Monday, October 26, 2009
Foreigners and their Dogs only allowed
It was one incident in a train in South Africa that changed the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and later changed the course of India’s destiny. He was thrown out of a train as he had boarded a compartment which was reserved for whites only. This was despite the fact he had a valid ticket.
After over a half a century of Independence, India is now planning to go back to the dark ages of racism. Not that we never had it all this while. There is discrimination if you are a person from UP in Maharashtra. There is discrimination if you don’t speak the state language. There is Article 370 that discriminates Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. We have a problem when the world does not recognize Kashmir as an integral part of India, and we have no problem when we discriminate the state from the rest of India.
The Ministry of Railways is now planning to have exclusive coaches for foreigners. These coaches will be designed to have more leg space, ergonomically designed seats and toilets, wider sleeping berths and aesthetic interiors. It looks like Indians don’t deserve all this. We claim to be amongst the only economies that weathered the storm of the recent global financial crisis, then why this discrimination on the pretext of attracting foreign investment (read foreigners). Why can’t it be just a class of travel like airlines where you pay for a certain class of travel? If you can’t afford then as Shashi Tharoor our honorable Minister of State and External Affairs says travel ‘cattle class’. The plan also intends to have well dressed young girls and boys as attendants to make the foreign tourists’ journey more pleasant. Today if you go to any railway station to find an enquiry counter you need another enquiry counter, and here for the tourists you have youngsters who will be at the beckon call like in the times of the Raj.
The list of plans goes on to having call-bell facilities in toilets to assist elderly and sick passengers. Visit any toilet in any of the railway stations you would curse nature for calling in the wrong places. Even animals would not defecate in these toilets. There are plans to develop tour packages connecting tourist places with trains and luxurious buses keeping foreign tourists. Today in India to get a taxi from Bombay Airport, it’s an ordeal, so imagine what it would be at railway stations where you are easy prey to touts and taxi drivers who literally take you for a drive.
The irony is all this planned by the Ministry of Railways which is headed by Mamata Banerjee. The same Minister who threw Tata’s out of Singur in Bengal, which made the worlds cheapest and the smallest car the ‘Nano’. I guess it was because Tata’s in an Indian company and not a foreign company.
The small and nano brains of our politicians are going to drive India to the dogs, after that any amount of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhis thrown out of the new train planned will not save India. What can only save it are all these politicians thrown under the train.
After over a half a century of Independence, India is now planning to go back to the dark ages of racism. Not that we never had it all this while. There is discrimination if you are a person from UP in Maharashtra. There is discrimination if you don’t speak the state language. There is Article 370 that discriminates Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. We have a problem when the world does not recognize Kashmir as an integral part of India, and we have no problem when we discriminate the state from the rest of India.
The Ministry of Railways is now planning to have exclusive coaches for foreigners. These coaches will be designed to have more leg space, ergonomically designed seats and toilets, wider sleeping berths and aesthetic interiors. It looks like Indians don’t deserve all this. We claim to be amongst the only economies that weathered the storm of the recent global financial crisis, then why this discrimination on the pretext of attracting foreign investment (read foreigners). Why can’t it be just a class of travel like airlines where you pay for a certain class of travel? If you can’t afford then as Shashi Tharoor our honorable Minister of State and External Affairs says travel ‘cattle class’. The plan also intends to have well dressed young girls and boys as attendants to make the foreign tourists’ journey more pleasant. Today if you go to any railway station to find an enquiry counter you need another enquiry counter, and here for the tourists you have youngsters who will be at the beckon call like in the times of the Raj.
The list of plans goes on to having call-bell facilities in toilets to assist elderly and sick passengers. Visit any toilet in any of the railway stations you would curse nature for calling in the wrong places. Even animals would not defecate in these toilets. There are plans to develop tour packages connecting tourist places with trains and luxurious buses keeping foreign tourists. Today in India to get a taxi from Bombay Airport, it’s an ordeal, so imagine what it would be at railway stations where you are easy prey to touts and taxi drivers who literally take you for a drive.
The irony is all this planned by the Ministry of Railways which is headed by Mamata Banerjee. The same Minister who threw Tata’s out of Singur in Bengal, which made the worlds cheapest and the smallest car the ‘Nano’. I guess it was because Tata’s in an Indian company and not a foreign company.
The small and nano brains of our politicians are going to drive India to the dogs, after that any amount of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhis thrown out of the new train planned will not save India. What can only save it are all these politicians thrown under the train.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Honorary Titles
Not that a Doctor cannot be a black belt in martial arts, but when one is neither and is conferred the title makes me wonder, who said money cannot buy everything.
Shahrukh Khan was first conferred a honorary doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire for his contribution to arts and culture. Then now a Black Belt Honorary in Taekwondo by the Korean government, and would also be the ambassador of Korean Tourism and Culture. Some time back he was awarded the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), which carries the title 'Datuk' was conferred to him by the Malacca state, one of the 13 states of Malaysia for promoting Malacca in his songs and films. So you can actually buy these titles for a song. My kids who invested over four years training for Karate will be getting their Black Belts in another year. It was dedication of over five years that would have them get this honour, and Shahrukh gets it like a tissue from a toilet roll, and maybe even uses it like that.
It amazes when countries and educational institutions can so cheaply confer their prestigious titles for commerce. A British University conferring would be to lure more Indian students. Countries do it to promote their countries through tourism, or sell their products in India; here in e.g. is Hyundai from Korea. The lowest a country could stoop is conferring a martial arts title. Martial arts are akin to practicing religion and this like the Pope conferring priesthood to him. Shoot did I give away a good idea to promote Christianity in India. Then with someone like Shahrukh would even trade religion for fame and money.
Most actors have no values or morals. For them it is plain ‘money talks and bull shit walks’. Then the countries that manufacture these products will shamelessly confer their prestigious titles on them to keep the wheel of commerce going. Soon these titles will be available in Supermarket, and anyone who can pay a price can go and don one.
Similarly in India the way titles are conferred makes no sense. Imagine Aishwariya Rai and Akshay Kumar conferred a Padma Shri, for what? What is their contribution to the country? Is the Padma Shri an award for the amount of partners one has bedded before marriage, as that is the only area where I can remember these two actors for.
If Obama can be nominated for the Noble Peace award, then I guess all these jokers are fit for any titles. Imagine a leader of US being nominated for peace. Or maybe the award is Noble Piece Award given to a nation or leader for shredding the world to pieces.
These titles are called honorary titles, least would be the guys who are conferred these on have some honour.
Shahrukh Khan was first conferred a honorary doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire for his contribution to arts and culture. Then now a Black Belt Honorary in Taekwondo by the Korean government, and would also be the ambassador of Korean Tourism and Culture. Some time back he was awarded the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), which carries the title 'Datuk' was conferred to him by the Malacca state, one of the 13 states of Malaysia for promoting Malacca in his songs and films. So you can actually buy these titles for a song. My kids who invested over four years training for Karate will be getting their Black Belts in another year. It was dedication of over five years that would have them get this honour, and Shahrukh gets it like a tissue from a toilet roll, and maybe even uses it like that.
It amazes when countries and educational institutions can so cheaply confer their prestigious titles for commerce. A British University conferring would be to lure more Indian students. Countries do it to promote their countries through tourism, or sell their products in India; here in e.g. is Hyundai from Korea. The lowest a country could stoop is conferring a martial arts title. Martial arts are akin to practicing religion and this like the Pope conferring priesthood to him. Shoot did I give away a good idea to promote Christianity in India. Then with someone like Shahrukh would even trade religion for fame and money.
Most actors have no values or morals. For them it is plain ‘money talks and bull shit walks’. Then the countries that manufacture these products will shamelessly confer their prestigious titles on them to keep the wheel of commerce going. Soon these titles will be available in Supermarket, and anyone who can pay a price can go and don one.
Similarly in India the way titles are conferred makes no sense. Imagine Aishwariya Rai and Akshay Kumar conferred a Padma Shri, for what? What is their contribution to the country? Is the Padma Shri an award for the amount of partners one has bedded before marriage, as that is the only area where I can remember these two actors for.
If Obama can be nominated for the Noble Peace award, then I guess all these jokers are fit for any titles. Imagine a leader of US being nominated for peace. Or maybe the award is Noble Piece Award given to a nation or leader for shredding the world to pieces.
These titles are called honorary titles, least would be the guys who are conferred these on have some honour.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Chinese Masala
It was George Fernandes who blew the whistle years ago that India’s real enemy was not Pakistan but China. India forever continued to prove ability over Pakistan despite Pakistan continuously attacking us like termites and India doing only pest control. At the same time China continued pumping its strength and we continued ignoring or looking at it as kids who watch WWF wrestlers. What can the kid do besides be in awe of the huge hunks.
India’s protocol and proclamation of self resistance and solutions through dialogue is something what China cares a hoot for. We may have proven to China that one man from India could conquer China without a single soldier and through non violence, and that was Buddha. China will not tolerate another invasion of Indian supremacy through its current intellectual capital and economic growth. World superiority today is military and economic strength. So it is a catch 22 situation for India where it has economic strength but not military. China on the other hand focused on its military strength and also simultaneously built in economic strength. The economic strength of China though was on abuse of human rights and only America as its market which was again from a manufacturing level and not intellectual capital.
India continued its pursuit of intellectual economic growth and matched its military capabilities only with that of Pakistan which is anyways regaling itself to anarchy and self destruction. India continued to bask in its foolish glory of being a democracy, and not realizing that ultimately might is right. It’s like an old saying when you want to soar like an eagle you don’t keep company of chickens or compete with them. So if India wants to be a super power it cannot think it can be a David that can take on a Goliath like China. All diplomacy and dialogue channels are not going to work, when China is going to constantly keep our borders simmering in tension and we underplay it. Nothing is going to work if it constantly keeps harping that portions of India belong to it and dictate terms to us who can and who should not visit Arunachal Pradesh.
It is not that India does not have the ability, it just lacks will. It is a country governed by a 5 year itch, where a ruling political party’s vision is just 5 years that they are in power. In those 5 years it is not building India, but building their personal wealth. Politics has lost its sanctity of service to the nation, as so with all noble professions in India e.g. like teaching and medicine. Any growth that India has experienced has never been a government backed or visualized one. It is a growth of that of a child who outgrows his shoes. India’s growth has been purely a part of the global process and none of its own. None of its growth is neither innovative but is purely being a ‘sweat shop’ to the world by IT outsourcing or BPO’s.
If India does not accept China as an enemy then like Indian versions of Chinese restaurants in India, we would be the Chinese version of Indian Masala, completely crushed.
India’s protocol and proclamation of self resistance and solutions through dialogue is something what China cares a hoot for. We may have proven to China that one man from India could conquer China without a single soldier and through non violence, and that was Buddha. China will not tolerate another invasion of Indian supremacy through its current intellectual capital and economic growth. World superiority today is military and economic strength. So it is a catch 22 situation for India where it has economic strength but not military. China on the other hand focused on its military strength and also simultaneously built in economic strength. The economic strength of China though was on abuse of human rights and only America as its market which was again from a manufacturing level and not intellectual capital.
India continued its pursuit of intellectual economic growth and matched its military capabilities only with that of Pakistan which is anyways regaling itself to anarchy and self destruction. India continued to bask in its foolish glory of being a democracy, and not realizing that ultimately might is right. It’s like an old saying when you want to soar like an eagle you don’t keep company of chickens or compete with them. So if India wants to be a super power it cannot think it can be a David that can take on a Goliath like China. All diplomacy and dialogue channels are not going to work, when China is going to constantly keep our borders simmering in tension and we underplay it. Nothing is going to work if it constantly keeps harping that portions of India belong to it and dictate terms to us who can and who should not visit Arunachal Pradesh.
It is not that India does not have the ability, it just lacks will. It is a country governed by a 5 year itch, where a ruling political party’s vision is just 5 years that they are in power. In those 5 years it is not building India, but building their personal wealth. Politics has lost its sanctity of service to the nation, as so with all noble professions in India e.g. like teaching and medicine. Any growth that India has experienced has never been a government backed or visualized one. It is a growth of that of a child who outgrows his shoes. India’s growth has been purely a part of the global process and none of its own. None of its growth is neither innovative but is purely being a ‘sweat shop’ to the world by IT outsourcing or BPO’s.
If India does not accept China as an enemy then like Indian versions of Chinese restaurants in India, we would be the Chinese version of Indian Masala, completely crushed.
Three people that can change the world
The problem is not global warming, but people not being warm
It is not caring for the environment, but not caring for anyone or anything
It is not lack of austerity, but lack of generosity
It is not spending that can boost an economy, but sharing
It is not pollution but patronizing companies that pollute
It is not about human rights, but lack of human responsibilities
It is not about protecting endangered species but not reducing our species
It is about getting rich in wealth and getting poorer in values
It is not marriages that are failing but virtues failing
It is not about starvation but over consumption
It is not a financial meltdown, but greed heated up
It is not the great economic depression but being blind to human depression
It is not religious indifferences but God left out of religion
It is no longer differences of caste, creed, color or sex, it is just we are indifferent
It is no longer how you make it; it is just make it at any cost
It is not about reducing cost, but reducing wages
It is not advantage of cheap labor, but treating people cheap
It is military strength and not moral strength
It is not sharing space just with other species, but also grabbing from our own
It is material acquisition than spiritual
It is not accumulating wealth but snatching it
It is not about not saving right, but not living right
It is not living beyond your means; it is craving for beyond your need
It is not competing globally but fighting globally
It is proving whose religion is better, but not proving religious teachings
It is not lack of respect, but no respect at all
It is only self interest, and at the cost of anyone’s interest
It is no longer win-win situation, but just only I should win
It is no longer team work, but you work and I take credit
It is no longer ethics and only economics
It is not I don’t know, it is I don’t care
It is not a need of change in the world, or a change in you, but….
a change in three persons Me, Myself and I
Monday, October 12, 2009
It happens only in India
Only in India you can have a Baba or a guru (read a quack) who can claim cures for a common cold to HIV and even homosexuality, by doing yoga.
Where the press does the job of the police and exposes everything from corruption to mafia – politics nexus, to rapes, to everything
Where the police does the job of the mafia and extorts money from the people
Where the mafia does the job of the governance and is in politics
Where the courts helps the rich to get out of prison
Where you are considered poor based on your caste and not economical status
Where child labor is easily available and exploited
Where you have fast track courts for cases that need least amount of speed and ideally the accused should languish in jails, and you have people languish in jails without being accused
Where the accused can get away with political connections, and then get into politics
Where one can rape and call it consensual sex
Where the girl child is still killed and married off as a child
Where it can boast of sending a rocket to the moon but cannot give a man a decent mode of transport
Where its scientist found water on the moon but cannot provide water to millions
Where there is contrast of people looking for a cure from obesity and people dying of starvation
Where politicians become moral teachers and dictate terms of austerity when the majority lives in austere conditions of deprivation of basic health, transport, and law.
Where a foreigner can marry into a family of politics and end up ruling the country
Where politicians can change names of streets and cities but cannot change the state of the city and its affairs
Where we claim to be a democracy but in reality is family ruled in the centre and the states like small kingdoms again ruled by families
Where reservation for education and jobs are given on basis of caste and creed and not on merit
Where it floods one part of the country and draught in the other, and no technology to divert the water, but we have plans to send a man to the moon, when you can’t sustain him on earth.
Where one can kill an endangered species of an animal and shamelessly walk around like an animal abusing the law
Where there are dry days to mark respect to deceased leaders or before election, but you can stock and be drunk the whole of that day and that is not a crime
Where blood is shed mercilessly in the name of religion and caste, and there is no blood in blood banks
Where babies are aborted or orphaned and at the same time we have the latest technologies to help childless couples
Where we call ourselves secular and have reservations for religious minorities
Where religion can govern marriages, inheritance and not a common civil code
Where religion gives you the right to carry an arm and not the law
Where religion gives you the right to marry multiple times and divorce, and not the law
Where you can change your religion to marry a second time
Where an artist can paint a Goddess nude and get with it as artistic liberty, and drown an idol of God after days of celebration as it is religion, and pollute the sea, pollute the air with firecrackers and pollute noise levels
Where you can pitch a slum and get it legalized and even get alternative accommodation later
Where Bangladeshis can infiltrate and get legal citizen rights with forged documents
Where one religion converts a deprived with food and basic needs, when aid is supposed to be
given by the government, and one accepts another faith in belief and not for food and medication
Where a language is forced as a national language when the majority doesn’t speak and ironically the majority speaks English
Where you cannot burn the national flag to protest but you can burn property, vandalize and destroy
Where political parties strength is judged by the amount of damage they can do and not the good they can do. That is besides the point none has done any good.
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