Let Go Obamania!

Imagine a Hollywood venture-full of action, thrill, drama, emotions and all the ingredients for a perfect flick. The world is facing an imminent danger, even the last edifice of human civilization would be wiped out and suddenly amidst all the chaos, appears the superhero, flying all by himself; his machismo dripping through his draped costume; his face half-masked. Now you know that the earth would be saved, no matter what, we are all safe!

Curtains down, scene 2- the world is endangered again-global economic turmoil- Taliban still operating in Afghanistan-Indian subcontinent on the brink of war-Israelis and Palestinians confronting on an ever larger scale-Incessant global climate change-Poverty, hunger, pandemics- and then all eyes agape at the horizon- where is our super hero?

Then from your own backyard, a bleak voice, shrilled enough to be heard, pronounces the grand entry of the superhero down the aisle with a change, there he is- Barack Obama. (In the background comes cheers, applauds and a few wipe tears of their cheeks) All lights on him, everything else jettisoned in oblivion. It is the biggest change of the century as reported in all the sections of media. The change had arrived, the world slept peacefully, and no nightmares reported anywhere.

The next scene dawns, and it appears that nothing has changed, statistics point that nothing would change in near future. Our superhero generates superfluous statements but to no avail. What is going wrong? Why our messiah of peace and justice not been able to deliver what we wanted him to accomplish? Here are the answers:

• He is not a superman; notwithstanding the capabilities and qualities chiseled out in human limitations, he is as human as anyone of us
• For the world outside USA, he is just the US president, not a prophet. His first agenda is his own nation, not some India, Pakistan, Iraq or Palestine.
• He doesn’t (cannot afford to) care about unemployment and economic downturn in any part of the world including best friend Britain before the Americans are well fed.
• His plans for troop withdrawal from Iraq (after leaving a virtual anarchy there) and a surge in Afghanistan (having already killed thousands of innocents) are no better than the earlier actions of invading these countries. These plans just favor US, none else.
• He cannot offer to give a damn to ‘climate change’ unless the Americans are at peace, America is flourishing and Americans have nothing to lose.

Now when the world acclaims, even after considering the above points that Obama is the change anyone would want in this world, I cannot conjure up a suitable answer. Never did I say that he is not competent, capable or well suited as the US president, but finally he is just the US president! Just like Reagans, Carters, Clintons and the Bushes-he is an American, he owes all he has to that nation. Now the world could obviously be better if the leader of the most powerful nation of the world is a good man, but everyone cannot depend upon him.

If Pakistani terrorists attack Indians, Obama wont help, Indo-Pak have always been fighting- If Chinese economy goes berserk, Obama wont mind, Chinese deserve this- If there are bomb blasts in Kabul or Baghdad, Obama cant help it, its their own internal security problem- If US airplanes kill innocent civilians in Pakistan, now Obama didn’t do it, any army can make a mistake- If there are millions in Africa hungry, how can Obama give all the aid, US automakers need bailout.

Its time the leaders of other nations of the world realize their own potentials, chalk out their own strategy and do the needful for the citizens of their own countries. It would be more helpful rather than gaping patiently at the Obamarama. Lets move on and engage us in our own cobwebs and let go the Obamania.

i liked this....

this one is frm "the guardian"... and i liked it a lot!

Nine types of heavy drinkers

John Carvel

London: The United Kingdom Department of Health has identified the nine personality types of heavy drinkers at risk of liver damage and other alcohol-related illnesses. Its researchers investigated the social and psychological characteristics of problem drinkers in an attempt to devise more effective public health campaigns to encourage safer use of alcohol.

....They found that people who regularly drink at least twice the daily guidelines of 35 units a week for women and 50 for men ranged from depressives drinking at home alone over extended periods to macho exhibitionists who spend evenings in the pub.

....The department said it was using social marketing techniques to tailor its propaganda to suit all the target personalities.

....A spokesman said: “This will be a tough one to crack. Research found many positive associations with alcohol among the general public — even more so among those drinking at higher-risk levels. ....For these people alcohol is embedded in their identity and lifestyle: so much so that challenging this behaviour results in high levels of defensiveness, rejection or even outright denial.”

....The nine alcohol-fuelled personality types are:

• “De-stress drinkers” use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down. They include middle-class women and men.

• “Conformist drinkers” are driven by the need to belong and seek a structure to their lives. They are typically men aged 45 to 59 in clerical or manual jobs.

• “Boredom drinkers” consume alcohol to pass the time, seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life. Alcohol helps them to feel comforted and secure.

• “Depressed drinkers” may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group. They crave comfort, safety and security.

• “Re-bonding drinkers” are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.

• “Community drinkers” are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large friendship groups.

• “Hedonistic drinkers” crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd.

• “Macho drinkers” spend most of their spare time in pubs. They are mostly men of all ages who want to stand out from the crowd.

• “Border dependents” regard the pub as a home. They visit it during the day and the evening, on weekdays and at weekends, drinking fast and often.

....The department is planning a campaign to persuade problem drinkers to cut down. It will include self-help packs, available online and in printed form, telling drinkers how to calculate the medical risks associated with different levels of alcohol intake. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

“I don’t deserve the 6th pay commission”

These words were raking up my mind for quite sometime now, and when the PM’s electoral address to the nation on the Independence Day announced the hike in govt employees’ salaries, it was the last straw on the camel’s back. This pay-commission was sought to bring parity between the ever-rising dynamic inflation and the stagnant salaries. But being a govt employee myself I strongly feel, all inflation concerns withstanding, that I don’t need and deserve a pay hike.

I know I am just an ordinary Joe and my opinion in this regard doesn’t reflect the mood of people like me who unlike me, have given their best to the government offices all over the country. But, of course, there are hundreds of ordinary Joes in this government system.

I am one of those who come late to the office only to begin the day with the regular gossip and a cup of tea. I am one of those whose kids always use the office stationary issued to their parents. I am one of those who use the office printer for printing their own unofficial documents, which may range from a few photographs to entire books. I am one of those who love extending the lunch break to atleast two hours. I am one of those who always have someone to call from the office phone. I am one of those who cannot move a hand without the evening tea. I am one of those for whom work is not worship unless there is sparkling halo of the Goddess Lakshmi behind it. I am one of those who bring their kids to office giving all the colleagues a pinch of childhood at the workplace. I am one of those for whom the office hours are over a little less than one hour before 5 pm. I am one of those who leave computers and lights switched on at the office while use CFLs at their home. And despite all this, I am always in a hurry, without any time for helping a poor citizen who couldn’t understand the official machinery. I am one of those who brandish the parking label of their office to contravene the traffic and parking rules. I am one of those who abhor privatization and dis-investment for they consider themselves the most probable to be thrown out as under performers.

I cannot be someone from defense services for these are over and above this ordinary Joe’s conundrum. But after telling all the truth, can anyone believe that I am going to get a minimum 30% hike in my salary? I understand that the arrears I am going to get may help me pay back my vehicle loan or to get my little sister married, but do I really deserve the money for something I have never done? Can anyone even justify the current basic salary that has been bestowed upon me?

I know Shri Krishna commission can answer this; even the custodians of the democracy can answer this. They say they want to allure the best talent in the government sector and I feel the best talent now is atleast contributing in the private sector today while the government machinery will even ruin it. They say that a higher pay will act as a morale booster while I feel habits are hard to change just by providing monetary gains. If I have never been to office at right time, an extra some of money cannot cajole me into doing this.

I feel a government job gives so much to relish that a handsome salary wont make much of a difference to the already contumacious and inert government servants like me.

DIARY 2007

Again for the 20^th time, a year is changing. Of course I am 23 but for first four occasions, it was not even a change of date. Then it started off as a time after which in my school notebook, I used to miss the year part of the date for half of the January. Then when exams really started to give a nerve in standard 10^th, a new year was the year of exams, an official bugle for studying. After another two years, it was a new year for career, a new year for new direction in life. Year 2002 came with both fears and promises of a better life after school, the year of IIT dreams ad NIT blues.

For next three years, a year change was a time for fun with friends, bacchanals and making anonymous calls to 01742-238112. And 2006 started with a joy of being placed in a good company along with the last semester of engineering, something we used to refer as the last six months of real life. The six months flew past like nothing and the worst transition of life blew up the soul, for something, if not better, then at least cool. “My own money”, my own hard earned money, though it was not hard in any ways in 2006.

Then 2007 was about to start and December 2006 went by planning for the last official interaction with the alma mater. December 31, I tried to fall in love. I failed! In the night Jonathan (one of my great friends) and me couldn’t even jugad a single drop of ethanol. Jan 1 came with a little blast but it also ended up on a sad note. That time a tiny superstitious corner of my mind was afraid of the coming year. Jan 21 was on of the best days of this year at the college convocation. A defiant me at the Jan end tried again to fall in love. An adamant me failed again. I knew that it was going to be a year of not much success. But on a positive note I started earning my ‘hard earned money’ the hard way.

Feb went past unnoticed but March cracked the whip again on my back. My father got hold of my bank account statement for filing tax returns and then I was forced to realize the value of hard earned money. Even though I still doubt that value but my parents rafted me into the evil whirlpool of fixed deposits. I started saving 2000 but as one gets down the whirlpool speed increases, and so do my father’s desire to save as much as 6000. Life had become a bit tougher.

May-June gave a new hope when I thought if I ll earn more, I can have much more to spend while still putting aside my papa’s six grand. Discussion with all my near and dear ones brought an aspiration for IIM. July brought a pleasant surprise.

The next three months I spent working a bit hard to ultimately achieve my first true success. A successful failure. Earlier I had never missed anything I had my eyes on. There were disappointments but those were not true failures. In fact every time I knew that a failure can be there and I knew how to assimilate it. Probably it was the over confidence that engulfed me because of a glorious past, or because I am not capable. I asked myself the same question for the next week and finally I was happy to know that the second part of the question was not relevant.

Finally December was my month. After all that happened and un-happened, I had my lesson inscribed right on the correct part of my brain. A failure doesn’t mean that life is over, life is very generous and it gives a million chances to fail again.

And a billion to succeed. Its all what we got to see.

And a superstitious me now believe that the year of failure if going to end to give way to a new year with hope and success visible on the horizon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

GAJU KI SHAADI

JUST BEFORE MARRIAGE

As the title suggests it is something about someone’s marriage. You go, make merry, laugh upon idiot looking well dressed couple, make a few remarks about not so good food, meet old friends, gaze at otherwise ordinary looking girls dressed up in their bests (of course, expecting the same from their side) and finally come back.

But this is much more than that or else the description of a typical marriage is over by now. It is about a free, happy independent man who would now not what he used to be. He is very few of my friends who would not touch alcohol, stay away from smoking and yet is a person with whom I can spend great time without getting drunk myself. This I am writing while I am just back from his (ladies may ignore or may use a ‘their’ here) marital funeral. May be I have used too much of pessimism in description of events but this is actually what everybody was talking about; “bechara acchaa ladka tha; has le beta tera last time hai” etc etc.

What I am feeling now is a strange kind of feeling and despite a futile attempt at this year’s CAT my vocabulary skills don’t suggest me a suitable adjective for this state of mind.

He is a person with whom I have enjoyed more than 2 years in college and we still feel like telling everything to each other. Alas! Now this statement would be used in past tense. For the past 2 years after he left college, we have always been in touch, and would talk on phone for hours discussing both trivial and serious matters. Though we had a rough patch while he was in final year but the real strength and resilience of our friendship stood the test of bad times and today I was in his marriage as a ‘ghar ka banda’ as I was instructed explicitly not to get drunk and control others!

You imagine a fantabulous dancer dancing to the tunes of his wife’s numbers. You hear from a carefree man words about planning a job, a home, life and what not! Though there had been some significant factors in the background but still the foreground matters. In addition to a great man transformed to a diametrically opposite being, there is another thought lightening through my mind.

Gaju’s marriage has sparked the beginning of nuptial nightmares for his batch-mates and this suggests that we are all there in the pipeline; sooner or later we all are going to be executed. There is no escape; the marital guillotine is not that far away now! We all will leave the world of happiness, freedom and bacchanals to the settled life of self control and being remote control, a doomed hell of abstinence, wife, kids…

May be that wont be as bad as I m trying to portray it but there will be a breed of people with whom you wont be able to share the same warmth as you do today. And that breed is friends!

In Gaju’s wedding I met Vandana, Gaju’s batchmate, who came with her fiancé. Though she has always wanted me to quit but earlier we used to talk a lot and I think she enjoyed me narrating my ‘spirit-ual’ adventures. But today, I don’t know why she turned me off when I had just started. I couldn’t understand the reason but the presence of another soul in absolute vicinity had definitely made an impact. She is no longer the same!

So the moral of the whole story is that basically and acidically, both ways, life moves on! You have to go the way life takes you and it suggests that you’ll then see your friends on yearly or decadal basis. Thus the moral of the story is, “ The clock is ticking away…stop reading it and have fun with your friends”

JUST AFTER MARRIAGE

The real state of intoxication

I am always drunk!

My Gtalk status message says,” I am always drunk”, so does my PC wallpaper. The title of this blog also states the same words. I doubt if there is any person on this earth reading these lines who wont call me a fool, a cynic or may be a a***ole who is unsure what he wants to prove. Once a TL in my office had a look at my PC and she was not amused as well. People ask me if I had been smitten in love for I once proved that a beer is better than a woman. Yes it’s about some kind of love & passion, but not about a girl. And please, don’t make your mind run helter-skelter, I am straight.

Well, the message is not about alcohol.

I like beer but I can’t risk my job, coming to work with a beer on my breath; or visiting my parents with my eyes red. I’ll narrate a small incident to clear the haze off. Once an anti-reservation group was boozing out and in a fit of rage they made a plan to kill union HRD minister the RDB (Rang de basanti) style, everything was finalized and they dozed off. The next morning, all woke up and ridiculed each other of thinking so filmsical. When I tried some leg pulling and asked when they gonna materialize their “noble” motive, one of them said,” arre, we were drunk yar, everybody say blah-blah while drunk” and he was right too. You make obscure promises, repeat a line endlessly while drunk, and once the alcohol relieves your mind, you forget it or just smile it off.

And that is what my point is. All those who have been forced to read this space, have been persuaded coz I thought reading such stuff might prick a little, the hearts of janta which is always looking agape at the west. I projected myself as a patriotic, nation lover, anti foreign companies and someone who hates the encroachment of Americanism in our social and cultural values. And I talk all this endlessly. Mailing friends to read it, people say would never make any difference and this weekend I thought they are right, coz if writing such stuff doesn’t change the author how can the audience be expected to believe him?

I feel I talk that way coz I have been drunk, drunk all the way and while writing this again I am drunk. I just talk, just write about it only apparently while I am not what you think I am!

A few days back I was watching a Doordarshan morning show, for our set-top box was out of order and I really appreciated the classical sitar show. While taking on my ablutions, I raised the volume a bit and it was a nice experience. I was appalled to think whether our next generation would even be able to think about an instrument of the name of sitar, sarod or shehnai while they grow up watching today’s satellite channels? I continued with the Doordarshan and discovered public awareness campaigns about women empowerment and global warming. I had a sudden feeling of distrust for all the Stars, Sonys and Zees. Because I was drunk!

When that spirit was down, I was fed up of the ‘poor’ programming and I turned it off since I couldn’t get my Discovery, ESPN, Mtv and History channels back.

I hate the mall culture and over use of English but yesterday I bought a Reebok, backpack and to my surprise, mysteriously talked to the sales personnel in English. I don’t think if I am not working for a greedy foreign company, is any product that I have worked upon in my government firm reached the market. Have I generated any revenues for the nation? I have just been a silly parasite and use government resources for blogging and chatting! A ‘Liberty’ or ‘Action’ is just as fine but I bought a Reebok pair of shoes. And I don’t remember the moment when I bought an idiotic Jockeys’. My favorite shirt is a Levis’ and I bought a Titan coz I couldn’t afford a Swatch or Rado!

Oh! My speech is slurring now, after-all I m drunk! I don’t know if all that you have just read defines my state of inebriation or is it just what people brag about while they are drunk. I doubt would I be able to explain my wallpaper to the TL or she’ll continue considering me a stupid!

Well to shrug off something, which you spat while drunk, you need to sleep and wake up to a new day. But what can I do, I sleep for 8 hours but this way I am suffering from insomnia! The way my deeds and words are so opposite, I feel even if I sleep one day, I’ll wake up with fresh booze in my mouth…

P.S. People say that a drunkard think that he sings well while drunk, I feel I sing well all the time! I am alwayzzz drunk…

A Great Appraisal!A salute to Vikrant Singh 2k2118

It’s the time when most of us (the 2k6 pass-outs) completed one year in the corporate world. Though I’ve been a non-corporate employee in a friendly govt sector firm, most of my friends are reeling under severe work-pressure, time schedules and strict deadlines. Oh! Did I just tell about the hard side? My apologies! They are being paid much more than, as a few under alcohol confess, they work for. And this is the celebration period since it’s the time of annual increments and bonuses. Though the recent rupee surge has affected the returns, its much more than the Rs. 275 hike in salary that Govt of India bestows upon me. Well I m not writing to cry out my vows here on this page but I am trying to honor a friend (this is the only way I can do it now) by telling you all what he has achieved.

He has got a special appraisal, an appraisal worth a lifetime! Ah, so u guessed it? Nah. He has not been promoted, nor being sent to an off shore client on eye rolling green salary. I am sure none of you would get it right and I must tell you before over-spicing to the extent of tastelessness.

Gentleman Cadet Vikrant Singh as he is now, has broken the barriers of Ctrl C, Ctrl V development teams, murky scripting and testing arenas to join a new battlefield. And this battlefield is going to be real. Absolute real, where there are no logical-syntactical bugs, no foreign clients and no un-necessary coffee vending machines. He has left a high paying comfortable job in an MNC for a different job that demands standard, which speak for them.

Cracking IMA (for those who haven’t yet got it, Indian Military Academy), is not something one can ever compare with getting into IIMs, IITs or the best US university; it is much more than that; and much tougher too. With a majority of engineers blindly running in a ‘cat’ race or craving for a US visa, what Vikrant a.k.a Tau has achieved is something that enlightens the spirit of patriotism, determination, self less ness and self belief. I remember when one of my friends was saying, “ Why do we over hype the army, they lay their life because it’s a part of their duty, like I work till midnight sometimes?” I am ashamed that there was a day when I partly agreed with his line of thought but accepting that ‘job’ itself is courageous enough to be respected, I feel now. Especially Tau leaving a lucrative job for a meager salary, for his lust to serve the nation is not some kind of a cynicism; it is passion for the country. Even sometimes when I boast about my patriotic zeal, I must confess I cant lay my life for the nation. While IT sector promises a lavish life style, (unhealthy) flexible work timings, vacations on Christmas and a holiday on July 4 (not on August 15); a disciplined life, a funeral under the wraps of our own tricolor is what attracted Tau more.

Although his parents wanted him to be an IAS and he was preparing wholeheartedly, but as he told me, being in military means, if someone is detrimental to the nation in your domain, shoot him while an IAS would always be under the command of a foolish and morally bankrupt politician. Of course the defense minister reigns above the armed forces too but at least a soldier’s vicinity is not dirty and rotten. There have only been a few cases of corruption there till now (please don’t spoil the note of this text as you may argue that not all cases are reported).

He got what he wanted to and I just wish he completes his training there successfully and I go to his passing out parade and witness him stepping his ‘Antim Pag’.

By the way Tau will always be Tau, he can anytime pop up with questions like, “Brian Lara lefty hai na?”

which one is better? a beer or a woman?

Beer v/s Women, Which is better
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. A beer is always wet, a woman isn't.
1 point for beer!

2. Beer is horrible when it is hot.
1 point for women!

3. A cold beer satisfies you.
1 point for beer!

4 . If you come back home smelling beer, your wife can get angry at you. If
you come back home smelling women, your wife will get angry for sure and she
might even not talk to you again.
Draw! (It depends on your point of view).

5. 10 beers in a night and then you can't drive. 10 women in one night and
you don't have to drive anywhere!
1 point for women!

6. The older beer is, the better.
1 point for beer!

7. Many beers can make you see UFO's. Many women can make you see God!
1 point for women!

8. If you ask yourself how the next woman will be, you're normal. If you ask
yourself how the next beer will be, you're alcoholic.
1 point for women!

9. For a beer you pay taxes.
1 point for women!

10. If you take a second beer, the first one doesn't get angry.
1 point for beer!

11. You can always be sure that you're the first one "opening" a beer.
1 point for beer!

12. If you shake a beer, after a while it calms down by itself.
1 point for beer!

13. You know exactly how much a beer costs.
1 point for beer!

14. A beer doesn't have a mother.
1 point for beer!

15. You can do it if you want, but beer won't ask you to hug her for half an
hour after.
1 point for beer!

Final Score: Beer beats women. (9 to 6)
If you're a woman and getting angry, think that a beer wouldn't.

Another point for beer! FINAL SCORE: 10 to 6.

not my own creativity but i really liked this one!

my frend BAG

July 5

Last evening I had a chance to talk to one of my college batch mate whom I hve always considered one of the best fellows in my batch albeit his academic life. He could recognize my voice as easily as I could his voice, which reminded me of the rapport we shared sumtime back in the good old days in the hostel rooms of our alma mater.

It is always very heartening talking to him coz he s always happy but the last conversation just left me aghast. He is suffering from a kind of epilepsy, which his doctor says is because of a tapeworm in his brain. I was wondering if Bag ever had a brain but he was damn serious. And he had been in trauma for the past six months with 4 severe attacks. It was literally difficult to hold my ground when I imagined our very own Bag lying on ground vibrating, his teeth tight, limbs clenched, tongue twisted and mouth frothing. But of course I remained calm, or I might have accrued to his agony. He has been instructed not to drive and swim for all of his life, on a heavy dose of drugs to wipe the dead larvae of the tapeworm off his head. He has lost his privacy for someone must accompany him for ablutions too, can’t go to work and his life virtually is certainly out of normalcy. He is no longer a normal man.

I was sad but to my astonishment I gauged a sense of excitement in his voice while he was explaining all the fundas of his version of epilepsy. He was very quick to tell me the formulas of his doses, the name of the medicines, the doctor, hospital and what not associated with his ailment. He, as always, had added his own flavor of humor in what I thought was the end of all happiness! At the end of that chat which we had to cut short because of his very time bound routine, I was thinking about the disease, my friend’s predicament but I had a strange kind of a smile!

As I later explained it to my flat-mate and Bag’s friend, I couldn’t hide my mixed feelings and he also knowing what Bag is, was carrying the same strange kind of smile composed of horror of the disease and love for Bag’s naive sense of humor!

Arjun Singh....get well soon!

The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work.
It is in how respected he is at home.

-Anonymous

I read it long time back and I think the self-dignified angel of Indian social reforms Hon’ble union minister for HRD must go through this very truthful adage. The recent spat in his home and his comments about the same quite clearly speculate his credentials as someone who can manage the billion plus human resources of our country.

I agree I am an anti-reservationist and the argument that my hatred towards minister’s policies is making me crib over his personal life might be true. But when someone is a public figure, someone invades our social thought process, someone fuels the splinter of reservations for his personal motives; we have an equal right to discuss his personal life too. His decisions have sparked hatred among the youth, and we are involuntary amenable to his ways because he is a minister serving us, a public servant democratically elected. Then we have the right to bring his character in public too.

To the charges he has been framed upon, he argued that he stays away from family matters. He didn’t attend his grand son’s marriage because he disapproved it. The question is, why you stay aloof of your family matters? If there was harassment under your nose, why didn’t you prick it? If a woman in limited confines of his house can be beaten up for dowry, what right he had to vote for Pratibha Patil? The minister stayed mute because it was his family and he let his family decide what is right or wrong! Then why the hell he doesn’t keep his mouth shut about reservations? Why is he spreading the acrid flavor all over the nation? Let the people decide by themselves if they need any such reservation!

This might sound awry, but such delicate an issue can be solved only through a national referendum. Yes, it means an added burden to our already stooping nation but it is much better to have a nation free from such abashing issues rather than saving a few crores, which we might otherwise spent in implementing all the quotas too.

May be since Mr. Arjun Singh is helping a great cause while being the HRD minister, it’s the duty of those who will be benefited un-necessarily to repay their debt.

May be Col. Bainsla (leader of Gujjar community) can now lead his community to smash a few more public buses, so as to help Mr. Singh in this phase of trauma. The Gujjars’ allegiance to the minister might someday re-pay them in form of their long cherished ST status.

The news item indicting Mr. Singh is available here!

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20070731/728662.html

Arjun Singh faces dowry case, Uttar Pradesh for CBI probe
New Delhi/Lucknow | July 31, 2007 1:05:11 AM IST

Union Human Resource Development Minister and senior Congress leader Arjun Singh faces a dowry harassment case, registered on a complaint from the father of his granddaughter-in-law, even as the Uttar Pradesh government decided to hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Arjun Singh denied here Monday any association with the branch of his family directly implicated by the erstwhile ruler of Narauli Madhvendra Singh. Reacting to the report about the case being registered, he told reporters: "It has nothing to do with me. I stay away from family matters".

Meanwhile, the Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh government decided to entrust the probe into the case to CBI.

"Since the matter involves a senior central minister and his immediate family members, the state government has decided to hand over the entire case to the country's premier investigation agency," Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary Javeed Ahmed told reporters in Lucknow Monday evening.

Madhvendra Singh, whose daughter Priyanka had married Arjun Singh's grandson Abhijit Singh, has alleged that the minister and his family members have been demanding a Mercedes car along with a flat in Noida near Delhi as dowry and have even beaten his daughter for not giving in to their demands.He complained to the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Chandausi who directed the Moradabad police to register a case of dowry harassment.

The CJM of Moradabad passed orders for the registration of the case July 27. The magistrate directed the police to name Arjun Singh, his wife, his son Abhimanyu Singh, daughter-in-law Beena Singh, sister-in-law Aradhana Singh, grandson Abhijit, brother-in-law Dilip Singh and Dilip's daughter Mandakani Singh as accused in the case.

Moradabad's Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Prakash admitted that the case was registered at the instance of the magistrate.

A new national hero!

There have been innumerous times when the police would deliberately or inadvertently charge an innocent but he is later acquitted by the judiciary. There has been a customary investigation procedure to look out for clues, when someone is charged. And when it comes to acts of terrorism, it is all but natural to peep deep within the family and possessions of the suspect. The traces thus acquired are used to further probe the case and those involved in it.

Thus, it was quite inevitable for the Australian Govt to charge Dr Haneef since his SIM card was found in the house of the Glasgow airport blast accused. The trial was framed and when the attorney failed to prove anything, he was simply let go. It is as simple as that. Of course revoking his visa has proved to be a bone of contention now. But even that can have a very amicable excuse. All those visa applicants must be quite aware of the reality that any criminal association, or even a false FIR can make it cumbersome to obtain a visa on moral grounds. Anyone implicated in the terror attacks in India, even when acquitted, wont be able to get work visa in any of the developed nations especially after 9/11 attacks. Though it is unethical, but when the security matters, it matters above a lot of things.

So what is really extra ordinary about Dr Haneef? Why has there been such a hullabaloo about his case? Why is he being welcomed in the nation as if he has brought our single haul of an Olympic bronze medal? Has he just been back from a space mission or after winning a Nobel Prize for his research in medicine? He hasn’t done anything for the under privileged either! He went to Australia, no doubt, for big money; got implicated for his kin’s deed, won a legal battle and is back. He studied in India and worked for Australians when there already is a shortage of doctors back home! The nation backed him diplomatically so stalwartly that, had we done the same in ’93 Mumbai blasts, we would have been able to extradite probably Dawood or Tiger Memon!

Has any one soldier or even a battalion, any one sportsman or even our cricket team ever been on front page for full 15 days at a stretch in esteemed Indian newspapers? I doubt even Gujarat earthquakes or Tsunami was given such a great media coverage.

I feel may be Dr Haneef was brought to books because of his religion, but I am pretty sure, he has been projected as a national celebrity on the very same rationale. I read yesterday, “ The Muslim doctor on his way back home…” Is it really important that he is a Muslim; what if he had been a Hindu or a Christian? I have serious apprehensions as to he might be felicitated like someone who has brought the homeland laurels just by proving his innocence.

Has he paved the way for all the Muslims who are always stared with uncertainity? “Even a Muslim can be innocent!” or, “Not all Muslims are terrorist!” Is it what media wants to bring into limelight? Or government wants to emphasize its secular credentials that they protected a Muslim?

Well, the conclusions can be invariably varied but for now the doctor’s family is as elated as Tusshar Kapoor would get after a super hit!

A RENDEZVOUS WITH THE NATIONAL HERO

Can you guess whom the old man standing with the smart young one in the picture is? Well, neither could I have been able to do that, had I not happened to see him last Tuesday!

Parametric technologies limited (PTC) invited people from my office to attend a thought forum on aerospace and defense. Nobody was interested but when told about the venue, Le Meridian, and allurement of free dinner and cocktails, we, the lowest cadre of engineers here, were tempted to join and hence we confirmed our benign presence. Four of us from cdot and one of my colleague’s friends finally reached the Le Meridian.

The forum was scheduled to start at 7:30 pm and all of us were equally excited as we have not been to a place of the repute of Le Meridian but it was quite understandable that the 5 star dinner was not going to be absolute free of cost since we would have to go through a mental trauma worth 2 hours of abstruse and monotonous technical talks. Though we are all technocrats but every technicality is what we try to avoid after 5 in the evening. The organizers probably aware of this fact overly emphasized the cocktails in the invitation.

And finally we reached D place; right ten minutes late, but it was not something to feel embarrassed about. After all it was an Indian event, supposed to be delayed for at least 20 minutes. So it was.

As we entered the convention hall, al eyes were on us. Of course, not because they were expecting us, but because, in a baroque ambience, dressed in ordinary office-wear, we were looking as pale as a drop of mustard oil on the clean water surface. But there could be no retreat now, so we pretended to ignore the gazing eyes and sometime later, the eminent personalities present there were also not staring us. We also didn’t stay behind to enjoy a variety of juices and appetizers.

At last, a huge fat-head, wearing a business suit, indicated the beginning of the grand event with an elite panel of 5 guests, a national hero as the convener and a meager number of audience including us.

The convener retired wing commander Rakesh Sharma, when called upon the dais gave an appearance of a distinguished personality and the way he carried himself, picking words very precisely; it was quite inevitable not to catch a glimpse of his charisma. The panelists’ credentials were equally impressive too. One Mr. Sisodia retired secretary, defense procurement; one Dr Attre, ex chairman DRDO; one Mr. Maheshwari, senior in Tata motors; retired chief of navy admiral Arun Prakash and one more man who is a member of space commission of India. It was very difficult not just to remember but also even to write down the plethora of titles and achievements all those were attributed. Here I m mentioning only a miniscule portion of what was said. We were bound to look towards each other, as Wg. Cdr. Sharma carried out with the proceedings.

The talks they give were all their practical experiences in their respective domains. The bureaucrat gave all the statistics; DRDO chief gave all philosophy; Retd. Admiral was all spanking the system; space commission member telling all hi abstract stories and the Tata motors man amalgamating his personal achievements with those of his organization. Well, it might take more than a thousand words to elaborate what everybody talked about but I have more important to write about what I said.

After the panelists were over it was the turn of the audience to give their views on the foggy agenda. That was, I knew, my chance to interact directly with the people of that stature. And I talked about student participation, hiring willing researchers for PSUs like DRDO, HAL and then praising the aerospace and defense, since it was necessary to tone down while getting back into my seat. I was trembling a bit while I got in to chair, the adrenaline retreating to its source! I got response from everybody and I was sure, I was going to have a personal chat with all of them and it happened soon.

First Dr. Attre, then space commissions member and then the person whom I was desperately waiting for Wg. Cdr. Rakesh Sharma. And to my surprise, he was talking to me just like a friend helping other in distress. One might not believe, how engrossed we were in conversation! As I alluded about his maiden space flight and enquired the truth of his statement which we have been reading about in books, he was emotional enough to tell me, “ young man, it comes right from the heart!” He also enquired about my aim in life, my dilemma and suggested me his self-tested remedy too. “Whenever you are in a dilemma, follow only the first instinctive thought that comes to your mind, all thoughts after that are rationalizations!” was his solution.

I felt privileged to actually communicate with a man of honor and equally elated to get his personal email ID as well. Of course my friends didn’t let me forget our real intentions of visiting the place in emotions and I dozed off heavily a variety of drinks from scotch, vodka to red wine.

The rendezvous was an experience of the lifetime and will stay in my memory for eternity. Later next morning, while discussing the night’s proceedings with my tl, a deep thought ran my mind. “When one always interacts with similar type of middle class people as himself, he is contented in the confines of his own little world, but to feel the kick of reaching to the pinnacle of social status, meeting such people definitely makes sense.”

Emulating my bosses or the director of my organization is not what I would hate to do but if could get to the level of extra ordinary men; life would certainly be much better!

The Right propaganda

Right propaganda

I recently came across a half page advertisement from Delhi police against the menace of eve- teasing. There have been innumerous campaigns for curbing the problem but this one; unlike all the previous ones had a very different tone.

It was a desperate call to manhood of all those who turn their faces off any event of eve teasing. The typical Delhi culture of trying to be aloof of anyone else’s agony, was highlighted as well as challenged in that particular campaign. I feel that this is the need of the hour when people instead of wailing about the government nuclear policy, rise above being mute spectators, understand their social responsibility, and be pro-active citizens to save any woman of the harassment and embarrassment she faces on the hands of eve- teasers. What is the point in writing gigantic editorials, huge essays with a plethora of abstruse words on everything from global warming, US politics to presidential elections when our own social structure is craving for a radical change? I sometimes wonder, are we really mature to have a woman president while we cant help a lady on a bus stop?

The advertisement reminded me of a friend, who was trying to help a lady in a public bus but was admonished by his father, “This is not a movie where you help a girl, beat the goons and are acclaimed a hero!” and he was gently pushed back in his seat. This is exactly the way most of us think and that need to be rationalized. May be the fact need to be forged in his father’s mind that his daughter sometimes travels alone too.

I hereby would like to congratulate Delhi police for coming out with such a propaganda, which would definitely lift the morals of not just generation X but also people aged my friend’s father!

yeh jo des hai mera, swades hai mera.....

Monday July 2 2007

Last night, I had a strange kind of experience when I suddenly got the same feeling, which Shahrukh got in ‘Swades’. I met elder brother of a good friend and my flat mate Pavan who is also a colleague of mine. His brother had come on the purpose of visiting German embassy to get his visa to Munich for his masters in Geomatics. I was quite impressed by the way he carried himself and his physical fitness. Obviously I was enthralled by his success that he was going to Germany for research.

He shares the same degree with me and has been working in DRDO for the last 4 years. It was kind of a big delay in pursuing a masters since he is aged 27 this date. A typical Indian company provides ample vroom for further studies but when I asked him why he got delayed his answer took me by surprise. He told me that he couldn’t make it in 2004 before he had a chance of visiting Antarctica with the annual Indian expedition to maitri, our research center over there. He said it was a lifetime chance and it was worth this delay in his PG course. He showed me hundreds of his photographs from Antarctica to Capetown to Goa all shot during the expedition.

I was certainly captivated by the beauty of the virgin ice, the abysmal glaciers, gigantic icebergs and what not. He showed pics of a ceremony, which is observed, when anyone enters the Antarctic Circle, the sign boards there displaying huge distances of Indian mainland from maitri.

Then as an obvious inquisitive me, asked about the budget of an expedition of which even he was not sure what DRDO would gain out from. He was too proud to say that government spends an average of Rs.70 lacs per expedition per person. Such an exorbitant amount! I don’t know why I couldn’t restraint myself and said, “And still you are leaving them to study outside with intentions of settling abroad?” May be he could not assimilate that too well and later said, “ After visiting a place like that just going to the moon is what is left, but of course one shouldn’t be too sentimental, the way you are getting. You go there, you enjoy and you come back, there is no scope for being emotional, life moves on…aaj yahan kal kahin aur.”

An engineer becomes worth research only after hands on experience for about 2-3 years. I was traumatized as to how he used the govt infrastructure, govt money to fulfill his own fantasy and after actually gaining an experience of 4 years, when it is actually his time to pay back the nation, he is leaving to serve someone else. His plans themselves boast of his intentions to just earn more even if it means kissing foreign asses. I don’t know why the PSUs don’t take a HR interview in their selection process to recruit only those who have the zeal for research for the nation!

The PSUs have over a period of time contributed much but of lately, are reduced to a state where they are considered as hubs where one can prepare for his future in addition to a handsome salary. In my organization I meet people preparing for civil services, CAT and GRE, even I might someday prepare for a high earning future. Most of the people argue about the rampant availability of free time as a consequence of which this phenomenon is emerging but I feel its all a vicious circle, there is free time because people don’t work and people don’t work that is why there is time!

I admit even I would want to be a man with money I cant count, power that I have always cherished but all on my own soil where my strength holds some meaning for my nation, where every rupee spend on my pleasure and leisure stays in our economy, boosts our nation’s growth, not of the people who considers us the labor.

I some times think about the plight of labor from eastern UP and Bihar in the towns of northern or western India, they way the word ‘bihari’ is used as an abuse and then I think about the people serving the westerners.

What would they call that DRDO scientist in Germany?

It's better to drink alcohol and talk shit than...

It has been scientifically proven that if we drink one litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than one kilo of Escherichia Coli Bacteria found in water contained in faeces. In other words, we are consuming one kilo of shit. However, we do not run that risk when drinking rum, gin, whiskey, beer, wine or other liquors because alcohol has to go through a distillation process of boiling, filtering and fermentation. It is my duty to communicate to all of you people who are drinking water, to stop doing so. It has been scientifically proven that it is unhealthy and bad for you. THEREFORE - It is better to drink alcohol and talk shit than to drink water and be full of it.

what is news channels doing?

well, last night while i was watching a news channel on tv i saw something really disturbing. After the bomb blast in samjhauta express late sunday night, the news channel (INDIA TV) was showing pictures of people who have sustained burn injuries to an extent that it could be disturbing for most of people, especially for kids.
secondly, they were asking weird questions from those injured as well as from relatives of those dead. i think its high time our media rises to a level above TRP ratings and deliver some meaningful news to the masses!!!