Celebs' Politics........

When i first heard the news that legandary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (popularly known as the Master Blaster), has expressed his willingness to enter politics, i must say that i wasn't suprised at all. Then came the cherry on the top! Congress offerred the legend an RS seat.

After suffering defeats in almost all the elections, after their historical sweep of the polls that gave the nation UPA-II, what else can we, the voters, expect! Whatever the ruling party tried, whether it be in Gujarat or in Delhi, failed. And now, with little options available, one can expect that they will be firing all cylinders especially when there is only less than a year left to make ammends.

 

And, look what they did! They handed Sachin Tendulkar, probably the biggest celebrity in our country, a seat in Rajya Sabha. Another name that came up for some power, is that of a veteran actress Rekha. Well, there is no scarcity of issues in our country!!!!!!! So, why the seriousness regarding celebrities?

These two decisions came under the scanner. There were discussions all over the news channels. Some welcomed the decision whereas some punched it in the face. And with the superstar Amitabh Bachchan calling the lucky ones (to represent our nation), the deserving ones, it looks like "aaallll iss well"!

But if we look at the past, such decisions haven't proved to be successful experiments! Consider the case of another popular celebrity, Govinda, who entered politics and earned the right to have a say in the matters of the nation. But what really happened, in true sense, was unfortunate. Whenever some important discussion happened in the house, he was missing. His contribution to the house could be seen as a pin in a heap of grass, something really difficult to find or measure. Another name that comes to my mind is that of another veteran actor, Dharmendra. His track record in politics isn't much different from Mr. Govinda.

Isn't it a waste of a really scarce resource? Yes, you read it right! I am calling a seat in the parliament a scarce resource. Such power should be given only to responsible citizens, the citizens who really want to do something for their voters rather than use it for personal gains.

I am not saying that the celebrities aren't responsible citizens or I am against their nominations. I am only trying to bring into light, an important issue, which has not been taken into consideration by both the ruling party as well the opposition. By bringing the celebs into parliament, they might be commiting a crime against the interest of the nation.

Also, the celebs should think atleast a 10000.....times before entering the politics. On one hand, they could prove to be a huge asset to the nation but on the other, they can be just a waste of a seat. Voters have very high expectations from their leaders. If a celeb really want to contribute to the nation in the political arena then he/she should be completely dedicated to the job.

It should not be just a part-time affair. It requires a lot of hardwork and dedication. You can't play cricket and be present in the parliament at the same time. This is a double-edged sword!

For example, if sachin plays cricket and remain abscent from RS, people will say that he was serving the nation by playing cricket whereas if he attends RS and skips matches then also people will be proud of the master blaster. But in both the cases, our nation will miss the gem in either cricket or RS. So, it will rather be advisable that he do either of the two. If he really wants to be a politician then he can hang his boots (in cricket) and serve the nation in a whole new manner. The guy has already served the nation for about 23 years. It will be wrong on our part to ask for more. But if there is fire in him to serve the nation through politics then we all be pleased. But the nation should not suffer on any account because he wants to do both (cricket and politics).

Similar things happened to celebs like Govinda. He shot movies during his term in the parliament and in turn couldn't contribute to the nation. Let's hope that the new joinees will raise the bar for future ones and contribute to the nation in the most effective and efficient manner. For some inspiration, they can have a look at the political life of a hollywood superstar, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governer of california. Jai Hind!

Right under their noses!

Every now and then we hear about rallies, killings, firings etc.........in the valley. Everyone knows that J&K burns every now and then because of one reason or the other. Unfortunately, it has started to look like the usual stuff. It's as if we don't care anymore!

But that's not the only problem in the paradise (or the ex-paradise). The issue that i am going to raise in this post is an environmental one. Although, now it's turning out to be a social one.

The valley is full of beautiful mountains covered with the nature's finest flora and fauna. From the outset, it's the valley's pride. But wait a minute! We shouldn't judge a book by its cover. If we get a little closer, we find the bitter truth.

The valley has a new enemy in town. I would name it "The Timber mafia". Hundreds of acres of forrest on the hills have been wiped out (pic above). The locals say that they operate in the night. Probably, that's their strategy of not getting caught. That's the reason (probably) that inspite of some checks (and all carried out in the daytime) the authorities couldn't find anything wrong. Or is it so??

According to the localites, the authorities operating in the region, are themselves the culprit! Firstly, they created an artificial imbalance of demand-supply in the region. And when the mafia came up, they did nothing. It's not that the locals didn't try their bit. But whenever anybody tried to do something, he was silenced forever. There have been some casualities in the region. In a shocking piece, one person was beaten to death for whistleblowing. There is a complex nexus between the mafia and the forrest authorities that's active in the poor region.

But the most shocking fact is the force that has been recruited by the forrest department in the area. I just couldn't make out the strength of the so-called "Forrest defence". One person is covering 8 km sq. of the region (the mafia generally travel in big numbers, i guess the forrest department recruited a few rajnikanths (south indian superstar) from the region). Moreover, they have been given a "laathi" to fight the mafia, who have AK-47. Real tragedy awaits.

Also, if we look at the roots of the problem then we find out that it's the one created by the authorities themselves and it is not the forrest authorities that i am talking about. Rather it's the J&K government that's the culprit! The main reason why this's happening is unemployment. People in the valley are dying of hunger. They have no work to earn their bread. This is sheer mutiny as nothing has been done about it for years. The government is in a coma and because of them people are suffering. In the end, we know that when the belly rings loud, man shouts! And this time, the noise is just too loud to bear! Unfortunately, we are just too deaf to hear that noise!

According to some noted people in the region, the forrest cover could dissapear within the next 15-20 years if such practices aren't stopped. So, the bottomline is this - "Act quickly and effectively otherwise be ready for another ladakh!"

Sorry, a little homework required!

Objection My lord!

Mission Impossible!

Listen to experts!

A Flawed vision!

.............were some comments from various experts who were following the 27th February 2012 directive of Supreme court, the apex body of judiciary of our country on the issue of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR). 

With all due respect, although one should not question the decision making of the Supreme Court but after going through various reports on the issue, I do support the critics. 

The problem here is that although there are many benefits of ILR but one should not ignore the social, economic and environmental costs associated with the projects. 

Let's first understand the concept. In our nation, there exists an acute imbalance in the distribution of water resources. On one hand we have rivers like Ganga and Bramhaputra with surplus of water where as on the other hand, we have places like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh etc. with shortage of water. This imbalance could be brought down by interlinking of rivers. This could be achieved by constructing reservoirs alongside the rivers with surplus and then transfering the water collected to the regions with water shortage. This is termed as ILR.

But wait a minute! The concept looks great on paper. There are many benefits like additional irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply, hydropower genertion and navigational facilities. But several reports suggest that inspite of many benefits, the projects may not be feasible. The

K. L. Rao report (1972) and Dr. Dastur Proposal (1977) clearly state that the projects will cost more than thier benefits. Moreover, there are several problems like displacement of the local people, law and order situation, environmental impact etc.

Also, there is an ambiguity regarding the positions of the states. West Bangal and Bihar don't want Ganga water diverted. Odisha doesn't say that there is any surplus in the Mahanadi for transfer. Andhra Pradesh is not willing to give water from the Godavari because there is, in its view, no surplus. So, how are the projects feasible?

Moreover the government is itself not sure about its position on the projects. Just because it's a gigantic project, the government engineers support the projects. The theory is "The bigger, the better!". Not a long-term approach i must say!

Still Supreme court came up with a judgement directing the government to implement the projects. Just on the basis of an amicus curiae, Mr. Ranjit Kumar, who cited the speech by our former president Shri. A P J Abdul Kalam, the judgement was given.

Supreme Court should take this as a lesson for future decisions because we all have a lot of respect for the body especially after a landmark decision on 2G scam which cemented their credibility. After such a brilliant judgement, the ILR directive came as a shocker!

That's why i say that there is some homework required!

Untouchability - the new heights....

Firstly, I am an Indian (and mind you, a proud one). Then I get categorized according to a caste system, in place for ages. So what? I belong to General category, why should I care?

So, what really happened? What prompted me to share my thoughts on a topic which hasn’t been taken up much by our media? Is it the reservation thing that’s bothering me? Well, certainly not! Is there something wrong done to me because I belong to the GEN category.

Before I share what it is exactly, I must thank God for my GEN.... Really, after what I came across yesterday, was something I had never imagined in my wildest of dreams. I mean how low a man could get? It’s something pathetic and deserves some serious attention.

I am from UP, the state with maximum number of Dalits. It’s a community that’s treated as simply untouchables by higher castes. They have been denied some fundamental rights that a citizen of India enjoys. Not only that! They have been denied basic stuff like water. They can’t go to a barbershop because of their caste. If someone raises his voice then he gets killed.

Some of us must have come across incidents such as a dalit woman getting raped or a dalit woman being paraded naked in public. But we generally don’t pay much attention towards such atrocities thinking that they didn’t happen to us. Moreover, it’s something that’s been used by politicians to gauge the anger amongst the community and use it to their advantage. The best example that comes to my mind is that of Ms. Mayawati. Well, by simple observation, anyone can tell that nothing much has changed.

So, where does the fault lies?

Are we responsible?

Is there no end to the sufferings?

There are many questions but there are only few answers. Yesterday, I came across a series of videos shot by volunteers of Video Volunteers, an NGO, in various parts of the country. They are eye-openers. Now, I can’t simply complain about reservations. After seeing the videos, I feel that it’s something that needs to be looked at.

After watching the videos, I experienced a wave of anger about the society I am living in. I asked myself a question – Is it worth it?

I am sharing some videos that highlight the atrocities happening against the community. Hope to bring some change in your mindset.

There are 22 videos in all. You can watch the remaining ones on

http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/anti-untouchability/


Also, there is a petition against such practices. Request you all to go through it and sign it. It could act as a big instrument against such practices. I have signed it! Now it's your turn!
Come on guys let’s all be a part of it!

To sign the petition, kindly visit

http://www.change.org/petitions/national-commission-for-scheduled-castes-to-prosecute-untouchability-offenses

World Heritage Day: The Indian View

On April 18, world celebrates the World Heritage Day. Ancient monuments and buildings in the countries make them stand tall on world map. These are an asset to value for. World Heritage Day is a collective effort of the communities in the world to do the needful for these invaluable assets. The day takes an opportunity to hoist awareness about the assortment of cultural legacy and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve them and also to think about its susceptibility.

ICOMOS (International Council for Monuments and Sites) organised a symposium in Tunisia on 18 April 1982 and it was suggested that a special day is to be celebrated all through the world in the name of "International Day for Monuments and Sites" on the same day every year.

The idea was also approved in UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1983. “International Monuments and Sites Day” has been traditionally called the World Heritage Day.
The day celebrates the diversity of heritage throughout the world.

Different countries and regions celebrate heritage day at different times, as the Heritage Days in Europe are celebrated annually in September. The International Day for Monuments and Sites share the cause of protecting the endangered cultural heritage together with ICOMOS National Committees on that particular day.

If we look from the Indian perspective then we realize the need of paying some serious attention to our heritage. Although some serious work has been done in this regard over the last one decade still there is a long way to go.....

Following are some world heritage sites in India,


1. Mountain Railways of India
        a. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881) (In Pic)
        b. Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898)
        c. Kangra Valley Railway (1924)
        d. Kashmir Railway (2005)
        e. Nilgiri Mountain Railway
        f. Matheran Hill Railway

2. Taj Mahal, UP

3. Sundarbans National Park

4. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, Uttarakhand

5. Fatehpur Sikri, Agra

6. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

These are only some of the heritage sites in our country. Our country is vast and there is a number of sites we are proud of. Jai Hind!

New wine in the same old bottle!!!

2012 saw UP elect a new regime lead by Mr. Akhilesh Yadav. During his campaigns we saw promises of a goon free government. But right after being sworn in, we saw him including a rather strange face in his cabinet. People familier with UP politics, know that face rather well. I am talking about Mr. Raja Bhaiya (Raghuraj Pratap Singh). He was Food and Supplies Minister during the Mulayam Singh regime around 2003-07. He is facing over four dozen cases against him (and that too criminal cases). And now, he has been given two positions (Food and Supplies as well as the Prisons Minister) in the Akhilesh Yadav's government. Isn't it really contradicting to his pre-election claims? Isn't Akhilesh following the footsteps of his father? Or was it just a stunt to allure the voters? The answer to all these questions seems to be with us.

Over the years Raja Bhaiya has been seen as the one looting from the poor. During his tenure as the Food and Civil Supplies minister (in Mulayam Singh's cabinet) he looted from the poor under PDS. His Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Rajiv Yadav walked into the CBI's office in 2011 and handed them a diary where records of money looted under various government schemes were meticulously noted. Moreover, they were all countersigned by Bhanvi Kumari, Raja Bhaiya's wife.

This diary is evident enough to prove the character of Raja Bhaiya. But no steps have been taken yet. Each time a committee is formed or any investigation ordered, it faces stern opposition from the political parties. Even Supreme Court, the apex body of judiciary in our country has been left unheard.

This is a defeat of justice. Justice to all the BPL and APL families. The families that starv due to tainted politicians like Raja Bhaiya as well as the people like Akhilesh Yadav who support them. There have been many suggestions on paper. But as usual none have been implemented properly. This is something that should be taken up by one and all. Otherwise, we'll keep changing the governments, keep blaming them for their wrongdoings and will get absolutely no result out of it all.

Late Shri B R Ambedkar

Last saturday saw the birth anniversary of the father of our constitution. Here are some important facts about the man,

Fullname: Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

Born: April 14th 1889

Died:  December 6th 1956

● The First Round Table Conference was convened in London on November 12, 1930 and B.R. Ambedkar and Rao Bahadur Srinivasan represented the Depressed Classes.

● Ambedkar formed the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in August, 1936, which participated in the provincial elections of Bombay and won 13 seats out of 15 seats reserved for scheduled castes.

● Ambedkar was opposed to the strike by civil servants. For him strike is nothing more than a breach of contract of service. It is only a civil wrong not a crime.

● In July 1942, Ambedkar was appointed the member of Executive Council of Viceroy as a Labour member. He resigned from this post in May 1946. 

● The Independent Labour Party was transformed by Ambedkar as the All India Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942. It was a political party which participated in the general elections of 1946 but was completely defeated.

● In January, 1920 Ambedkar started a weekly paper called ‘Mooknayak’ (Leader of the Dumb) to champion the cause of the depressed classes in India. Some of his famous books include—The Untouchable : Who are They and Why They Have Become Untouchables; Buddha and His Dhamma; ‘The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women’, ‘Emancipation of Untouchables’, ‘The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India’; ‘Pakistan or Partition of India’, ‘Thoughts on Linguistic States’, etc.

● Ambedkar was appointed as the first Law Minister of Independent India, but he resigned from the Cabinet on September 1951 due to differences with Nehru on the Hindu Code Bill.

● Ambedkar was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Bengal but he lost his seat after the partition. However, he was chosen by the Bombay Congress Legislative Party in place of M.R. Jaykar who resigned earlier. It should be noted that he was defeated earlier in the election of Constituent Assembly in Bombay. It is interesting to note that in his interview with Cabinet mission on April 5, 1946, Ambedkar opposed the idea of Constituent Assembly as he feared it would be dominated by High Caste Hindus.

● Ambedkar was elected as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly. He is called the father of the Indian Constitution. However, K.V. Rao was of the opinion that Ambedkar was not the father but mother of the Indian Constitution as the vital decisions about the Constitution were taken by Nehru and Patel and Ambedkar followed the same.

● Ambedkar was defeated in the election to the Lok Sabha in 1952 mainly due to his advocacy of partition of Kashmir. However, he was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in March 1952. In May 1954, he again contested in the by-election to Lok Sabha but was defeated again. He realised that a party which has no base in rural areas has no future.

● Ambedkar considered the Right to Constitutional Remedy as the Soul of the Constitution.

● Ambedkar converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956. He died on December 6, 1956 at Delhi due to severe diabetic neurosis.

● After his death, his political party the Scheduled Caste Federation was renamed as Republican Party of India in 1957 by his followers.

Quotes

"What are we having this liberty for? We are having this liberty in order to reform our social system, which is full of inequality, discrimination and other things, which conflict with our fundamental rights."

"We are Indians, firstly and lastly."

"The sovereignty of scriptures of all religions must come to an end if we want to have a united integrated modern India."

"The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends."

"So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you."

An Indispensable ban!

India imports over 74% of its military equipment. The defense purchases are estimated to be around 80-100 billion $ till the end of the 13th Five-Year Defence Finance Plan in 2022. Hence, it is evident the process of acquisition is very critical. One aspect to look into is that of the banned defence agents. Although banned, the agents play an indespansable role in the process. I am not saying this! It was the Prime Minister of our country, Mr. Manmohan Singh who publically admitted the fact. This is an irony. On one hand, we advocate the view to ban the agents but on the other hand, we are of the opposite view. The roots lie in the complexity of the process. Approval from about 18 MoD* and related departments is needed to acquire defense equipment. And the result is, yes you guessed it right! Corruption.

From money to jewellery, from expensive cars to SUVs, our esteemed army officers take it all. The situation before "Bofors" was even worser. The officers used to sign the papers in return to expensive pens. Now, the demands have gone up! Inflation, you know! 

Today, arm suppliers from all around the globe have set up their agencies in the country to keep an eye. They hire retired army officials for the job. Moreover, they try to establish strong networks with MoD people and bureaucrats. It is important and unfortunate at the same time. There is immense compitetion amongst the players. Also, there is immense corruption in the system. The root cause lies in the lack of scrutiny which is almost impossible to implement because of the size of the system. I am not saying that everyone is corrupt. But it's pretty evident that the corrupts have outnumbered the honest. We can go on and on and blame the circumstances but we should never forget that we are the only ones who created such circumstances.

So it's important to monitor the situation. All i would suggest is that there is a need of conducting regular audits and keep an eye on the process. There is another side to it. If monitored, there is a possibility of outrage amongst the defence community which could prove to be very costly. But it is important to put some checks as the quality of the arms is at stake.

* MoD = Ministry of Defence

Rape: The victim's fault!

Delhi is called the rape capital of India. It's nothing new! But what's new is the shocking piece published in Tehelka's recent issue regarding the attitude of the police force towards the issue. On being asked by the journalists (on the crime scene) the policemen had the following comments,

She asked for it.
It’s all about money.
They have made it a business.
It is consensual most of the time.

Hence making the victim the culprit!

These statements were made by 30 senior cops.

Shocking! Isn't it? Moreover, Shiela Dixit, CM of the national capital commented

"women should not be adventuruous"

Well done Mrs. Dixit. How responsible! You really raised the bar. Is this why we elected her? But what else to expect from a lady who has 24x7 security around her. What would she know about the common "Woman"!!!!!

I might be a bit sarcastic but the crux of the matter lies in the fact that it's the training and education of our police force that has contributed to the mess. In the training of our police force, only a little is taught about the women rights. This leads to the lack of sensitization amongst the officers and the result is this!

So, it's important that rather than a mere mention of women rights in a sentence or two, a robust schedule is created that conditions the police members in the desired manner. Otherwise, the situation is only going to worsen and we may see the victim herself getting punished!

Cost of a drink

We are proud of our nation but there are certain sections in our country that make us think otherwise. A man didn't know the price that he will have to pay for drinking water in a nearby field. In a gory incident, his hand was chopped-off by a person after finding that he was drinking water in field here in Saniyana village (Hisar, Haryana.). Victim identified as Rajesh Kumar, works as a labourer and was working in the said village. The incident took place in February, 2012.

Rajesh Kumar 31, resident of Saniyana was working in the fields with other labourers. After finishing his work, he went to drink water in some other field nearby. Meanwhile, one Pappu Kumar, who was sitting there came running near him and asked victim (Rajesh) that why he entered in his field? On asking, Rajesh replied that, he came in the field to drink water. Without listening anything, Pappu Kumar started thrashing him mercilessly and allegedly chopped-off victim's left hand using some sharp-edged weapon.

What i really want to highlight here is that if we can't allow someone some water then do we have the right to call ourselves human? Is this the kind of society we desire to live in? Some food for thought. I am not saying that this is the case with everybody but there are some people (like Pappu Kumar) in our country who can go to any limits. The need of the hour is to take some exemplary action against such monsters so that others take lessons and respect one another.

Right to Information

Few years back, one used to wonder about the accountability of the government officials. Nobody could question their use or misuse of the public funds. They had unlimited freedom. Result we all know. Finally the government woke up from its slumber and in 2005 the RTI Act was passed. Ever since some responsible citizens of our nation have stepped forward and realized its importance.

RTI is a powerful tool that can get out the information of the public authorities and inturn catch them red handed. Although there are some exceptions regarding the information but its only with the confidential informations. Below i am posting some important details about the RTI process. It is important for us to realize the gravity of the matter and act for the benefit of our nation.

Process to get information under RTI Act

Procedure for requesting information:

1) Apply in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area, to the PIO, specifying the particulars of the information sought for.
2) Reason for seeking information are not required to be given;
3) Pay fees as may be prescribed (if not belonging to the below poverty line category).

Time limit to get the information:

1) 30 days from the date of application
2) 48 hours for information concerning the life or liberty of a person
3) 5 days shall be added to the above response time, in case the application for information is given to Assistant Public Information Officer.
4) If the interests of a third party are involved then time limit will be 40 days (maximum period + time given to the party to make representation).
5) Failure to provide information within the specified period is a deemed refusal.

Fee for getting information:

1) Application fees to be prescribed which must be reasonable.
2) If further fees are required, then the same must be intimated in writing with calculation details of how the figure was arrived at;
3) Applicant can seek review of the decision on fees charged by the PIO by applying to the appropriate Appellate Authority;
4) No fees will be charged from people living below the poverty line
5) Applicant must be provided information free of cost if the PIO fails to comply with the prescribed time limit.

For Application form, click on the link below

http://www.indg.in/Application_Form.pdf

Kindly post your expirience (if any) with the process. It will be really helpful for one and all.

Something' s missing!!!!!!!!!

Last time, Team Anna got it all wrong..............the result was a lukewarm reaction. One thing that they need to understand is that they can't take the people for granted. Just thinking that few SMSs and some announcements will draw out the support all the time might just not work. And this is what happened! More homework needs to be done. If you really want the backing of the people, you need to plan well and more importantly implement well. More importantly, platforms of Social media need to be utilized more often. Also, the timing of these campaigns needs to be good. You just can't go over the limit.

Hopefully we will see some lessons learnt because this is the need of the hour! All the best Team Anna, we are with you!

Introduction

Our nation need us. The society is on a roll as always. But this time the agenda is not for a particular group. It's for the entire nation. For months the nation roared together against a menace called corruption. Great! For the first time post independence the country saw the power of the people at an altogether different level. But wait! The war is not over yet! Moreover, it's not only corruption that has plagued the nation. Issues are numeruous. From child marriage to wife sharing, from bribed press to the issue of freedom of expression, the nation is burning!

So, it's time to make a difference, to bring out the socialist in us and contribute to the nation!

This blog is a small beginning from my side. Hope to bring the desired change!