Misfortune, As Perceived

I had only heard about Helen Keller, the name. I never knew that she was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Helen Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer, who was trained by her teacher, Anne Sullivan breaking the barriers of communication channels that necessitate knowledge of spoken language. 

The two combined to work out a miracle in the realm of human efforts. Helen later became a member of the Socialist Party of America and the Wobblies and campaigned for women's suffrage, workers' rights, and socialism, as well as many other leftist causes. 

I am re-producing an article by Helen on emotion, perception and ways to deal with MISFORTUNE, as understood by many.

***

Misfortune cannot be conquered by furious and continuing resentment. We win victory over bereavement only when we face our loss, accept our loss, and then make our way through and beyond our loss. 

You ask how we make our way through it and beyond it? 

We do so by deliberately re-entering the world of daily activity- the busy world of problems, duties, friendships, opportunities and satisfactions. A resentful, self pitying life is a doomed life. Only the life that picks up and starts again is victorious.

The loss of a loved one is a sorrow all of us must eventually face, and never is help more needed than during the first dark days of bereavement. The true way to mourn the dead is to take care of the living who belong to them. 

Believe when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain. 

Robbed of joy, of courage, and of the very desire to live, the newly bereaved frequently avoids companionship, feeling himself so limp with misery and so empty of vitality that he is ill suited for human contacts; and yet no one is so bereaved, so miserable, that he cannot find someone else to help in their time of need; someone who needs friendship, understanding, and courage more than he.

The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves. Often when the heart is torn with sorrow, spiritually we wander like a traveller lost in a deep wood. We grow frightened, lose all sense of direction, and batter ourselves against trees and rocks in our attempt to find a path. 

All the while there is a path- a path of faith-that leads straight out of the dense tangle of our difficulties into the open road we are seeking. Let us not weep for those who have gone away when their lives were at full bloom and beauty. 

Who are we that we should mourn them and wish them back? 

Life at its every stage is good, but who shall say whether those who die in the splendor of their prime are not fortunate to have known no abatement, no dulling of the flame by ash, no slow fading of life’s perfect flower.

Lokpal Shame In Parliament

An unprecedented drama that went uptill midnight on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha shamefully succeeded in stalling the controversial Lokpal Bill. The Upper House of Parliament saw tearing up of a copy of the Lokpal Bill after snatching it from the hands of union minister V Narayansamy by RJD MP Rajneeti Prasad while his party supremo watched gleefully from the visitorz gallery at 11.57 pm. Another union minister Ashwani Kumar was seen only reluctantly trying to prevent Rajneeti Prasad from doing this giving speculation that the drama was orchestrated by the UPA to avoid an embarrassment on the floor of the house after it failed to muster the required numbers in its favour in the Rajya Sabha to get the Lokpal Bill passed... The opposition has made the same charge with BJP saying that the government is in hopeless minority and has lost moral right to rule.

Amid the din and oppositionz persistent demand for a ruling from Chairman Hamid Ansari on the continuance of the last sitting of the winter session, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die purportedly against the majority opinion in the upper house. At the end, the Lokpal Bill could not be put to vote in the Rajya Sabha and the anti-graft bill hangs in balance with uncertainty reigning supreme.

LOKPAL: A JOURNEY


The Lokpal bill has a very intriguing of its failure in getting enacted. It was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1968 when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. But, it could not be turned into an Act as the fourth Lok Sabha was dissolved. At that time, it had neither members of Parliament nor the prime minister under its ambit. The Lokpal bill was then introduced in 1971 again under Indira Gandhiz prime ministership, in 1977 under Morarji Desai as prime minister, in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, in 1989 when VP Singh was the PM, in 1996 when HD Deve Gowda was the prime minister, in 1998 and 2001 when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the PM and in 2008 and last time on December 20th this year under the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh. Of all these, only VP Singh, HD Deve Gowda and Atal Behari Vajpayee agreed to put the prime minister under the ambit of the Lokpal. However, the final outcome has remained same in past 43 years and the bill is hanging fire.

Although this bill has been Achilles' heel for successive governments for decades, it is only since April this year that the Lokpal became a part of the national discourse, when a retired soldier turned social activist, Anna Hazare undertook a fast unto death at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. He and his team proposed Jan Lokpal Bill constituting the institution of Ombudsman vested with powers to investigate and incarcerate corrupt officials without government or Parliament's permission. What followed later was a confrontation between Team Anna and the UPA government and formation of joint drafting committee.

The experiment ended in a failure as the government shot down most of the recommendations by the civil society. Anna Hazare accused the government of being non-serious on the issue of fighting corruption. Anna Hazare embarked on yet another hunger strike on August 16. Eleven days later on 27th august , he ended his fast after government conveyed sense of Parliament vaguely agreeing to the basic demands of Anna Hazare.

The Lokpal bill was reworked upon by the standing committee where as many as 16 of the 30 members submitted their dissent note. The Bill was introduced in Parliament on December 20 and the session was extended for three days from December 27 to 29th for discussion and passing of the anti-graft bill. But, what happened on Thursday night during the midnight drama again puts the parliamentarians in dock with an automatic question, whether the elected representatives are serious to fight graft?

Food Security Bill: How Secure Is It?

The Food Security Bill is now before Parliament. The Bill aims at providing food and nutritional security to the millions of Indians. In spirit, the legislation is well aimed at wiping out hunger from the face of the second most populace nation, which has the highest number of hungry, malnourished, under-nourished population in the world. The objective of the NAC-prepared Bill is also noble because India still suffers from most basic type of poverty with almost 74 percent of children being anaemic. This bill may help fighting this. But, the food bill has raised many an eyebrow of experts.

The critics claim that the food security bill is the worst kind of pork barrel populism. The timing of the food bill suits the political ambitions of the ruling UPA with important assembly elections just round the corner and a general election is just over 2 years from now and for which tempo has started to build up. At this time, opposition is coming particularly from those states which either have a long way to go for the assembly polls or are comfortably placed vis-à-vis their political battle with the Congress or its partners in the UPA. Notable among the opposing states are Tamil Nadu under AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, Odisha under BJD chief Navin Patnaik and Bihar under JD-U leader Nitish Kumar. The states are not ready to cough up for a project that the UPA or the Congress would take credit for in future polls.

The food security bill which aims to cover nearly three-fourth of the rural population and almost half of the urban has some problems. First, it just extends existing programmes, which have proved beyond doubt too inefficient and corrupt to fill the empty stomach of our impoverished populace as well as the fattened bellies of greedy politicians and officers.

Another problem with the food security bill is that there is a question of affordability with states making it clear that they would not spare their funds for a populist programme of the Congress party being thrust upon them at the behest of party president Sonia Gandhi, under whose leadership, the National Advisory Council prepared the Food Security Bill and the UPA is trying to implement. Also, the states are wary of being this pet programme of Sonia Gandhi being put into place totally on central finance. This is the reason why Jayalalithaa has said that the welfare schemes should be left to the respective state governments citing federal nature of Indian polity/ Constitution. No matter, if the states conveniently ask for similar schemes if those suit them.

The UPA's food bill plan will push the food subsidies to over Rs 94 thousand crores per year. Centre's finances are already in bad shape and the central government can't afford just to keep spending as it would further not only burden the state exchequer but will also help prices going further north. This may, in turn, put pressure on the UPA government, which has itself been advocating cut in subsidies of all kinds including those being given on food items through Public Distribution System. But, at the same time opting for economic prudence by cutting down subsidies would provide cash to the UPA government, but might cost votes, which the Congress may not be prepared for. So, the Food Security Bill remains contentious on both accounts of security-- one of hungry millions and also of the Congress-led UPA government.

Bharat, Beyond India: Sons of The Same Mother

Today, I am not writing any comment on any development in India. I am just uploading a few photographs, that I took in July this year at around midnight in Delhi. This is the scene just outside the venue of a dinner party organized by people, who really represent Shining India. But, these images betray the reality of Bharat that is striving to survive on the left overs by India. I can but hardly forget the dichotomy. Hope, sentiments are understood.

Irom Sharmila: Gandhian War Against AFSPA

The anti-corruption cum government movements led by Yog Merchant Baba Ramdev and anti-graft Gandhian activist turned symbol of youth's aspirations in India, have done a world of good to a distinctly different pro-human rights struggle led by Iron Humane Lady Irom Sharmila. The forgotten struggle of Irom Sharmila seeking repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act of 1958 has come to the fore. Irom has been on hunger strike for last 11 years but has largely remained unnoticed. Finally, the hunger strikes by people's leaders has brought the strong willed human rights crusader in the national debate. The recent hunger strikes by Ramdev and Anna have put across the board a message to Irom that a team is required to make authorities listen. And, now Team Irom Sharmila is taking some concrete shape and it seems to be taking definite cue from Anna Hazare movement against corruption.

Team Irom Sharmila has now decided to intensify the movement in midst of ongoing blockade in Manipur for more than two months-- by Sadar Hill District Demanding Committee and a counter blockade by United Naga Council. The economic blockade of the national highways connecting Manipur with the rest of the Northeast has created an acute shortage of essential commodities in the state. LPG is selling at Rs 2000 while petrol is selling at over Rs 160, potatoes at over Rs 50 a kg and tomatoes nearly Rs 80 a kg. Even the life saving medicines are hard to find. Team Sharmial wants to exploit the prevailing situation to bring forth their demand for repeal of AFSPA which has made life of ordinary citizens in the state equally vulnerable. Sharmila supporters claim that under the AFSPA rule, an average of two to three persons are being killed by the armed forces and no action is being taken against them.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act was legislated in 1958 to fight the internal armed rebels. The AFSPA was aimed at meeting the challenges posed by the Naga insurgency in the erstwhile NEFA. It was later extended to entire northeast and in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, after emergence of terrorism sponsored by Pakistan. But, its imposition in peace time has met with resistance from the human rights activists but the government has maintained that the Act is necessary to keep the disturbing forces in check. The insurgents and separatists in both regions have used the government's decision to impose AFSPA as tool to alienate the resident population.

In Manipur, Sharmila took the cudgels to challenge the might of the government and her method has always been Gandhian, shorn of violence, concrete in belief and consistent in perseverance. And, truly the movement has now drawn inspiration from another Gandhian activist, Anna Hazare, who challenged the mightiest government of the largest democracy for going away from the popular perception on corruption and its handling.

Though in certain parts of the northeast, people have tried to give it an ethnic colour by saying that the AFSPA is aimed to making people with mongoloid features suffer at the hands of rest of the mainland ethnic groups. But, Sharmila has always detested such views while terming the Act draconian. This Gandhian (consciously or not) activist needs to be dealt with in a better manner by the state and the central governments. Putting her in police custody or force-feeding her is not a way to deal with peaceful protest that the father of the nation espoused in his fight against a colonial government. Irom Sharmila is a Gandhian made of a different metal.

Custodial Death: Omar In Pain, Congress Eyes Gain

Custodial death of National Conference worker, Syed Mohammad Yousuf has fuelled the sleeping aspirations of not only the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir but also the friend and ally, Congress. The alliance partner of Abdullah’s National Conference seems to be allying with the PDP of Mehbooba Mufti, although, covertly, in keeping Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in discomfort. As the plot is thickening over the death of Syed Yousuf after Abdullah Junior handed him over to police, the Congress leaders of Kashmir have begun to romanticize their brightening prospects anticipating the downfall of their ally and friend in state politics. Even the political observers in the
state feel that the Congress could be the real beneficiary of the ongoing crisis, which got worsened on Saturday morning, when Omar Abdullah’s police resorted to baton charge the PDP protestors demanding his resignation. The separatists, too, have joined Mehbooba Mufti in baying for Omar’s blood.

Now, consider this. Omar Abdullah will be completing his half tenure of six years in first week of January next year giving the Congress an opportunity to think of taking the relay baton from an alienated chief minister, though the two parties are not at an agreement of transfer of power like the one that the congress had with the PDP in the previous regime. The great opportunist party, that the congress is, will not shy away from making things practically unworkable for Omar Abdullah. And, if the signals emerging from both the Congress headquarters and the stakeholders in the Jammu and Kashmir politics are to be believed, the party is well on its course.

The only thing that is perhaps withholding the Congressmen from the valley from speaking their minds out is Rahul Gandhi’s personal friendship with Omar Abdullah and the former’s apparent commitment to the latter to keep intact his chair till the very last workable situation in the state. But, during his recent visit to the valley, Rahul Gandhi had give a patient hearing to Congress leaders wishing for a change of guard in Srinagar.

Notwithstanding, some of the state Congress leaders have started openly demanding a Congress chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir post-January, 2012 subject to approval by party president, Sonia Gandhi. This demand had begun as early as in May and June this year, when state Congress leaders asked for rotation of Chief Minister’s chair as they were unhappy with Omar capturing all the limelight with Congressmen being treated only as poor cousins in the corridors of power in the state. And, senior leaders including Dr Karan Singh, Saifuddin Soz and Makhan Lal Fotedar had assured the junior leaders of conveying their sentiments to the party high command in New Delhi. The views have come to take deeper grounds now in party headquarters and lobbying is underway to convince the top leadership to think on those lines and negotiate with the Abdullahs.

Also at work are two old camps of J&K Congress, namely those of union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and J&K PCC president Saifuddin Soz with former in being favour at the 10, Janpath. Soz supporters find a realistic chance for him to get the coveted seat in Srinagar, but sources also indicate strongly that Azad may be interested in the job if hints come from the top. This internal tussle for supremacy in Srinagar may prove beneficial for Omar Abdullah but then PDP is also, according to sources close to Mehbooba Mufti, ready to support a Congress government should National Conference be dumped. So, the Congress is weighing its options while Omar tries hard to save his chair and salvage his image and re-enforce his command in the state. The political situation in Jammu and Kashmir looks tailor-made for a Congress comeback lest Omar finds a magic wand to ward off all the ‘evil’ forces.

Ravana Was No Less Significant!

I never knew that Ravana was born just next-door and the moment I discovered that, I hit on the road to explore the place. Diwali is a festival of celebration for Rama's coming home, but for a change I thought let me take you to a place, which is the main cause for Rama's popularity.

My photographer, and me, to begin with took a very right decision of reaching the place by a motorbike than a four-wheeler. It was a narrow road and a bumpy ride leading to the final destination. The way to Ravana's birth place appeared quite interesting, as it was after ages that I could feel the smell of sand, animals bathing in pond filled with mud. It was a typical village, with an unforgettable ambience. This is what the birth place of Ravana called "Bisharakh" (Around 15 km from greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh) looked like. The village, it is said, derived its name from Ravana's father, Vishwashrawa.


I was yet to believe that Ravana was actually born here and to search the evidence of the same the first bit I did was met Mahant Ramadas, the chief priest of the temple, called "Ravan Ka Mandir". According to the villagers, this temple still preserves the Lingam laid by Rishi Vishwashrawa. I started with the most simple question, was he really born here? His apt reply was enough to send a tinge sensation running through my veins, "right here(while pointing finger underneath my chair. Could you believe Yamuna used to flow just outside this compound! the problem is that people don't believe, what they do not see themselves", chirped the priest.

Ramadas, popularly known in the village as Maharaj, continued in the same vein without any pride or shame of the tradition linked to Ravana. The village still has buried skeletons of humans reaching upto eight to ten feet, could you believe this asks the Maharaj. The priest himself claims to have seen the skeletons at least twice. No matter how exotic it appears, one starts believing in the claim of the villagers and the priest.

The village does not have a single temple or statue of Rama or any of his family members or the gods of Vaishnav tradition or even of Hanuman. Even goddess Durga is an unknown entity of worship here, because she supported and helped Rama in the war against Ravana. Moreover, whatever archaeological items that have been unearthed by the excavators from this village support the theory. The priest showed a broken statue of Shiva consuming ‘Visha' (poison), a broken hand with bangles of Parvati, Shiva's consort, and a clay head of Lord Ganesha.

Bihsarakh Dham, the place where Ravana's father established his ashrama and where Ravana spent his childhood does not look quite appealing in itself. The boundary surrounding it is a recent one, built by Umed Singh, husband of late Phoolan Devi. It does not look in a good shape. When I asked why don't they ask the administration or the Archaeological Survey of India to look after the place, it seemed as if I was advocating blasphemy. The priest, the villagers got infuriated and said, "We are capable of looking after our heritage. If government intervenes it would have to fight with the Panchayat". Clearly, they were not even sure what the government or the Archaeological Survey of India is supposed to do or, that Panchayat is a part of the government.

Dussehra is not celebrated in Bisharakh because it reminds the villagers of the disgraceful end of Ravana. For that matter they do not even enact Ramalila. But quite surprisingly they celebrate Diwali with grandeur and much fanfare. When I asked, why Diwali? Does not it remind you of Rama's victory over Ravana? Response was equally stunning. "We are not Ayodhyans. We don't love one and hate others. We respect Ravana but also love Rama because he fought for the truth. That's why we welcome Rama on every Diwali", said Mohan Bhati, a villager.

But how do the people of Bisharakh feel when someone from outside reminds them of the opprobrium attached to the infamous name? Do they pride in having an association with the place? Says Amar, a young man, "We feel proud that he was born here, however, there are people who take it as a shame. But Ravana was a very powerful and intelligent ruler, wasn't he? And, definitely the most awesome villager ever born in Bisharakh. So, what is in it to be ashamed of?"

Before leaving and after surveying the village, I once again went to Mahant Ramadas to ask two final questions. One, would you allow anyone to take over this place and temple? A straightforward "No" was his answer, because anyone else would not be able to understand the emotional attachment of the people with this place. Though they would be happy to have a trust to develop and manage Bisharakh Dham.

Second, would he advocate worshipping Ravana and therefore get a temple in his name built? Again, Ramadas's response was a blank "No". "We don't worship Ravana because no one worships him; his deeds were evil, but he was a Jnani (knowledgeable). We worship Lord Shiva and will continue to worship only him because Ravana worshipped him. This is our way of paying respect and homage to Ravana" was the final reply of Mahant Ramadas.

Born in this small village, Ravana went on to become the king of the most beautiful and the wealthiest kingdom of the contemporary world. Tradition has it that Parvati, in order to compete with Lakshmi in wealth, coaxed Lord Shiva to get the most beautiful home built for her. So, Lord Shiva got an island, called Lanka built purely of gold. Parvati wanted the most competent priest to perform the house-entering Yajna (sacrifice) for her new house. Hunt began for such a priest and it ended at Ravana, who performed the yajna but demanded Lanka itself as Dakshina (donation given to the priest performing sacrifice). Thus, Ravana landed in Lanka and Lanka landed in Ravana's lap.

(I had written this piece long time back for www.headlinesindia.com)

Vote Against Congress, if.... : Anna

After having taken on the cetral government with his hunger strike in new delhi recently, anti-graft activist Anna Hazare now goes political. He has appealed to people in all the poll bound states to vote against congress if the Manmohan Singh government does not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the winter session. Team Anna has already begun to shape electioneering with a bypoll scheduled in Hissar in Haryana
on October 13th. Next in focus is Uttar Pradesh, where Anna will set up his camp three days before the date of voting. Other poll bound states of Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat and Punjab will also see a different kind of poll campaign by Team Anna.

Clearly, Anna Hazare made a bold statement again on Tuesday by challenging the UPA govt once again over Jan Lokpal Bill. His renewed threat to undertake another hunger strike should Parliament fails to enact the Janlokpal Bill will surely compound problems for already embattled UPA think tank.

The veteran Gandhian, who has become a national symbol against corruption, on Tuesday refuted all the charges of him siding with the right wing parties. He said that only people with vested interests level such allegations against him and his team.

And, much to the liking of the congress party, Anna hit out at the Narendra Modi government of Gujarat for putting IPS officer behind the bars for speaking against the chief minister in cases related to 2002 riots. He wished that judiciary should be allowed to settle the case.

Anna Hazare's renewed fight for a corruption free administration on Tuesday seems to cross the frontiers earlier understood by many political observers. On Tuesday in Ralegaon, Anna made it clear that politics over communal violence is also a form of corruption, that people must fight with all their might.

Sonia Appears Before Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi made her first public appearance on Sunday after her surgery in the United States recently. Along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the UPA chief paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 142nd birth anniversary at Rajghat.

Sonia returned to India on September 08. Since then, Sonia had avoided public meetings and functions even though the UPA government witnessed a bitter clash between two of its senior ministers. She dealt with the crisis but stayed away from public giving rise to speculations that Sonia may be planning to pass on the mantle of the party to her son, Rahul Gandhi. Sundayz public appearance is being viewed as a signal that Sonia is still at the helm of the affairs both in the congress party and the UPA.

Sonia Gandhi is still recuperating from her surgery, but she has got herself into handling issues plaguing the Manmohan Singh govt including infighting and court developments in 2G scam and cash for votes scandal. Sonia is said to be working on alternate plans for a possible adverse court judgements post-Dussehra vacation, when hearing on several scams resume. The forced patch between two senior cabinet ministers over secret 2G note, effected by Sonia Gandhi last week was part of her alternate plans to navigate the government's ship through the turbulent waters of scandals and scams.

Sonia Gandhi's partial resumption of party work and her first public appearance at Rajghat on Mahatma Gandhi's 142nd anniversary comes at a time when the opposition is going berserk in its criticism of the scam tainted UPA government. Her public appearance also came a couple of days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleged that there are forces at work to destabilize the government. With this in backdrop, Sonia Gandhiz appearance before Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi seems to be an attempt to make an emphatic statement that she is not losing grip over nation's politics.

Sonia Gandhi had given indications of taking command of the party affairs some days ago itself when she summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the wake of Bharatpur communal violence and two state ministers being dragged into controversies surrounding women, one of them is traceless while the other has died. Also, Sonia Gandhi called on Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar last week, which according to sources yielded into Kumar giving sanction to prosecute BJP MP Ashok Argal in the cash for votes scandal. Clearly, Sonia wants to put her message in a very straightforward style, that has been typical of her in past two decades.

Reside in Happiness

I always feel happy, You know why?
Because I don't expect anything from anyone,
Expectations always hurt..
Life is short.. So love your life.. Be happy..
And Keep smiling.. Just Live for yourself and
Before you speak Listen
Before you write Think
Before you spend Earn
Before you pray Forgive
Before you hurt Feel
Before you hate Love
Before you quit Try
Before you die Live

Courtesy: Shakespeare

2G Scam: Manmohan Presides Over Corruption

Corruption has coexisted with governance since time immemorial. India has witnessed royal corruption throughout its history of administration. Favouritism and manipulation have always kept the stirred up the recipe of politics in the country. So, it was nothing new the the two successive UPA government resorted to the same age old (mal)practice of governance. And, there are many, including the public perception, saying that the Manmohan Singh's government is the most corrupt government post-Independence. The allegation does hold some water. Manmohan Singh's government has seen scams after scams at a pace that had been unprecedented. The NREGS scam, the NHRM scam, the CWG scam, the cash for votes scam, petroleum scam, the Air India scam etc etc and above all the 2G spectrum scam.

Let's focus on the 2G scam with a general background of the spectrum that finds itself in the centre of a huge controversy. Spectrum is an invisible band in atmosphere. It behaves in a certain way depending on the radio character of the waves passing through or hitting it. The scientists, say at ISRO or DRDO, spend crores of (tax payers') money to understand its behaviour in different bands and then they develop mechanism to use the bands or spectrum in the sky for all types of communication. Once created, the band is available for all but for costly technology it is controlled by govt through laws. The government has its own mechanism to let people derive benefit from this discovery made out of their money paid to the government through taxes. The mechanism involves an interface, we can call it telecom service providers or big corporate houses. They are given licenses to use a certain space in the spectrum (by means of frequencies) for operating their business of telecommunications. They provide service to people and then charge money for the same. Interestingly, people pay again for using something they have already paid for its creation! But, this is how governance goes.

In 2G scam case, the government had distributed band widths among the telecom companies on the basis of first come first serve principle. Such a principle is good for things that hold no price. The government, including the previous regime under Atal Behari Vajpayee, considered spectrum as just invisible object and is of no value (conveniently) ignoring the well known fact that the companies will mint money by facilitating chats among people. Auction was another option before the government, but it preferred to consider the spectrum created after investing people's money as an ordinary object. Just to digress, I would like remind people of the power of auction by recalling the same at the IPL auction. Had the government resorted to the second option, it might have recovered a good part of the investment made out of tax payers' money or might have afforded to give some relaxation to the populace by announcing some tax relief to them.

But, when alter things (agendas) prime the considerations, even the most common wisdom takes the back seat. The same thing happened with the 2G spectrum allocation. And, the CAG of India calibrated that the process or the dereliction of duties by the government has had cost the nation, the tax payers an income of about Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. Now, this was a huge amount that the collective wealth of the nation was deprived of. Government argues that the CAG calculations are not sound and whatever loss was incurred to the exchequer was only imaginary or virtual. The government did not have the money in the first place, which the CAG talked about. True, that the government never had that money in question. But, it is also true that the government was denied to have that amount of money by those running the government. But, then again, the people running the Manmohan Singh government are not honest enough to admit that they caused the nation a loss to the tune of what calibrated by the CAG, the most authentic audit body in the country.

Two things are more shocking in the entire episode. One, that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh let all this happen while every decision was approved by his cabinet. Secondly, Manmohan Singh is widely hailed as an able economist but surprisingly, he presided over the greatest loot of virtual money in India during his tenure as the Prime Minister. The changing organizational structures of the 2G spectrum allottees (companies) betray either the short-sightedness or culpability of the Manmohan Singh government. The latest secret note (which was seen and approved by Pranab Mukherjee) from the finance ministry to the PMO and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's letter to the prime minister have broken the shield of defence of the entire UPA machinery.

In this context, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is holding an all important meeting tonight, ironically in the United States. Pranab Mukherjee's tussle with P Chidambaram is well known in the inner circle of the UPA establishment. But, ever since the spat came out in the open over the issue of 2G scam has eroded the thin crust of credibility to this government. Pranab Mukherjee has sought and got couriered (as reports suggest) a bunch of files related 2G spectrum allocation from his ministry all the way to New York. This meeting between the two topmost leaders of the country on perhaps the biggest scam at venue outside the country speaks volume about the mess that the UPA government presently finds itself in. The Prime Minister and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi must be making all efforts to keep the 2G taint away from their respective offices. It is really tough on the economist and presumably honest prime minister to preside over perceptibly the most corrupt government ever.

Libya, Anna and India

Another authoritarian regime is about to fall apart for ever. The history is unfolding in Libya. People may call them rebels who raced into Tripoli meeting practically no resistance from Muammar Gaddafi's forces, who had sustained the crest fallen leader for 42 years. Euphoria soon engulfed all. Residents merily mingled with the fighters in celebrations signalling their victory at Green Square in capital, Tripoli. While, Gaddafi is hiding at an undisclosed location and pleading with people and forces to safeguard his regime. But, when the commander is fleeing, it's only foolhardy to believe that his forces will stand any ground in the battlefield. Here, the entire nation has turned into a battlefield. Even, the heir apparent, Gaddafi's son has been captured. Both, Gaddafi and his son, Seif al-Islam face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court at Hague in the Netherlands.

Now, the rebel forces have a huge task of setting the house in order. It seems that they are right on the money, at least in the capital. They have been reported to be setting up checkpoints in the capital to facilitate administration. This does give a very positive sign of organization on the part of the rebel forces.

The fall of Tripoli to Libyan rebels should serve as the final alarm to the leaders worldwide. People are exasperated, angry and have lost faith in the current mindset of governance as it has failed to deliver requisite services and facilities to them. The world economic order has widened the gap between the haves and have-nots. The governance seems to be patronizing the haves world over and the largest chunk of population has been rendered as have-nots though they toil the most to make their both ends meet. This explains the anger everywhere irrespective of the categorization of the country on IMF and World Bank's chart ot LIG, MIG or HIG countries.

India is no exception. The Indian government must not test patience of its populace any more as the patience is already on its wane in the country, where even handsome earners can't sustain for 3-4 months if money supply stops. Country is getting richer, but the nation poorer. Unimaginable support to Anna Hazare is a live evidence of the phenomenon. Libya must be the final wake up call for the government. India can't afford to become an Egypt or a Libya.

Anna Puzzle

Anna, The Sepoy

Anna Hazare has puzzled not only the govt, his supporters, media but himself as well. He would not have imagined that his call for a strong lokpal bill will get so much of support. In fact, people are not pouring in for the Janlokpal Bill, as drafted by the lawyers of Team Anna, but against omnipresent, all-pervading demon of corruption and for a hope that is floating on the promise of a Janlokpal. Though, people are not fully aware of the Lokpal or a Janlokpal, but it is the hope that has attracted them in large numbers. I only fear that they would get more exasperated in a few months from now, when they would find that framing of laws can not eradicate corruption from the Indian society, which needs stricter implementation of the existing laws and requires urgently getting back to moral schools for strong ethical values to resist temptation and allurement.

Emergency At Midnight

The Congress has been prone to autocratic means of governance. This has been the perennial allegation of the opposition. On Saturday night, the agenda setters of the Congress proved that the opponents of Congress' way of life are right on their money. Amidst high drama over the issue of black money and corruption, which saw a gandhian earlier and a yog guru now flexing muscle with the Congress-led government, the protagonists of emergency like rule cut loose on a Sanyasi's Satyagrah (however impractical or ill-timed it may be). Baba Ramdev and hundreds of his supporters and followers were treated with an iron hand when they expect it least to visit them. Some five thousand armed men of Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force unleashed mayhem on the people who had gathered at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi ostensibly to pressurize the government to act tough against all those who plunder or contribute in the plunder of national wealth in the form of black money, particularly that stashed in supposedly huge amount in the foreign banks. The armed men used lathis, tear shells, fire and bullets against people whose leaders asked them to remain peaceful till last and these policemen who obviously acted at the instruction of the Union Home Ministry did not serve any warning to the gathering of a huge mass. The Baba and his supporters were evicted from the Ramlila Ground at midnight as the home ministry decided to extern the yog guru who was, as per official denfence theory, purportedly inciting people against a democratically elected government at centre. Men and women were beaten black and blue without any distinction or discrimination. I guess this is the face of rule of law under emergency. This was emergency at midnight.

The official defence, as propounded by the parallel mouthpiece of the Congress party, Digvijay Singh says that Ramdev had become a threat to peace and harmony in Delhi, that he is a habitual cheater, that he has been a tax evader, that he harbours a political ambition, that he had a communal agenda during his so-called hunger strike in the national capital, that his claim for medical miracle is a farce, that he has preached absurd things in the name of reviving the techniques of yoga, that he used unethical means, as one pointed out two years ago by CPI-M leader Brinda Karat, that he has held captive his own master Baba Shankardev and is a threat to his life, that he is mumbug, who agreed to call off his hunger strike during talks with the representatives of the government and later told his followers a different version altogether, that he secured permission for a yog shivir at Ramlila Ground, which was later converted into the place of political agenda setting, that he was being managed by the RSS and the BJP, that his sinister programme at Ramlila Ground was totally sponsored, conspired and implemented by the saffron brigade with RSS and VHP being the fountainhead and that a thug like Ramdev got the treatment that he deserved for cheating, misleading and misguiding the entire nation. But, at this point of time, can the parallel mouthpiece of the ruling party answer a simple question? That, had he or his party or the government not known all the tenets of Ramdev's mischief as propounded by Digvijay Singh himself when four senior ministers of the union cabinet were sent to prostrate before the man who was evicted at midnight from the Ramlila Ground on Saturday? If the government or the party or Mr Digvijay Singh himself knew about the deeds of Ramdev, why the ruling dispensation laid before a half-naked man with a 'distorted intent'? Why till as late as on Saturday evening the union ministers held a press conference to say that the government had agreed to all the demands of Baba Ramdev? Did the government not cheat the very people who elected it, if the defence theory as propounded early Sunday morning and hinted at a couple of days before by Digvijay Singh? Can the government prostrate before a person who threatens to lead some one percent of population to an agitation against the government?

Now, suppose this. Suppose, Baba Ramdev had agreed to call off the fast-- when government wanted him to do so with all the secret deals in place that were made public on Saturday by Kapil Sibal, who left press briefing midway to get 'an instruction from someone higher up' only to return and hint at what unfolded later in the night-- would the parallel mouthpiece of the congress party held on to his views as he did? Simply put, did the government indulge in secret dealings with a man who was a cheater in all his forms? Can anyone by this defence of the congress or the government? I leave this question here itself.

But, what happened in New Delhi on Saturday night defies all the logic that governs a civil society like ours. Five thousand armed men run amok at a camp attended by peaceful demonstrators. Police set the dais on fire, damaged the tent and beat up people! My question is what the people were doing there? Did they demand an overthrow of the government like what happened in Egypt? Repression of this sort is not acceptable. Ramdev has a right to express his views and interact with people his wishes to. And, his supporters have the same right. The government, it seems, tried to make amends what the congress party afterthought was a mistake committed by sending four ministers to placate a sanyasi with impractical demands for this government. But, surely the method adopted by the government at the behest of the party gives a signal that a voice of discomfort will be silence by whatever means possible. This is an alarming situation.

For many Chinese bachelors, no deed means no dates

I found this news-piece while reading Indian Express(dated 17-04-2011). I want to share it with those who don't read IE but somehow follow my blog...


IN THE realm of eligible bachelors, Wang Lin has a lot to recommend him. A 28-year-old college educated insurance salesman, Wang has a flawless set of white teeth, a tolerable karaoke voice and a three-year-old Nissan with furry blue seat covers.
But by the exacting standards of single Chinese women, it seems, Wang lacks the bankable attribute of real property. Given that even a cramped, two-bedroom apartment on the dusty fringe of the capital sells for about $150,000, Wang's $900-a-month salary means he may forever be condemned to the ranks of the renting.

Last year, he said, this deficiency prompted a high-end dating agency to reject his application.
"Sometimes I wonder if I will ever find a wife," said Wang, who lives with his parents, who remind him of his single status with nagging regularity.

There have been many undesirable repercussions of China's unrelenting real estate boom, which has driven prices up by 140 per cent nationwide since 2007, and by as much as 800 per cent in Beijing over the past eight years.

Working-class buyers have been frozen out of the market while an estimated 65 million apartments across the country bought as speculative investments sit empty.

The collateral damage to urban young professionals, especially men, who increasingly find themselves lovelorn and despairing as a growing number of

women hold out for a mate with a deed, is largely overlooked.
More than 70 per cent of single women in a recent survey said they would tie the knot only with a prospective husband who owned a home. 50 per cent said financial considerations ranked above all else, with good morals and personality falling beneath the top three requirements. (Not surprisingly, 54 per cent of single men ranked beauty first, according to the report, which surveyed 32,000 people and was jointly issued by the Chinese Research Association of Marriage and Family and the All-China Women's Federation.) Given the nation's gender imbalance, an outgrowth of a cultural preference for boys and China's stringent family-planning policies, as many as 24 million men could be perpetual bachelors by 2020, according to the report.

Yang Xuning, 29, a sportswriter, said much of the pressure comes from parents who feel taunted by the wealth around them.

He recalls his first meeting with his girlfriend's parents, when he was asked about his salary and his nesting plans. "I tried to reason with her mother, explaining that it's not practical to buy something at this stage in our lives but she wouldn't hear it," he said.

He stood his ground, she stood hers, and a few months later, Yang's girlfriend called it quits.

"Many girls see marriage as a way of changing their status without hard work," he said bitterly.

Many women are unapologetic about their priorities, citing the age-old tradition in which men provided a home for their brides, even if that home came with a mother-in-law.

Gao Yanan, a 27-year-old accountant with a fondness for RayBans and Zara pantsuits, said the matter was not up for debate. "It's the guy's responsibility to tell a girl right away whether he owns an apartment," she said. "It gives her a chance not to fall in love."

With such women on the prowl, even men who do have their own homes have come up with techniques to weed out the inordinately materialistic.

Liu Binbin, 30, an editor at a publishing house in Beijing, said he often arrived at first dates by bus, even though he owned a car.
"If they ask me questions like `Do you live with your parents?' I know what they're after," he said.

Sindhustan: Lokpal: Anna Bashing

Sindhustan: Lokpal: Anna Bashing

Lokpal: Anna Bashing

I don't why some people are after Anna Hazare's life for mustering courage to stand up against corruption. He is not demanding something unusual. And, his demands are not traversing the sanctity of parliamentary democracy, a basic feature of our Constitution. Nowhere in the Constitution is written that a bill can only be conceptualised and formulated by the members of parliament. The essence of our legislative procedure is that a law can not come into existence until and unless it passes the test of parliament. And, by demanding an audience and participation in formulation of a bill is no crime in our country and is not unconstitutional as per our democratic tenets. So, why a plethora of columnists has indulged in Anna bashing? Let the experiment complete its course. Only then, we may be able to judge. Till then, don't jump guns, please. This experiment may open many a mind in this youthful democracy.

Anna Declares War On Corruption

Can a law, howsoever comprehensive it may be, weed out corruption from any society? Answer can not be an affirmative one. Corruption is not an island in itself which can be attacked by the force of law. It has been a way of life, like religion. Don't frown. The comparison may look an erroneous one but it is not. Religion in our country has been an individual way of life governed by a set of social, moral and ethical rules. And, corruption is very much part of our daily conduct, which is regulated by religion, both institutionalised and free. So, comparison between corruption and religion is a valid one. Corruption is a way of life and has been a reality of human kind throughout the history. The civilisational history of human existence tells us that corrupt practices can not be put to an end, it can only be moderated, channelled and curbed to a manageable level.

Anna Hazare launching a brave movement by undertaking fast onto death notwithstanding, the fight against corruption can not end or begin with the fulfilment of his demands. His demands are rather simplistic given the magnitude of the problem. He wants government to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by social activists closely working with him. This bill proposes to make ministers, officials and other public authority accountable for any corrupt practice, if and when they indulge in it. It also says that the Lokpal must not require approval from any authority to initiate legal proceeding against a public functionary, who has delved into corruption. These demands are not only simple, rather extremely simplistic and thus can only complicate the matter in the long run. This law even if it is passed... provided there is a change of heart at the highest level of government... it won't serve its purpose and can not either weed out corruption or act as a deterrent to the practice.

Corruption has its roots in our thought process-- a result of our values, education, sensitivity, tradition, poverty, lust, ideals or an absence of one or all of them. So, Anna Hazare declaring a war on corruption may not go a long way in fighting corruption itself, but it can do one thing for sure, that is, to educate the masses of the fallout of corruption. Many more Annas will be required to do a social reformation that might bring corruption at a manageable or minimal level in decades or centuries to come. Or, who knows the fight against corruption may turn out to be an eternal fight between the good and the evil. But, Anna Hazare deserves huge applaud for his conviction at the age of 72, for his relentless fight against social malaise and for the hope that he harbours that one day the nation will be free of corrupt practices!

Telangana Report Is Political

The 5-member Srikrishna Committee report on the question of a separate statehood for Telangana has come out on the expected lines. There are no suprises in the list of options recommended by the panel headed for Justice Srikrishna. Of the six options, the least favourable, as suggested by the panel itself, is maintaining a status quo. I think, maintaining status quo will again throw the entire region into clashes, arson and bloodshed. The panel has fuelled at the same time the aspirations of Rayalaseema region by giving them some fodder to give a shape to their agitation (that has not begun yet) for a demanding a separate political identity.

The five intelligent men also gave the people of Rayalaseema an option to either go with Telangana or with Andhra and be part of Rayala-Telangana or Seemaandhra! This is the most baffling option to me. It reminds me of the British design that gave some 562 princely states of united India an option to go either with Pakistan or join the union of India in 1947, when most of the states naturally thought themselves a part of the country; thereby giving them an option to go separate and nourish their narrow political aspirations, if any. The wise men should have thought otherwise this time around.

To me, the question before the panel was whether a separate state of Telangan will fulfill the needs and aspirations of people living in the resource rich region. The problem of Telangana is the problem of all those, who demanded or are demanding a separate state for themselves. But, instead of focusing on people and the depravity that they have suffered under the present political set up, the committee seems to have acted with an aim to satisfy the political groups that have been nourishing their own ambitions as they have failed to capture power in united Andhra Pradesh.

This does not augur good for the people who have genuine hope with attached to the creation of Telangana. They may well be on the path of their brethren in Uttarakhan, Jharkhand and neighbouring Chhattisgarh, where people are still deprived even after ten years of the creation of states they fought for. The Committee led by a former supreme court justice should have focussed on these issues to expose the detrimental political designs of the rulers or potential rulers. Rather, it has supplied various groups six bags of political fodder to masticate. It has also created confusion among the protagonists of separate Telangana as to what to do? Which option to go for?

To sum up, the Srikrishna committee has not delivered what was expected of it. It seems to have dealt with the political tug of war both in New Delhi and Hyderabad.