you have no control then you will, I assure you die only once, and live a long lifetime, instead of dieing a whole living time in the fear of a mirage like thing that is death.

The golden year of India’s independence

2008-09-15T08:53:00.001-07:00

The golden year of India’s independence is the year when we can look back and see what we have done in the last fifty years of our own rule. This is the year of celebration no doubt but, at the same time this is the juncture when we must spend time in restrospecting bout our achievements and failures. For achievements, yes, we can celebrate but, for failures also we must not only have a session of blaming each other but, each one of us most consider what we have done and what we should have done. Only if we compare honestly and genuinely what we have done and what is left to be done? Can we realize and truly assess what our mistakes really were. After having studied impartially our wrongs we must now plan ahead in such a way so that we avoid at least making the same mistakes now onwards. The lessons we have got from our own History must serve us as eye openers and at least now, we must adapt a more coherent planning for the future.
To my mind, the first thing for us to study is, why and how this all round deterioration has taken place, and specially why we have had a complete bankruptcy of leadership. Where have the pre-independence leaders gone, where have a Mahatma Gandhi, or a Jawaharlal Nehru or a Patel, or a Subbash Chandra Bose principle gone? Where do we not have a single mass leader like the ones just mentioned, who has now the capacity to call to the nation, and bring it under one banner, for nay purpose? Why this acute bankruptcy? Besides the stuff of the leaders, I ask where has the feeling of nationality gone, where is that single force that brought these same Indians together to fight as one entity against the mighty British force? Where are the Indians who, in the early part of this very Century gave their lives for this Nation? Where is our Nation, and where the Nationalists, and where the national fervour. To my mind, this single setback is enough for us to lament at a great loss – that of Nationalism. In the golden year of independence we must seriously look back and try to find out the causes of this great loss of nationalism. Fifty long solid years have failed to produce a single nationalist like the Mahatma or a Nehru whom we can talk of, or be proud of? It is a matter of serious concern why and how we have lost completely the feeling of and for the Nation.
Not only nationalism, but, the last fifty years have given a death blow to almost all the good that India once stood for. No doubt we have made big leaps in certain fields of progress but, having lost our identity, our Indianness is no meager loss, in that bargain for progress. We have marched far ahead in Scientific and Technological growth but we forgot to think as to what will happen to all this if we do not exist to enjoy all this.
Just as before independence we saw bonds of unity which helped us to win our independence, to-day, after fifty years we see an absolute lack of this same unity, in every field of our existence. This lack of unity is the cause of the weakness rampant in all spheres of our lives. We have seen the graph of progress rising no doubt, but the graph of beneficiaries has come down. All the progress is pointing to the betterment of the life of people already progressed. In the process, the rich are becoming richer, and the benefits of all progress are concentrated in 10% of the rich Indians. This was surely not the dream of those who fought for the freedom of India.
Regarding our standards of morality, and related corruption are not hidden from anyone, we have reached the lowest level of corruption and to-day, India ranks among the first few of the most corrupt countries. Is this what we had planned to achieve? Where is the comparison between the politician of before and after independence, where is the comparison between the common man of before and after independence. These fifty years of independence have sent he graph of courtesy, character, conduct and culture coming to the lowest level.
The fifty years have converted homes, schools, colleges, hospitals, offices, and every other conceivable place a pure and simple money making project. No doubt, money was always important, but, the post independence era has converted money into all important.
The one good thing that I can perceive happening to India in the golden year of India’s independence is the change of guard of the Indian people. If this change can help us change the aura, this will be the greatest achievement of the post independence era by now. There must always be a change in the hands that hold the reins of the Government, or for that matter, any institution, small or big, this prevents the embedding of roots of individuals deep into a system. If any system remains in any one single hand, it is bound to get prejudiced, corrupt and wavered. This, is I think one single reason for all the destruction of the fabric of India’s policy. The very roots have got rotten, rusted, corrupted because of a single hand maneuvering the system for the last fifty years. The change of guard brought, in 1998 may then, usher in for India, an era of real golden environment for India and Indians at large.
The India that has well nigh completely Westernised, must usher in a golden period of Indianisation, for, if the country loses its very identity to a foreign system, the very meaning and essence of its Independence is lost, in the wilderness. I do hope the losses of the last fifty years will now considered to be losses, and a full fledged programme to rectify the loss is made. We must learn from everywhere, but, we should never forget our roots, this is the very essence of independence. Let us not forget that, an independent country is that country that absorbs all that is good in others yet, it at the same time maintains its own identity and originality, for it is in this only that it will always be recognized. Let us, in the golden year of our independence, retrospect and see where, in the wilderness we lost our way, and they try to come back on the lead track. Let us develop our nationalism and then try to come back on the lead track. Let us develop our nationalism and then our Indiannes, and, I am sure then only we will be in a position to feel the difference of independence and slavery.

Terrorism - A Handmaid of the Poor

2008-09-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

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.

Let Us Choose a Profession

2008-09-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

When we talk of profession, we must be able to understand what the word profession really implies. The implication is by far quite clear that, if we decide to follow a certain profession, we have to follow that branch of learning which will lead us to that profession.
Regarding the choice of a profession, in India there are a great number of limitations in the choice. Choice has got to be as per the individual’s I.Q. level, his preferences, his learnings, and, above all the affordability of the process of following the course, to take the individual to a profession of his or her choice. The choice also depends on the aptitude of the individual. It is very true that, if a person is forced to follow a profession which he does not really like, he will not do too well in it, and so he will not be happy. In making a choice of a profession another determiner is, the type an individual is. If he is an artist, he will obviously do better as an artist rather than an engineer. Similarly, if a person has a brain for Mathematics, he would be better suited to becoming a scientist or an engineer, rather than an educationist, a musician or a poet.
All this is very well said and considered in each case at least these days but, in inida the situation is rather tricky. In India, there is no institution like the National Intelligence Test Bureau in America, where every individual’s I.Q. is tested, and the career or profession chosen accordingly. In India even if the child knows what he wants to do, he has an aptitude also for it, and the I.Q. and also the finances the last stumbling block is the very keen competition which he fails to clear most often. Here we see children trying for medical, and finally ending up in Arts Degree course. This shows an absolute lack of planning and co ordination between institutes of education, their turn outs and the real demands in services and other professions. With suck lack of co ordination it is the children who suffer the most, and after being educated they stand on the crossroads of life struggling to get into any profession in order to at least earn a living. This situation in India very beautifully depicts the truth of the saying that, if we “do not get what we would love to get, we should love what we get”. Besides, in the Indian job market, the position is, “beggars cannot be choosers”. So, even if we know how to choose a profession, we have all the requirements of a profession, we cannot hope to get into it, unless we are very luck. So, at least in India, no matter how well we may know how to choose a profession, we finally have to join one that we get in hand.
This situation is true for at least 80% of our students and, this is because what the colleges and Universities turn out are, individuals with degrees but not fit for any job of any significance. They are, most of them fit to become babus or clerks in Government offices. There are institutions producing doctors, engineers lawyers etc., but the bulk production is of the community of clerks. In this situation, where does the choice of a profession find its place, it just flies with the wind like several other Utopian dreams. It is very nice to hear and debate about how and why we should properly choose a profession, but, at least in India it is only high sounding trash, with nothing to match it in reality, on the ground. We would love to do what we are cut for, what we like, but HOW? That seems to be nobody’s concern.
Choosing a profession in India is like a wild goose chase, for most of us, you just have to keep trying, and if Lady Luck smiles at you and you find favour with her, you may get what you wish for otherwise, each one of us is destined to do whatever come our way, we never really can get what we choose, at least in India.

Violence - Its Goals

2008-09-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

Let us study what violence really is, why we become violent, and what we achieve by that. Violence really means unlawful exercise of physical force, or may be even verbal abuses. Now, let us analyze why we become violent – mostly it has been seen that we become violent when we do not get what we want, or what we demand, whether our demand is right or wrong is a different matter. May be, in this context it can be said that, at least sometimes, we do get excited and resort to violence without having enough reason or provocation. However, it is equally true that, sometimes, there really is no other way to present our demands.
Sometimes I feel that violence may be justified for instance when our demands are genuine, but, even after many request they are not given an ear to, so we just have to resort to violence, in order to make ourselves be heard by the authorities concerned. It is only our frustration in not being heard that makes us take up the cudgels in a violent manner. However, if we coolly analyze the achievement after a lot of hullabaloo we will surely notice that, we rarely return with a long standing solution to our problems. Our bouts of violence only lead us to discontent, discord, destruction and even death. Thus if we analyse with an attitude of understanding, we will mostly realize that violence is not a real achiever.
Another flaw in being violent is that, when we are violent, we can only plan destruction, this is because our violent minds do not remain at all balanced, and so we can not plan our strategy in the right perspective. We only destroy personal property, and burn public property, shout slogans and abuses, but, we hardly ever wait to see whether all this will have any impact at all. In India of course, at times, it is felt that only violence is heard by the concerned authorities because, the Government or the people who matter only understand this language of violence. The authorities are conveniently deaf and dumb to the genuine demands of their workers so, the only recourse that appears feasible is violence, and the irony of it all is that, Government often succumbs to violence, thus showing the general public the way to achieve their ends. This is true but, it is not as it should be in a civilized State. Let us just think and look for any permanent achievement that we might have made by the instrument of violence, in the last few decades. The scene of violence was seen at its worst in Punjab – with the demand for Khalistan looming large, when thousands were killed and many more were rendered homeless. This violence was being used on the innocent public just to frighten the Government to accede to the demands of the violence. This scary scene lasted for several years, but where is the result, where is that Khalistan they fought for? In this same way, extreme violence is rampant in Kashmir with no one knows what plan in mind but, I dare to say that here also, achievement is not likely to be anywhere near the target. So, let us understand that violence is a very poor achiever. We have just studied two achievements of violence which are nowhere near their goals, and on the contrary we see with our own perception the achievement of Non-Violence. This Non-Violence had the strength of destabilizing the British Empire from its foothold and roots in India. Oh! what an achievement by practicing the art of non-violence.
The worst form of violence we see in wars. These result in massive destruction and myriads of deaths, but what is the real finale? Whether it is the victor or the vanquished, both sides of the warring factions find themselves losers in their homes. The result of a war on both sides is pure devastation, this is the ultimate gift of the war. On the contrary, we see Mahatma Gandhi’s movement of non-violence what a great and permanent gift he has won for the country, earning the independence for the country is no mean task done.
It may thus be clearly understood that though sometimes, violence may yes, I say may give some results but those results can never be far reaching and permanent. This is mainly because when we resort to violence, we are not planning our modus operandi with a clear mind, methodically and rationally. Our activities are sporadic and irrational and are thus, never really result oriented. Thus we must realize that whenever we want something we must plan our approach, be patient, hard working and non-violent. violence may sometimes appear to be the only means of reaching out for an objective but, this achievement cannot be long lasting. We must set our goals with a serene mind, plan our program and only then go ahead towards our target. Resorting to violence depicts in us a lack of cohesion and patience and thus, the other side i.e. our adversary gets the better of us and we are left in the lurch –as losers.

An Indian Citizen

2008-09-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

A person is called good only when he has the appropriate and adequate qualities of being so. A citizen is a person who lives in some particular country, so, we would call a citizen good only when he would be found to have the qualities requisite for this citizenship. He must have the qualities of head and heart and behaviour which could justify his being a citizen of the place. Now in this context, when we stay in a place, we are called good, only if we follow the rules set in all spheres of existence. We should exercise our rights that accrue to us by virtue of being citizens in right earnest and honestly, and should never trespass the rights of others. Above all, we must know and realize this basic thing that, with every right we are enjoying, there are corresponding duties which we must do as citizens. Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin and cannot be separated. So in a nutshell, a citizen is a person, an individual who enjoys all rights conferred on him by virtue of being a citizen and, at the same time also does all the corresponding duties, willingly, happily and meticulously. This is in brief all about a citizen. So far so good, now, let us study the situation of a citizen of India. How for we, as citizens prove to be worthy of the name is for us to see, understand and analyse.
Those who live in this country have, like in all others countries got a host of rights and their corresponding duties. However, the situation in India in this regard is rather dismal. This is because all have learnt rights and verbatim according to the Constitution but, we have never yes, never bothered to be particular about our duties as well. We enjoy and fight for our rights. This situation is absolutely shameful and derogatory.
According to the Indian Constituency for instance, all of us have been granted the right of freedom of speech which we all use to the maximum, not knowing where to stop. We have never been allowed to speak so very freely that we can abuse or pass insulting remarks about anyone. We, it seems have understood that freedom of speech means, say anything about any one and say it anywhere in front of anyone – this is our miserable interpretation of freedom of speech. In reality, we have been granted this freedom to be able to express our views about things, make mention of our desires and feelings but, not abuse anyone. However, even in the highest realm of the political arena we see leaders hurling abuses at each other in pulic, using the most discourteous and unparliamentary language, in reference to each other. Is this the freedom of speech sanctioned to us? When this is the understanding of rights in the highest rung of the ladder, in the highest strata of society what do we hope to expect in the remaining stratas of society. So what we understand is that in India we have all been very well tutored aobut our rights, but, the corresponding duties have been lost somewhere on the way. Most of us know our rights, enjoy our rights to the fullest extent but, when it comes to duties we forget them very systematically.
The worst brunt of this attitude can be felt in our nationalism. It is this country who had given us birth, it is country’s free air that we breather in to live, it is this very country that has given us such a long list of rights but in return, what do we give our motherland? We can not even be loving and loyal to our country, then what else can we do. It is in this very prime duty that we falter. To-day, we Indians bask in the sunshine of the West, appreciate the West, praise it aloud on trumpets and, at the first opportunity we leave our motherland and get settled abroad. Duty should be to see this country’s progress because it is ours and it has given us so much but, instead, we take all the advantages offered to us, all the opportunities that come our way and then, in return we go and serve someone else, just because we find our mother too poor for us. When this is the general standard of loyalty to our country, then how can we ever say that we our good citizens.
Not only setting in foreign lands and serving them but, we also indulge in any activity for selling our country to foreigners and help others in destroying our new generation. To prove our goodness as citizens we have a galaxy of smugglers who belong to us, reside elsewhere and plan our ruination oh! what wonderful citizens we can be.
On a smaller scale we know that we have for example, rights to use all civic amenities granted to us by the Indian Government, but, at the first outburst of our tempers we tend to destroy bridges, roads and other civic installations. We move on roads and dirty them, we use electricity and also waste it, we use water and waste it and a host of other amenities we do not only use but misuse. When we do not have electricity we shout about our right to the amenity but, when we have it we forget our duty to use it properly, not waste it, and not steal it.
We travel in buses, trains and other transport systems and when we do not have them or have them running late, we are very vocal about delays, and that our right is to get good and prompt services but, at the same when they are in time and we travel in comfort, we forget our duty to help the Government to maintain them. We dirty them, we tear their seats, remove the dunlopillow from the seats and cut it. Is this what is expected from us in return of the amenities given to us, is this the duty of good citizens to destroy public property? My friends, just comprehend for yourselves and think of what kind of citizens we are? We have a bagful of rights as free citizens of India but regarding the relavent duties we seem to have none.
Besides all this there is another feather in our caps – the Government has just to make any laws or rules, whether civic or traffic, or even criminal, the fertile Indian brain, the loyal Indian citizen is ready forthwith, with his plans of breaking the said laws. Let us ponder for a moment and decide for ourselves, is this the quality of a good citizen? I daresay, what all we see about ourselves in daily life, we Indians are not at all what citizens of a free country should be. We have no loyalty not love for our country where we have taken birth, we have no scruples in giving out our country to foreigners, we have no hesitation in breaking any law. Then why should we get any rights?
The problem with us has been that, for the last fifty years of our independent existence, not only the common man but, even the Government has laid too much stress on rights, rights and rights – but regarding our duties which are also clearly mentioned in our Constitution no one is inclined to bother bout, neither the Government nor the citizens. The Government never cares to enlighten the public about duties, and the citizens are never punished for neglecting their duties. The magnitude of indiscipline and ill behaviour that we see every day in every sphere of life is just because we citizens of India are not at all aware of our duties as citizens, towards the country, towards the Government, and towards our fellow citizens.
It is a wonder if citizens of any other country individually or collectively could be enjoying so much, without giving anything in return. An Indian citizen is to-day a picture of indiscipline, selfishness and confusion. It is now high time that we Indians are forced to do our duties if we wish to enjoy all the freedom.

My Ambition

2008-09-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

The expression ‘Ambition’ is rather vague but, in a nutshell, ambition comprises of what he/she likes to do, and to achieve what he/she wishes to. It is quite a truth that, ambition must be within all of us, to keep us steering ahead, in out journey of life. However, this same ambition which is, on the one hand a guiding force, becomes on the other, a road to doom also. This is because, sometimes, our ambitions take to such an unknown heights and fly across unknown areas and domains and then boomerang on us. This happens because in our ambition at times, we also lose track of realities, capacities, and having no sensitivity to them, fly beyond all precincts of reason. We seem to be desiring or having ambitions equivalent to reaching or handling the moon, and when we do this we get dumped against disappointment and frustration.
In order to steer us ahead, ambition should also be backed with some right reasoning and a sense of practicality, for example, if any human starts having an ambition that, he should live in the happy realms of human beings and, at the ambition is much too broad based and too demanding, and so, is bound to crash with a loud thud. Let us be more practical when we set our ambitions and goals, then we will see more of success and les of disappointment.
It is this very overplaying of ambition in this modern era which is leading to traumatic ends of people. Let us see how petty and foolish we can be most of the times, when we desire foe things. Take the simple case of a modern housewife. She visits her industrialist friend, and sees plush carpets and grand décor in her house. This sets her thinking as to why she should not aspire to have all this. She desires to have a rich décor, when the family income cannot even buy her a good sofa set. If she sets the industrialists’ house as her goal and ambition she is bound to face frustration, as, she should know that, she will never be able to afford that standard of living and style.
Next very common scene for setting ambition is when parents see other children scoring good marks, and their own ward not doing as well, they set the high ideals, goals and ambitions for their ward and themselves. In this it seems that, little do the parents realize that all children, or, I’d rather say that all humans have their own optimum. I.Q, and so each individual has a limit to his/her achievements. When these parents set very high goals for their children, the children often land up as complete failures. This in turn, takes them to drug addiction to get away from their worries of failures. All this disappointment in the lives of the children and the parents I’d say is just because, ambition is stretched too far and beyond the approaches of the child. This far fetched extension of ambition leads us nowhere, except to the doors of unhappiness.
The picture is the same dismal on the financial front wherein we see a continuous rat race for making money more money, and still more money. For this also, the motive force is ambition. It may sometimes goad individuals towards improvement but mostly it is seen to lead to disaster. This is because, in this modern world of to-day, we have lost all sense of decency and moral code, we just want to achieve whatever others have, this, not because we really want it but just because others have it. Does this not sound ridiculous, yes it does.
In the same way, going on a higher plane and moving up from individual’s to the ambition of a country, here also there have to be practical goals set, looking into the background and general standard of the country. If this is not done, disaster is a foregone conclusion. For example, if a developing country like India for instance becomes so ambitious so as to acquire equality with the U.S.A in all its spheres, India is I’d say living in a Fool’s Paradise, and inviting doom. India must remember that, progress must, like all other things start from small beginnings and can be achieved only in a planned manner. We, on the contrary, are only flying high and giving way to our ambitions of being as if a progressed country, like the U.S.A., and the results are for all of us to see. India, in fulfilement of her high flown ambitions has got neck deep in financial debts, while its teaming millions are not getting even one square meal a day. Is this not being over ambitious?
I’d say whether it be an individual or a country, there has to be some logic and semblance of practicability in our ambitions. Ambitions must not be mere day dreaming, for such ambitions are sure to remain unfulfilled and result in frustration, unhappiness and then crime. It is wonderful and correct to have ambition as, this is the driving force that pushes us to work towards our goal but, at the same time, ambition should not propel us so far that, we climb high on wings of ambition and then crash down and become dust.

Minorities in India

2008-09-13T20:37:00.001-07:00

Minorities is the name given to that section of the people of a country which constitue the smaller proportion of the residents of the country. Now, every country has its minority population, and everywhere this lot has a right to live and grow in the country. However, in all countries it is seen that they do suffer some sort a setback, real or even may be just psychological.
For instance, in the United States we love to ape in all its aspects, and a country that is known to be most advanced also has a different attitude towards their minorities. The minorities in America are the Negroes who, did not even have voting rights upto the middle of this century. Is this not blatant differentiation of the minorities? Now of course, these rights have been given to the blacks as they are called, and they have been now permitted entry into the mainstream of governance, but, they are still not given the privileges and status of the Americans. Another example of treatment of the minorities can be seen in our neighbourhood, in Pakistan. In Pakistan, their own Muslims are treated as minorities just because they are original Muslims of India. These minorities are called the MQM, and they have been struggling since 1947, for equality with other Muslims of Pakistan. Just fancy the situation of treating their own Muslim brethren as discards in a Muslim country.
This is the position on minorities in two major glaring examples of other countries of the world, how can, I wonder India vouchsafe and recommend any pleas of the minorities in India. Seeing the condition of this section in other countries, I personally feel that, minorities in India are a privileged calss, instead of being differentiated against, as in other countries. In the last fifty years, there has been a constant and continuous rise in the status of the minorities in India, to the extent that, here the minorities have become a pampered lot. The proof of this lies in the fact that the minority have become a pampered lot . The proof of this lies in the fact that the minority classes are increasing by leaps and bounds. If they did not feel and advantage in being of this class, they would not strive to join the bandwagon of minorities.
In India the minorities are getting reservations for them in all spheres of development. In educational institutions, in jobs and so much so, even in promotions. The extent of their privilege is now more than their so called majority brethren. Where in the world have the minorities been given so much on a platter, so many privileges, considerations, and all the pampering.
I personally feel that in India so much is being done for the minorities that, that it seems the day is not far when the so called majority may have no place in the sequence of events. It would not be a surprise if the majority finding it more beneficial to be in this class, may switch on to this class.
However, so much having been given to the minorities, they are still apparently not very satisfied with their lot in India, and are found to be for eve complaining. Why is this so? Let us analyse the situation. Both viewpoints i.e. their, of being dissatisfied and the one I have expressed, of their being over privileged are correct in their own right. The view that in India the minorities are more privileged than anywhere else in the world is correct because, it is not only a viewpoint, it is a fact of statistics. On the other hand, the viewpoint of the minorities is also correct, when we see the reality on the ground, regarding their living. The question that now arises is that, where has the Government gone wrong in their dealings with the minorities. For this also we do not have to go far to seek.
On the ground, the reality is that, for the last fifty years Government has talked a lot about gifts to the minorities but, in reality nothing has been done for them. The politician of the past fifty years has only used these minorities to give their names for developmental works, and excited them with promises of well being. This has been done merely to catch the votes of these teaming millions of minorities. This, the Government has done very successfully for the last five decades, and all this in thin air, only to get the votes.
It is thus, the folly of the Government that has ruled for the last five decades that has led to the present situation. This has led to a dual and contradicting understanding and thinking of the problems of minorities in India. It is true that, in the last fifty years, precious little has been done for the minorities, though a lot has been promised to them. In the process they have only developed into sold vote banks. It is this demeaning policy of the said Government which now makes the minorities feel as a discarded lot, when they have all the privileges or even more that what is granted to the so called majority.
In order to bridge the gap created in the promises and the ground reality of achievement now, the Government has to see that at least now, the minorities get their share of the progress of the county, and not remain in just hollow promises. They need not be pampered but, they must be treated at par with the rest of the citizens. If this can be achieved, the minorities in India will be an enviable lot and a status hard to meet through the annals of world history.

A Red Letter Day in my Life as a Bank Watchman

2008-09-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Life of a watchman, no matter where, is bound to be very boring, dull and drab. By the way, I am also a watchman in a bank, the State Bank of India. Life is really too monotonous for us, we see the same faces all the time, and they also doing the same drab work in action always having their eyes glued to registers, files or some ledgers. Then, the same public coming in and going out of the bank. Same faces, same monotony, same work and I, standing alone at my post, at the entry point with a loaded gun in case of any untoward incident. This routine is the fate of all watchmen at any bank and so has it been mine, for the last ten years. I am really bored stift with the same dull routine, and same tensions, of course sometimes punctuated with few moments of respite on some few days.
In these long years of service, even the moments of respite have become a sort of a routine, which are of course less boring. One such day, I still remember though one of routine, gave me sufficient food for thought and for memory. That day was a wonderful day in all its splendour and delight. It was the 1st May and we were all to get enhanced salaries and also some arrears and D.A. We were all in a gala mood, and the entire staff with the manager had decided to call it a day. We had planned that, at lunch time, after 2 p.m. when the bank would be closed for the public, we would get together and celebrate the pay and D.A. hike, on this very first day.
The plan had been made and approved by our manager, and we were eagerly awaiting the get-together. All our eatables had arrived and the wonderful smells emanating from the variety of foodstuffs was making it intolerable for us to bear the twinge in our stomachs and the thought of it all, made us all feel that time was moving so slow. It appeared that, all of us were keeping a strict eye on the needles of the clock on the wall, waiting for it to show 2 p.m. All this was set, and our moods were upbeat, but the clock was moving very lazily. I saw that it was only 1 p.m. and, after about a few hours as though, it came to be just 1.10 Oh, what had happened to the clock, at least I was absolutely exasperated, looking at the clock and waiting for 2 p.m. While this was our moods, it seemed that God had something else in store for us.
This was the scenario in the bank for the employees, and crowds of people were coming and going out of the bank. Crowds were standing on the payment counters, and the staff was eager to dispose them off as fast as possible. At this juncture, it seemed that the clock had stopped, fast as possible. At this juncture, it seemed that the clock had stopped when it was just 1.20 p.m. There was, a loud uproar somewhere near the entry of the bank just where I stood. I got alerted, but just could not really perceive anything, when just then, there was still another very loud noise which was this time accompanied with a thick cloud of gases hovering above our heads. At once, the serene and quiet atmosphere of the bank was converted into a holocaust. The people who had been crowding around the various counters ran helter skelter. I could not still understand exactly what had happened though it was clear by now that, all was not well, and possibly, there had been a bomb blast nearby. Half the public went out in the open, some stayed clustered in corners of the building, and our staff members huddled under their chairs, benches, counters, wherever they could find a place to hide.
The position was such that, I could not even move to hide from any eventuality. I was still contemplating as to what I should do, when a band of six rowdies whose faces were covered, came up to me, threatened me of grave consequences if I made a noise, and went straight to where the cashier was. There they divided into two batches of three each, with, three staying on to deal with the cashier, and three of them took to the strong room of the bank after having taken the keys of the same from the cashier. I was a witness to this entire drama but, could do nothing to save myself or the bank.
While the gory process was still on, I saw a jeep halting near our bank premises. Oh what a relief I felt for the jeep I noticed was full of police constables, and officers coming to the rescue of the bank. They were all carrying guns and I thought with great satisfaction that now, the dacoits would be caught. My heart as though stopped beating when I wondered what was next in store for us. While I was still in a dazed condition, I noticed to my amazement that, the S.P. Sahib was also there with the police party. They all came up to the bank premises and got hold of the situation. After a scuffle, the robbers were made to leave all their booty and some were caught, while some escaped. They were told by S.P. Sahib that there will be no harm done to them, if they left all that they had stolen. So, they did as they were instructed, and we were all relieved at the saving of the bank and its men, and they started moving out of the bank followed by me, the watchman of the bank. However, those hard core criminals could not leave without doing some damage. Just as they were on the second last step of the stairs, one of them looked back, and shot at the S.P. Shahib, who lay dead on the last step of the bank building. This act of theirs could not be taken lying down, and I also shot at them and the jeep standing to whisk them away. Two of them died on the spot, and the remaining four were taken into police custody, as the jeep had been rendered immobile.
That day I can never forget, and it stands in my memory as a red letter day. We lost our S.P. who was a real bravado and who had love for the poor. That day was the first day of my long career of fifteen years when I used my weapon. It is really true that, “Man proposes and God disposes”. The day which we thought we had earmarked for a lot of enjoyment and fun, and a celebration became a doom for our bank. I was of course given a medal for my bravery, by the Government, but, can I ever forget the S.P. who had been sacrificed. The flavour of savouries was changed into the gore of our beloved S.P. Sahib. That day, the 1st of May, can never be forgotten by me for many reasons. It has become a red letter day not only for me and my career but also for my life. I just cannot obliterate the face of the dead S.P. lying in a pool of blood, from my aging eyes.

Child Labour in India

2008-09-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Child Labour is a phenomena prevalent mostly in developing countries of Asia and Africa. This is not to be seen in the advanced countries of the West. The reason for this is very obvious, those who feel the need for financial support of the children only allow them to work and earn. In the Western countries, where education is compulsory, the question of children found working does not arise.
Let us analyse in some detail why, this child labour is commonly found in India, or for that matter in any if the developing countries. It is these only which have teaming millions of poor people. These poor people have to make every member work for his/her own food. With the earnings of all the members of the family, they are able to make their two ends meet. This same situation prevails in all the developing countries. I do wonder if any parents prefer to see their little children work for their food, instead of enjoying at school. When the school can only be a dream for the poor, we find the little boys at tea stalls, small restaurants, in mechanic shops, cleaning cars and working as shoeshines.
We also see small girls engaged in industries like match making, candle making etc., I am sure that, given a choice, all these parents would love to see these little slogging children enjoy their childhood at home or at school, but how – is the moot point. The children who are working are adding their little mite to the family income, and it may be so that, if they do not work, they may not be blessed with even one square meal a day.
Besides this, if the child does not go to school, what does he do throughout the day. Time will be wasted, and he will only learn wrong things of life, as, “an idle brain is a devil’s workshop”. So, in this situation, I personally feel that, though the condition is deplorable it is the lesser evil, and in the bargain the child gets food to eat. From the side of the child also, it is a certainty that, if he/she is asked for a preference, it will be for going to school. So when both, the parents and the children would prefer going to school then why this labour. It is obvious that they are thus working due to compulsions and not out of choice.
The compulsion is of course, the meager income of the family, who cannot afford to even feed the children if they do not work, and besides this a lot more comes into play for creating this unhappy situation. Our Governmental agencies, private agencies and NGOs, often shout from rooftops regarding this menace of child labour. This is a menace is accepted by all and sundry but, by shouting about it and passing legislations for it, we do not reach anywhere near the solution of the problem. No one has, as yet suggested some solution of the problem. When it is amply clear that, the children work to get their basic needs fulfilled, no one can say that, it is wrong.
The practical approach to the problem would be that we attempt to find some means for providing for them, and then, the children can be forced to attend Government schools. In the absence of a practical alternative arrangement it is no use just shouting about the problem. I personally feel that the Government should first provide for such families by means of subsidies, free ration and free education. Only after such provisions are made, and the Government gets the confirmation of the solution working smoothly and honestly, can we expect children to get out of the rut of working to earn a living from an early age when they should be enjoying and playing and of course, studying and learning.
Another point closely linked with the problem of child labour comes to the fore, when these young labourers grow up into suffering adults. They are absolutely hardened and most of them tend to become anti-social. Their feeling is, and rightly so that, why should they bother about any social norms, as, what has society given to them. With this attitude, when they enter the adult world they tend to take up professions that are tained with crime. They become, smugglers, hardened criminals robbers and murderers. With such children having lost their childhood at the altar of poverty being to believe and rightly so, that in this world what really counts is riches. With this forethought, they enter the world of crime, to become rich and enjoy. Thus we may say that these criminals, are usually the creation of unhappy childhoods. So let us understand that, child labour is not an isolated problem that has to be dealt with as a single problem but, it brings in its trail a host of more complicated problems which are the offshoot of this one. The biggest problem that follows the problem of child labour is the creation of a force of criminals, and thus an increased crime rate.
The only practical and feasible solution to this problem of child labour which can be conceivable in the present scenario is provided necessitis to the families and making free education compulsory for all children. Before providing the essentials, no one can tell the poor that they should not allow their children to work, for, if they do not work, who will feed them isn’t this a pertinent question.
Child labour is not a problem that can be tackled by just talking and debating about it on various platforms. Neither can it be dealt with by making it illegal, as, no law can ban a person big or small from earning his bread. All this drama will not be able to fill the hungry stomachs of the poor. We must deal with the problem with a more practical approach and provide what the child earns for. I am sure no child does this labour for fun. It is their necessity which makes them work. No one can deny that, fulfillment of necessities has to be tackled before doing anything else. When the necessities are provided for, I am sure that, the problem that is defying a solution will automatically get solved by itself. Let us all get together and pledge to make the Government and other agencies take up a more authentic approach to this problem, and, I am sure, a solution will be at hand.

An Autobiography of the Prime Minister's Chair

2008-09-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

I am a chair, plain and simple like several others of my clan – very very comfortable, with thick laid cushions on the seat and the back, but dears, somewhere within me is an inlaid layer of thorns which continue to prick the person sitting on my seat. The thorns keep reminding the occupier of the seat of his immense responsibilities and still more immense hurdles to fulfilling these very responsibilities.
I remember the day I was completed, and how I was being praised by all and sundry for my very good looks. It seemed that I was one of the most beautiful chairs manufactured in one single factory, in Delhi. That day two hundred of us were turned out of the factory, and believe that each one of us looked glamorous and just beautiful. All of us were placed outside the factory to be transported to our respective destinations. None of us knew where we would be taken but, I heard someone telling another that we were all to be taken to the Secretariat. This was a lot of excitement for all of us as at least I knew that the Secretariat was the office from where the Government functioned. This was the building where all the offices of the Government were housed. We were all puffed up with glee and felt very proud of ourselves as it was clear now that we would all be placed in sophisticated and plush offices of senior officers of the Government of India. This excitement was justified for we were very lucky and why not, we were all after all so beautiful and comfortable.
In the midst of all excitement we waited in the sun for quite a long time, keeping us all wondering what our luck had in store for us. At least that was my condition and I am sure my friends also felt the same. My heart felt pit a pat, pit a pat, when I heard someone’s footsteps coming towards us. Soon we all heard a person, someone senior coming towards us and announcing aloud to someone else that we had now to be transported to the Secretariat, and that, trucks were standing to take us away from this place. Now my heart came into my mouth as, I knew not where my fate would take me. I am very sure that my friends also felt the same way due to the uncertainty of luck hanging on our heads. We started saying adieu to each other knowing that we never see each other ever again.
Soon the loading started and perhapse about twenty of us were loaded together in one truck, and Lo! Just then were all of us loaded in the trucks looked alike. Now I think all of us started conjecturing that, all of us twenty were meant to be kept in the same office. Our journey started and, hardly had we settled in the truck that the truck stopped, and it was announced by the driver that the South Block had come, and the peons were waiting to remove us from the truck. Aha! It was so soon we reached our destination in so short a time. Now was the time for the final reckoning, and we would count in our final placements, and we would be allotted different locations depending on out looks. Now, one again our movement started and we were to be carried to our respective places of posting. I now lost track of all the others as I was deeply engrossed in my happiness as, I heard people saying that I had to be taken to the office of the Prime Minister in the South Block of the Secretariat. Aha, my pleasure no knew no bounds as, I will henceforth be seating the Prime Minister of India, or, will I just be put in his office to seat his guests? This doubt was soon cleared from my mind when I noticed that I was placed at the beautiful elegant work table. My heart pounded within me will I be able to give comfort, will I be able to serve, and many such other questions now troubled me. In the meantime I was set, dusted and was now ready to receive the Prime minister. Here I was not alone, as, a colleague of mine was also placed in one corner of the office, and was meant for the visitors who came to see my boss. I was the alone chosen one who would have the honour of seating the Prime Minister of India on me.
Now that I was settled, my heart also started behaving stable and waiting the P.M. to come and sit on me. Who was? I think he was Mr. Deve Gowda. Not for long did I have to wait when he entered the office, and lo! he was as though struck by my immaculate beauty and personality. He praised me to his staff members and sat on me, found me very cosy and comfortable. He started his work after settling on me, and remained there for very long to settle tasks set for him. Oh! how much of paper work, how many and how long the discussions and, how many long hours of work. Oh! I felt so tired bearing the weight of the P.M. for so many long hours. I did of course have the pleasure of seeing the innermost details of the functioning of the Government. I was at the same time sorry for my plight of not being able to understand anything of all that transpired. UF – I was tired bearing the weight for so long and all the time wondered how the P.M. could sit for so long.
This became my routine, and after sometime only, I started getting bored with the long drawn out programmes and lengthy discussions. When this was my plight of boredom, one day, I overheard some people saying that the P.M. is now likely to change. I had hardly taken the rumour in, one fine morning I saw a new P.M. entering the office. I did wonder what had happened to Mr. Deve Gowda, but what would I understand of it all. So, I only quietly welcomed the new P.M. This time I was thrilled, as, the P.M. was lighter, and I did not feel the pangs of his weight on my back.
The Prime Minister had changed. He was, perhapse Mr. I.K. Gujral, but, the routine of my life remained unchanged. The same long drawn out discussions, same debates and of course the same long working hours. I used to enjoy all this for sometime but, when it became a very long series of discussions, I would start getting bored. This boredom was because of two reasons, one, that I would get very tired as, I was very delicate and secondly, I would not understand anything of what was being discussed. In my moments of desperation, I would start thinking of my other friends who must surely be having less time of toil and labour, and even less weight on their backs. Then I thought to myself, yes, yes, they are having less work to do but where do they have the singular honour of being used by the P.M. of India? This thought gave me immense satisfaction and I decided to just neglect the smaller woes of life.
This zest kept me happy for sometime and, inspite of the boredom I was happy that I was among the few honoured from y community. Life went on as usual and I had nothing new to feel or do when soon enough one fine day I heard some murmur that, once again there was a talk of a change in the Prime Minister. This enthused me a little and I started wondering who the new P.M. would be. My life would remain the same though, yet there would be some ray of change I’m sure. Days passed on, and I used to hear that the elections were on and that now, my seat would be occupied by someone else. I bided for time and prayed that some one nice and loveable would now lend me the honour of being my master. God it seems heard my prayers and lo! And behold my favourite politician Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee was declared to have become the P.M. of India. Now I waited with some hope of a new era in my life, as I had heard a lot of good about this one person.
After some time I don’t know how much, the day came when he entered the P.M.’s office and came to sit on me and rest on my back. I was absolutely thrilled and prayed for his well being and long life, and a lasting premiership. In his turn also, he stood near me and for a moment admired my looks, Oh how happy that made me. Now he is the person who is using me and the honour of course is all mine. I just love to hear him talk, his voice is so soft and deep, he talks in such an affectionate tone to all, that I love to hear him talk, Now the discussions do not seen to bore me as, his sweet soft and loving voice reverberated in the room all the time. The routine is still the same but the P.M.’s sweet tone of discussions makes me forget all the woes of my life.
Now since I have such a good master, I only pray for myself that, on the pretext of being old, I am not thrown out of this office. I have maintained my gorgeous looks so, I see no reason why I should be discarded. It is now only that, I am fully enjoying my assignment in the P.M.’s office. He is never so sweet, soft spoken and affectionate that, my heart goes out to him. I pray to God that he continues in office for a very very long tenure and I remain here to get the honour and pleasure of his company. If I ever have to part from him, that would be a very bad day in my life.

Problems Of India Today

2008-09-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

To-day, I’d say, India is a conglomeration of problems galore, some problems are of an indegenos mature while some others are imported. Some of our problems defy all solutions, at Least for the present, some can be solved but are not allowed to be done so. While still some others can be very simply solved with just a Little bit of thinking. Thus, India to-day is a kaleidoscopic picture of problems a many.
Let us first consider some of the indigenous problems, i.e. problems of our own creation. This quality of problems ate found in all spheres of our existence, political, social, national and international. On the political side our main problems is that, for the last fifty years India has a continuity of not only a bad Government but, absolute lack of governance. This problem is of an indigenous mature as, riles are ours, Constitution is ours, the ruled are ours, and the rulers are ours, yet, there is complete lack of governance. For this misfortune the reasons are not far to seek. The rulers have lost the caliber and character through the last few decades and a decadence of the Government has taken its toll. Basides, the rulers are not only incapable but are also corrupt. All these years, the Government has only meant biting into the public exchequer. Those who are in top positions are busy making money and this has meant the money making spree spread to the lowest level of the working class. So, this problem of our own maiing has resulted in complete decadence of the Government machinery and absolute halt of the Government machinery. There is not a single department of the Government that is not flourishing on double and triple incomes.
On the social front we have created haoc for ourselves. In our craze for going the Western way, we have destroyed our biggest social asset of the past ages the family. India has been known throughout the world for its most lovable institution the family, in which the elders found solace and the children found a fountain of love. In our attempt to modernize we have ourselves dealt a death blow to our institution of family. Elders are no more a part of the family, they are just discarded people to be dispensed with, at the earliesr opportunity. While the children of the family, who have always been the apple of the eyes of the elders are now seen languishing in crèches, from the tender age of one year or two years. The commendable strides we have taken in the education and upliftment off women has rendered the little child bereft of love and care of a mother.
In society, we already had ills like the system of dowry, sati, treatment of women as slaves, and, with our own hands we have added another evil of the breakup of the family, in our zest to import problems which were never ours. Education of women has undoubtedly given our women more liberty, knowledge and jobs but it has cost us very dear. In this bargain we also created a now, never talked of section in our society, the section of senior citizens. Senior citizens always existed with the younger generation of any given time, but, never were they a problem for the society at any time. On the role and position of senior citizens, a number of debates are being held, and the problem defies all solutions. This is because the problem is alien to us. This problem is also an offshoot of imports from the western world.
In our society, the stigma of belonging to the Scheduled Class still remains, though it is an indigenous problem, we have added to its magnitude by our zeal for providing equality for all. The equality never came but the Scheduled Class has become a pampered lot, always on the demanding side and adding to the country’s problems. This class has become. Such a problem that by being pampered, they have started feeling that, they can ask for anything and get away with it, and if their demands are not met with, they know that they can hold the country to ransom.
On the social horizon, our population belies all solutions. When ever this problem is taken up seriously, it causes hiccups to all and sundry. If this continues, I think by the first decade of the 21st Century we will find it impossible to cope with the multi crore population.
Besides this, the society in India is very sharply devided between the Haves and the Have Nots. With all the wealth of the country getting so accumulated in a few hands the rest of the populace find it difficult to even make two ends meet. Such a magnum gap is not visible between Haves and Have Nots anywhere else in the World. On the Economic front, India has numerous problems the very obvious being the distribution of wealth which is too uneven for the feeling of any general progress. We are in debt, our economy is running in deficit and our trade has come down.
With these enormous though basic problems to be solved, we have several small ones to be solved. These are not very much less than the magnum problems just mentioned. Our education is shockingly lacking in quality and quantity. The education is lopsided and not at all suitable for the country. This education leads us on to another major problem, one of unemployment in the country. The unemployed youth besides being frustrated create another Herculean problem i.e. of drug addiction, then to producing robbers, and terrorists and smugglers. All these are taken up mostly in place of a job, which they fail to secure.
Together with these problems at home, we are not too comfortably placed in our relations with our neighbours. Pakistan, an organ from India’s body only, is forever ready for about with India, with its guns forever targeting India. China and Ceylon are also not very much more friendly with us.
We find some solace in the midst of this storm of problems in our growth of Scientific and Technology fields. However, here also, our progress is held to ransom by the corrupt officials involved in the various projects. We import sophisticated machines only for the people involved in purchases to make some money. These machines lie idle, and are allowed to become junk, we do not have the know how nor the will to get them to work. This problem I would say we have imported for, if we cannot deal with an item and use it to the optimum we should not at all import it, and then just make it into junk.
Above all these problems is India’s biggest problem, one of the complete bankruptcy of character and morals. This is a problem which is, I feel a mixture of the indigenous and the imported problems. It is of our own making to some extent, and the glitter of the West has added fuel to the fire of our ambitions. This country which was once known for its sages is now known as being one of the toppers in corruption.
Looking to the medley of problems in India’s kitty to – day, whether of Indian origin or of quality, we see that India is not in a very enviable position. Most of the problems just discussed I feel are at a stage of defying all solutions. This is because the people who matter have allowed these problems to become magnum. This must have been to their benefit that is why the problems were allowed to grow. Moreover, seeing the typical Indian psyche I feel that since we are not united, no problem can be discussed threadbare and a solution sought. It is not that there are no solutions but it is that we have so many diverse interests that all solutions become impractical – Diverse views with no malleability, problems remain insoluble, and thus the future remains bleak.
We can only hope to solve these problems if we forget ourselves and intelligently work together towards the benefit of the Nation only. Only by doing so, from the labyrinth we can seek an oasis of relief and happiness. It will also do a lot of good if, for at least for sometime, we stop ogling at the west and try to sincerely improve ourselves. Then, I am sure we will be able to solve even the most insoluble problems. For this goal, we have to sacrifice ourselves improve ourselves and only think of what is good and relevant for India.
Except for technological progress, I do not think we at all need to look at the west, for this peculiar admixture of East and West is converting us into a heap of real nothingness. Let us all tighten our girdles and sit together to solve the basic problems that India has to face. We should not only debate upon them, and forget about them, there should be constant follow up action and monitoring of what ever we do.

Work is Worship

2008-09-12T08:38:00.002-07:00

When we talk of work and worship, we must really understand the correct meaning of both these words. Work means action which involves effort and exertion and, worship means giving reverence to some power. Now knowing the meanings of these two words, let us analyse as to how work can be worship. It is so in this way that, when we revere our work, we are in other words, adoring work, respecting work, and giving it a high acclaim.
Now, why do we admire work so much. This is because, work means action, and action is the very essence of life. I feel that we can drink and taster of the nectar of life only if we work. All enjoyment, all achievement all progress comes from this magic word of ‘work’.
We can see the magic and achievements of work when we go into memory lane and try to recollect as to what man was, centuries back. Man was then, no better than an animal, he lived like an animal, ate like an animal, stayed naked like an animal, and above all lived with the animals. How, then has man come to the present stage of development and progress, how has he changed his one time animal like appearance into the smart and handsome human being? All this, yes, all this is the result of man’s work, for, I am sure if it had not been for man’s labour, he may still have been at the same animal stage that he was, centuries back. The constant work that man did through the past centuries has made him a species apart from all others. Man has been undoubtedly gifted by God his creator, with a brain and a terrific capacity to work and so the result is here in front of us all to see and admire. A thing that can convert an animal like man into a civilised human of today is to be definitely admired, and this thing is ‘work’. Thus work is to be taken as a single thing that has got to be revered and worshipped because it is this single thing that has helped us to come to this stage of development, when we can enjoy a comfortable and happy life, away from the stresses of the jungle.
Now, having reached this stage of growth, we can not think of stopping work for, as we know there never can be an end to growth and development. I am sure, the moment we stop this magic wand, we will be inviting doom, for mankind. If man has to continue his movement on the path of progress, he has to continue with his tryst with work, and also consider this as his greatest idol of worship for, this always stands him in good stead.
When we consider the progress of an individual or a country or a community, it can so clearly be measured with the work put in by the people concerned. In 1947, in India after partition, the residents of Punjab were completely uprooted from their homes in Punjab, and had lost all that was their’s and had fled to all other parts of India. Today we all see them as the most successful businessmen in India. This is all because of their dint of hard work. In the 40s, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were completely destroyed and brought immersed to the ground but, by now, Japan has become the world’s most developed technological countries. Why is this so? This again is due to sheer hard work of the people of Japan. So with these two glaring examples of achievements of hard work, all of us will agreed that there is no possible alternative to hard work. It is this single quality in man that puts him on a pedestal of respect and reverence, in comparison with other animals who are bereft of this gift and capacity of hard work.
So much for nations and community now let us consider the magic of work for an individual. For individuals also we see that, the people who are found to be successful are just the ones who work hard, and work constantly, never getting tired of work. Work in fits and starts does not really help, for any achievement, work has to be a continuous process just like prayer or worship.
The best way to work is to enjoy work for, only when we enjoy doing it, can it be of an exquisite order. It is only when we enjoy a task that it gets done well and we also do not feel the burden. As soon as the work becomes a burden, it loses its sanctity of being worship, and then its quality also goes down. Our aim must be to enjoy work, no matter what it may be, only then can we aspire to achieve the optimum result. Only when we take work as a worship i.e. a thing to be reversed and worshipped will we be giving work its due. Work can create wonders, work can help us to wade through hot waters and of work there is no substitute, as work is worship.

Unity is Strength

2008-09-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

In a word, unity means oneness, or togetherness. When there is oneness there is likely to be more strength in opinion, more strength in action, and more strength in character. This is a very simple and obvious fact that, if one person tries his hands on some job, he will manage much less than what a group effort will achieve. This, in all simplicity what unity is all about.
Let us peep into different spheres of our existence and we can adjudge the truth of this statement. Let us first discuss the smallest unit of our society the family. If all members of a family go on divergent roads, the very semblance of a family disappears. A family indicates oneness, they live together, they work together they enjoy together they share their woes together, and this is the basic strength of the unit, each member pumping in vigour and confidence in all others, all this on the simple vasis of being one. When we lose this oneness, as of to day we break the family, i.e. the very edifice of our construction.
From this smallest unit, we go to the bigger horizon of society. Where is our society to day? It is broken into fragments, and each segment i.e. an individual family just looking after itself, as if we sternly believe in the adage, “everyone for himself, and God for all. “This has become the motto of the society at large. This has lead to the loosening of the ties of the society and this is the cause of the growth of so many social evils. When there is no strong bond in different segments of a society, it is bound to break into factions, and thus lose its strength, both moral and social.
From the society, let us move on to the position of the country. This is the saddest side of our appearance, a complete lack of unity in the country, thereby the creeping in of evils in the very fabric of the system. The country is, to day seen crumbling under its weight of separationism, each state is desirous of a new younger cousin, so instead of getting together, we are continuously moving on the path of disintegration and thus weakening our system. The best example of unity that India has ever portrayed has been during its struggle for independence, Even though the struggle lasted for almost a century, the Indians clung together as one single unit unmoved and what happened to the great British Empire is for all of us to see. This is all what unity is about, and this is the magic that unity can play on a country. I am sure that, if India had not depicted its great unity in this war, our History would have been different. India has undoubtedly got an inbuilt strength of unity, which it shows off and on then why can it not always stand as one entity, and become a power to reckon with.
Let us consider and understand that, unity is the password which heals all bruises big and small. It is this that helps us enjoy few happy moments of life. In the good moments of a marriage, in the sad moments of sickness and death, it is the unity of the well wishers that makes the pleasure great and despair less. This is the unique power of unity. A lone individual or community can achieve nothing and neither can they enjoy the fruits of any achievement. The secret power of unity is strength, which is built up by mutual trust and faith and love for each other, and the oneness of a single well formulated goal.
To achieve or even to destroy, we need unity, for example, if the terrorists had no unity even they would not have been able to cause as much destruction as they have succeeded in achieving. From Kashmirr, lakhs of people have migrated just because the terrorists have their unity in action, thought and spirit and so they are able to destroy as per their target. Thus in order to make any significant achievement, the most necessary ingredient is unity. Your targets may be good or bad, but success is assured if you have a united consolidated group to work up to the goal.

India in the 21st Century

2008-09-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

It would be nice for us if we stopped day dreaming and expecting the India of the21st Century to be very much better than what it is at the end of the 20th Century. The trend that is obviously visible in all walks of life is neither very encouraging nor very full of hope.
Now let us study threadbare the possibilities in most of the important spheres. Politically the 1998 government has completed its full term. Bus as expected the corrupt brand of policians is still visible. We may not expect abright future till the corrupt brand of politician be a finished produce though it has toward it some extent.
More than that is not possible in less than ten years because the damages done in fifty years can not be done away in a megical moment. The trend may be that the new politicians may learn some lessons from the fate of their unruly powerful predecessors and improve their brand. The young politicians may start from good beginnings realising that, evil, corruption, nepotism cannot last for long, and this feeling will give them the jitters, and they may never indulge in the dirt of politics. Besides the politician, the electorate may also use its own thinking power for this, trend has become obvious.
The electorate has become aware and alert regarding the misuse of power by the politician and they may never tolerate it in future. Regarding the multi party system that has surfaced in India, I suspect that, by the first decade of the 21st Century only, this system may be thrown to the winds, and the viability of a multiparty system in India may be scrapped, and a distinct bi party system may emerge. Multi party system in a place like India is an experiment in futility, this fact will be soon realised, as the stock of our politicians are the ones to adapt and adjust.
Every individual politician wants his piece of cake, and is least bothered for the country he has promised to serve. Since this is the situation on the ground, by the first decade of the 21st Century only. I personally feel that, a clear bi party system could emerge, after some experiments in the adventure in the adventure of multi party Governments.
The administration of the Government offices may also be functioning better by the early years of the next Century as, the corrupt and antiwork lobby by then may have brought India’s administration to a grinding halt. Whit the new Government having taken the reins at the end of the 20th Century. It may be the lessons of the past, help them to tone up the administration, and help it come out of the woods. The Government may become very efficient and fast and prompt as, the sluggish working of precious administrations has got the public come to a point of breakdown and revolt. To uplift the mood of the depressed public, the Government may set for itself a new and strict code for conducting itself, and if this is done, India will be having a wonderful administration.
In trade the 21st Century will certainly see growth of International trade, and there will also be ample encouragement for our local cottage industries. This will see a positive rise in the Indian business and culture. With our national economy taking strides ahead, I can hope that the gap between the Haves and Have Nots in India will be reduced and we may see less of poverty in the country.
Socially the 21st Century will be either more depressing then the 20th has been or, if the social attitudes take a somersault, we may once again become a socially homogeneous country. In the 20th Century, the onslaught of Western culture on our society has been well nigh complete, and heart breaking. Our beautiful family has given way under pressures of western studies, our dresses have become vulgar, our choice of art has been shaped by western choices, in short, I’d say the murder of Indian society has been complete. Regarding this aspect, the 21st Century has two possibilities, one is, further increase in Westernisation in thought and action, in art and culture. The second chance is that, realising the drawbacks and the impact of Westernisation, the 21st Century society may come back to our own original India social norms. These two chance are visible on the India social horizon let’s see what is in store.
The knowledge of Science and Technology will go up in leaps and bounds and I am sure we will not be very far behind any of the progressed countries. We may be the ones to teach the world how to use nuclear science for the benefit of mankind.
After having seen the 20th Century observing the total decline of moral values, the21st Century may a witness a rise or rather the comeback of morality in India. The vagaries of the lack of morality have made the Indians suffer so much, in every sphere that in 21st Century they may realise that lack of morality and character have been the real bane of India’s fortunes. If people really start thinking in this direction it could be that the 21st Century ushers in for India a period of high moral standards of individual characters. If this happens India would have learnt its lessons of the 20th Century.
With a possible revival of morality and character among Indians, the 21st Century may bring in for India its golden period of growth and development. If we scrutinise carefully the drawbacks of the 20th Century, all of them coil down to a basic lack of character. So, if this great quality comes back to us we surely have a century of successes ahead.

Influence of Cinema in India

2008-09-11T08:24:00.001-07:00

Cinema is by far the most common and cheapest means of entertainment in cities in India. The maximum we Indians can look to cinema is as an exposition of art. In a country like ours, where most people are illiterate and so poor that they can ill afford any other recreation, Cinema has taken its toll.
Poor, hard pressed and illiterate people find that the cinema is the only means by which they can break the monotony and drudgery or their routine mundane lives.
The village or urban labour class are casual about pictures because they de not have the time, the means or occassion to dabble with any of the luxuries they see on the cinema screen. However, it is the urban lower class and small children of all classes who treat movies as something more than mere entertainers. Thus we see that the urban population is mostly influenced by the cinema.
The influence of cinema can not be underestimated for, cinema is a visual aid to learning. So what is seen on the cinema screen is automatically assimilated by those who see the picture. Now, what is to be measured is the depth and amount of influence on different individuals. As we all know the most impressionable people are the illiterates and the young minds so, when picture are seen by the masses, the greatest and deepest influence is on the young and illiterate, while all other categories only get their share of entertainment and forget about it all. The educated may view the cinema as an art, besides it being entertainment but the influence on the illiterate and children is seen in their trying to copy or imitate what they see. Besides, these categories also start visualising the screen to be a picture of real life which leads them to disappointment and frustration.
The cinema being a very important visual aid can play a vital role in educating the masses. If pictures are based on realities and deal with society evils and the like, the impressionable minds will understand life and society better, and the cinema will be playing its role. The cinema can play a positive educative role in the spheres of photography, art, dancing and singing and this would be a positive contribution of cinema to the teaching of all these fine arts.
What we said in the previous paragraphs is just what could be achieved by the cinema as its influence is tremendous. However, at least in India the influence is just the opposite Cinema is not at all educative in its role instead, it is only influencing impressionable minds in the negative. That would go to mean that, the quality of our cinema is very low. The impressionable minds are, as expected, learning what they see in the cinema. They behave as they see, they dress as they see and act as they see. So, the influence is undoubtedly full and complete but absolutely negative. This has to be because, the young and the illiterate learn and ape all of what they see as, they do not possess the capacity to clean the hay from the chaff.
Another very dampening effect of the cinema to day is in causing depressions, frustrations and then suicides. People who see that life is all roses as depicted ok the screen, life is all glamour and money, expect the same from life for themselves. When this is mot to be, they are sadly disappointed with what life has to offer them in reality.
Cinema can be of great utility and influence if the cinemas made are educative and provide clean entertainment, clean songs and dances of some standard. However, in our country, like all other things, cinema has also become an industry highly commercialised each picture produced must be a commercial hit no matter what it may all be about. The producers and directors get together to produce picture to earn a fortune and not to provide quality education or entertainment for people. This is why to day the picture we see are mostly those which cater to the lower classes if people, and children, as, only they can be frivolous and appreciate as fun, meaningless gestures and overtures.
Thus, the influence of cinema has got to be tremendous and it is being so. We are getting the return of our cinemas in all our crimes and violence and sex. So it is playing its role of teaching no doubt but what, is just nobody’s business. If the cinema has to play the role it is meant to play, the quality of cinema must improve no matter ever if quantity is not retained. It is not important to know how much we learn, it is all important to know what all we learn, as the influence of cinema is great and irrepairable.

What I forsee for Indian women in the 21st century

2008-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

God created both man and woman to live together in this beautiful world, but it is amazing how and why woman has been a topic of discussion for all times to come. It does sometimes make me wonder whether woman is the special creation of God to be the talk on platforms or is she so troublesome that she is always in discussions. Whatever may be the cause of it, the fact remains that women have always been a topic for discussions.
In the ages gone by at least in India women were highly respected, specially in the role of a wife and a mother. However, as time rolled on, and Muslim influence came into India, women were as if thrust into their shells, and India saw the advent of the Purdah system and the like. Men did this, saying that woman is so attractive that if she goes out in the main world she will face trouble. This situation pleased both men and women, men because they felt it was on opportunate moment to decry women and throw them centuries behind them.
On the other hand, women took the help of their instincts of their love being praised and so, really believing men, they preferred to stay in purdah and indoors. This game of praise and appreciation continued for centuries till at last in the second half of the 20th century women awoke and realised that men had been coolly fooling them and they were taking it all lying down and happily.
In the mid 20th century women started stepping out of the four walls of their homes and started going to schools, colleges, clubs and then offices gradually. With this advent of opening a haven of premissiveness, women took a big leap. They were not to be satiated only by studying now, in the third quarter of the 20th century; their desire to enter into nation building grew vigorously. Now they started entering into all educational institutions, offices, hotels, hospitals, etc. They left no arena untapped and it is this situation where we stand now at the end of the 20th century.
This entry of women in the main stream of nation building is undoubtedly very encouraging but, at the same times this achievement is mot without, a fatal sacrifice of the home.
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of 21st century the scenario is rather bleak. The women in their own status may have won and will continue to rise but their contribution to the family and society is bound to be decreased. The trend in this direction is already set. The women once they are educated automatically and naturally become less submissive and less pliable so the educated women pose serious problems of maintaining peace at home. Now, once they start working, they gather more air and become wholly independent and less of home birds.
This change over of the women from the home to the office has given them some solace, but it has been a sad day for the home. In the 21st century if things continue to be like this, women may have nothing to-do with their homes. Family life will be disrupted and children will be totally neglected. There will be no social commitment of a family because in the busy day’s routine, socialising will find no place. The homes will get fragmented which will certainly result in a near broken society. All this because the women will have no time and interest and energy to spare for the family and society.

If I were to be born again

2008-09-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Once a life is lived it is just the appropriate time to make a choice for the next life. Though making a choice is not easy but definitely after living some span of life, one can set priorities and make choices for the life in future. This would obviously depend on an individual’s priorities of likes and fondnesses. The choice for a next life would also depend on the qualities of the individual for, only with the given basic qualities one expect the life one wishes for.
If I were to be born again I would love to be born again in India. This is my country. It is an ancient country of traditions and a variety of people. Besides being an Indian I would like to be born again a woman. Despite so much of talk in this century about women’s liberation, women’s suffering, women’s dependence, I would still love to be an Indian woman. Women have always been, still are, and I am sure will always be the talk of the world. We will always remain in the annals of history.
Professionally my choice would fall on being a teacher like Dr. Radhakrishna or a social worker of the caliber of Mother Teresa. Only if I could become one of these, I would love to be born once again.
My family would be the entire society of the area, my work the welfare of all and my target a happy and contented world.
If I could be born in either of these positions I would really think that life is worth living and such lives I would like to get time and again with the grace of the Almighty God.

Environment Pollution – Impact and Remedies

2008-09-10T07:38:00.001-07:00

There are two types of environment – related pollution. The first type of pollution arises due to violation of the environmental laws by business houses, hospitals, industries, municipal authorities, various nursing homes and the general public. The second type of environment pollution is the result of the nature of the law and other problems arising from the environmental deterioration. First kind of pollution is easily understood but second type of pollution certainly requires more elaboration to understand. This can be best understood from the tragedy of gas leakage at Bhopal. We all know that although more than a decade has elapsed but no worthwhile measures have been taken so far to remove the grievances of thousands of affected people.
In other parts of the world also, similar environmental pollution hazards have occurred such as in Chernobyl in Russia, mercury poisoning in Japan, Eire Lake in the United States becoming dead and so on. The most recent is the air pollution disaster of unprecedented magnitude in South – East Asia caused by a combination of drought and the deliberate burning of forests in Indonesia. But what needs to be appreciated is that they have until now more serious consequences from the angle of criminal offenses in poor countries like India.
On environmental pollution, there are many areas of conflict in our country. These conflicts are between the tribal population and the local government. These are towards construction of big dams, electricity power plants, acquiring of forest areas, mining and quarring activities, import of toxic wastes and several urban environmental issues. All such issues are required to be solved with due considerations to the culture and tradition of the local population and the local environmental related problems. Otherwise social tensions are bound to increase. We should not forget the great ‘Chipko’ movement which was started by Chandra Prasad Bhatt in 1973 to save the trees and it clearly depicted the strength of the local population.
The increase in the environment pollution has adversely affected the growth in food production during the present decade the world over wherein India is also no exception. Laster R.Brown in his latest report entitled “The Agricultural Link : How Environmental Deterioration Could Disrupt Economic Progress” has brought out one of the most interesting phenomenon. According to this report, food prospects are affected by all global trends of environmental degradation including deforestation, building up of greenhouse gases, soil-erosion, acquitter depletion over – fishing, air pollution and loss of plant and animal species.
Due to massive overpumping, there is an acute shortage of water in major food producing areas including many parts of India like in Punjab which is considered as the Bread Basket of India. Many factors such as industrialization and increasing population are responsible for this poor ecosystem resulting in an era of food scarcity. The wheat prices have gone up more than fifty percent over the last three years. The doubling of the food grain prices would not affect the rich class but what about the majority of the population of India which is considered below the poverty line. It may happen that they would come on streets due to hazards of environment pollution.
There is a need to search for remedies to reduce the impact of effects of such environment pollution. In this regard, many High Courts in India and even the Supereme Court of India have recently came out with many judgements towards reducing the impacts of environment pollution and thereby stop environmental degradation. In one of the judgements, the Supreme Court of India directed that all industries located in particular industrial zones in Delhi and about seven hundred tanneries in the State of Tamil Nadu to set up common effluent treatment plants. Further the Court has also banned all construction activities within a zone of 500 meters of sea beaches to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of our decaying beaches and thereby save the earth from warming up further due to environment related pollution.
Further, the hospitals and various municipal bodies should be asked to install incineration plants for management of toxic wastes in their respective areas, the handling of which mostly affect the poor. The Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards should be provided with more powers so that they can enforce the environment laws to reduce pollution effectively. Also the corrupt and inefficient people related to enforcement of environment pollution control and who give clearance for industrial projects without really foreseeing the implications on environment, should be punished and kept away from such duties.
The measures to be taken as a remedy for control of environment pollution are many. But the real thing to be noted is, whether all these remedies are followed to check the pollution. In fact, the existing environmental laws need to be made more stringent. Those committing environmental offenses should not only be heavily fined but also sent to prison in case of serious violation. Non-implementation of any orders in this regard from the authorities or judiciary should be viewed as a contempt of court and more & more harsh actions must be taken. Finally, for increasing general awareness about the hazards of environmental pollution and to involve the general public in this mission, crash programmes must be started and organized at various levels.

Environment and Population

2008-09-10T07:37:00.001-07:00

Population plays a great role in effecting the environment of a city or a country as a whole. There exists a strong linkage between environment and population. The greater the population, the higher will be the impact on the environment. Every environmental problem is caused by the everyday increasing human population and its increasing level of consumption. There are two ways in which humans affect the environment: they consume resources like food, water, energy, wood, oxygen etc., and wastes like garbage, effluent from the production, exhausts from modes of transportation etc., are produced. All these adversely affect the environment from these disastrous effects.
A lot of concern is being expressed about the worsening environment such as massive air pollution, undisposed heaps of garbage, fast increase in lung diseases, shortage in portable water, spreading of slums in many cities, decrease in level of ground water and ailments effecting eyes. But, hardly we find any ecologist who is trying to co-relate the above problems of worsening environment with the massive and rapid increase in population of most of cities of India. The rate at which population of major cities like Delhi is increasing is really alarming. The rate is almost 5 percent per year which means almost doubling of population in fifteen to twenty years. And this is the most important cause of majority of environmental problems in the present days and in coming times.
Actually in India, we are not taking the strong linkage between population and environment seriously. Neither any private nor any government agency has come out in this regard. We must do something serious to control our rapid population growth to save our worsening ecology. The realization must dawn upon the people, the ecologist and the government that every city environment cannot be saved from decay if its rapid population growth is not checked. All plans and strategies to check deteriorating ecology will prove to be futile of; not supported by an effective population control programme. And this is true for most of the cities and villages in India.
There are some experts who think that the ultimate factor limiting the growth of development will be water. All of us India except perhaps those living in the North – Eastern States are fully aware of the growing water scarcity for both drinking and irrigation. Over exploitation of ground water is emerging as increasingly serious problem in many places. The number of tubewells in the country has increased from about a thousand in 1947 to more than 3 lakhs in 1969 and to about 60 lakhs in 1997. The availability of renewable fresh water per capita in India fell from around six thousand cubic metres per year in 1947 to around 2300 cubic metres by the year 1997.It is true that better site management will help to some extent, but the impending water famine cannot be averted for long if the rate of increase of population is not controlled. The massive of pollution of water bodies is a major water problem in countries like India. The main cause of this water pollution is increased population.
In general, there are two groups of environmentalists in India. First group follows the Western thoughts that the ecological problems can be solved by technological measures irrespective of the lifestyle of people and level of consumption. The second group thinks on Gandhi an philosophy that, the cause of environmental decay is the consequence of not following the Gandhian model of simple living and cottage industries. However, both these groups fail to link the relation between the population and the environment. The first group does not realize that unlike in the West, the levels of industrialization and consumerisation in India are quite low and hence are not the cause of environmental problems. The average standard of living in India is one of the lowest in the world but irresponsible use of technology or deployment of obsolete or faulty technology in India is partly contributing to our environmental degradation. It is merely a coincidence that the environmental concern has come before that of the over-population.
The low per capital rate of consumption in a country with high population density as in India could be as dangerous for the global ecology as the high per capita rate of consumption in the western countries where the population density is comparatively low. It is important to realize that the impact of population on environment is a function of the number of people multiplied by the effect of the average person. It is a matter of great importance that we in India are doing our best to solve the problems of population increase, whereas, the people in the developed countries are reluctant or even not accepting to lower their level of over-consumption. Surely it is just not the level of affluence of an average person the environment but also the number of people that matters. Hence the population growth is the real cause of our country’s ecological problems and we should bear in mind that environment cannot be saved from decay if rapid population growth is not checked.

The Pollution

2008-09-10T07:35:00.001-07:00

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.

Lal Bahadur Shastri

2008-09-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

About 32 years ago, the second Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, passed away, but his life story continues to interest people. He lived a life of honesty and service to his countrymen and had become a legend in his own time. Many people had often wondered if Lal Bahadur Shastri could become the Prime minister of India. To many he was an enigma. He was one of the most astute and non-offending politician in the country. Everybody wondered how this diminutive man could rise to such eminence.
Lal Bahadur Shastri had a humble beginning in life, and remained a poor man for about 40 years. He did not have a good university education and physically too he was not particularly striking. Yet he rose to the highest position in the country. He was by no chance a scholar, but he had read the book of life thoroughly well. He was neither a powerful speaker nor an eminent writer, his knowledge of international affairs was limited but he knew his country well and understood its problems. Shastri lacked glamour, but had plenty of goodness in him. He was craftsman of compromise. He had a technique of his own which very few people understood. He tackled difficult problems with understanding and ability. During the conflict with Pakistan, he showed unusual poise and strength.
The best thing about him was that he was never in hurry to achieve fame. He had great poise and a very strong will. Seeing his modesty, the people did not believe that this tiny figure concealed a lot of determination. He was a devoted and dedicated worker. He was always willing to make sacrifices and never eager to get material gains. During the Quit India Movement, Shastri did remarkable work.
Shastri was profoundly meek and proved the Biblical saying that “the meek shall inherit the earth”. He became the Prime Minister of the world’s biggest democracy when senior leaders were available in the Congress. He had, “patience and perseverance which are monumental enough to move mountains.” Nehru trusted him completely and once said, “No one can wish for a better colleague in any undertaking. A man of the highest integrity, loyalty, devoted to ideals, a man of conscience and a man of hard work.”
He had great sympathy for the lowly and the lost, Shastri rose to great eminence by dint of sheer merit, hard work and integrity. He was at the height of his success when he died. The career of many statesmen in history have ended in failure for one reason or another. It was not so with Shastri. His life drama ended in a blaze of glory.

Acharya Vinoba Bhave

2008-09-10T07:30:00.002-07:00

Acharya Vinoba Bhave occupies an important place in the galaxy of the great personalities that have adorned the firmament of India’s history. Born on September 11, 1895, in Raigarh district in Maharashtra, Acharya Bahve launched the Bhoodhan Yojna is 1951. he traveled over 64,000 kilometres on foot and collected more than 80,000 hectares of land from landlords to be distributed among the landless poor. Notable among his achievements was the surrender of 20 ferocious dacoits from the traditionally terror-stricken areas of Bhind and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh in 1960.
He was perhaps the last great disciple of mahatma Gandhi, who endeavoured upto the last breath of his life to wipe tears from the eyes of every one of those who have suffered outrageous poverty through centuries. A symbol of service and sacrifice, practitioner of the ideals of non-violence and love and goodwill for all, Vinobaki was described by Mahatma Gandhi as “one of the few pearls in his Sabarmati Ashram.” This gem of India’s great spiritual tradition was snatched away from out midst by the cruel hands of death on the auspicious day of Deeapawali November 15, 1982.
Vinobahji undertook trips to several parts of India on foot to morally motivate the Indian people, especially the rich. He and the workers wanted to bring about a change of hearts and donation of land, property, village or even life was the outer manifestation of that change Vinobaji’s greatness lies in the fact that he did bring about that desired change in many. Donation of thousands of acres of land by the landlords could never be brought about by any law, howsoever, ingeniously framed. Moral revolution must precede any other revolution if it is to be effective. His Bhoodan movement was an attempt to bring that about.
Vinobaji regarded the great epic the Bhagwat Gita as his mother. His mother inculcated great love for Gita in him. When his mother died, she left him in the lap of the mother Gita a happy reconciliation was achieved between Gyan, Bhakti and Karma in his life. The Gita taught him that all life is one. Bhakti transformed it into Sarvodaya which cannoted good of everyone and not good of a few or some. Vinobaji’s socialism was in spirit different from any brand of the western socialism. Gandhiji’s and for that matter Vinobaji’s socialism could be described by one word ‘Sarvodaya’ which contemplated the good of every member of the society.
Vinobha’s freedom concept was unique in itself. He told that fear and freedom can never go hand in hand. He advised people to conquer fear in order to be fee. He had full faith in the existence of God. For Vinobaji, the very existence of God was more than the lamp of light placed before us. For him, every existing creature whether an animal or a plant or a human being, was the manifestation of God.
Vinobaji was named the first representative of Mahatma Gandhi in the Civil Disobedience movement in the year 1940. Though he was sent to jail many times yet he didn’t budge from his determination to serve the country. He was rightly chosen as the ‘First Satyagrahi’ by Gandhiji in 1941. Mahatma Gandhiji described Vinobaji as one of the finest pearls in his Sabarmati Ashram. For Vinobaji, his life was the indication of his message to the people. He lived a very simple life and gave up all his other worldy desires and ambitions. Vinobaji felt like a criminal to posses or consume more than what is absolutely necessary for sustaining life, particularly when large number of people in the society do not have enough food, clothing and shelter to survive themselves. Vinobaji made simplicity as the principle of his life. He said that equality could be achieved only through ideal simplicity in life. He always wore khadi. For him, Ram Rajya could be ushered in India through adoption of khadi, simplicity in life and small scale industries.