INDIAN SOCIETY yb

Craze for cars

2012-01-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Cars transport people. Public Transport utilities like buses, also provide the service of transporting people.

Indians have got obsessed with a strong urge to buy cars. This is not because they have become an essential commodity like food, clothing, shelter and old age security.

We need not, in the ordinary course, grudge this. But for India and the world this is going to become a serious problem in several ways. 1. Scarcity of petroleum products. 2. Pollution. 3. Traffic congestions. 4. Unnecessary accidents with increase in the number of physically challenged persons 5. Parking problems 6. Increase in cost of housing, as price is to be paid for parking area in the basement. 7. Taking away agricultural land for road widening. 8. Monthly repayment burden on salaries and wages. 9. Obesity and diabetes. 10. Corruption owing to an uncontrollable urge to buy cars by hook or crook. 11. Diversion of agriculturl lands for widening roads.

Cars, today, are objects of conspicuous consumption and they have demonstration effect.

Q: Shouldn't anybody acquire car? Should he be a sanyAsi (monk)?

Ans: Do not belittle monks. They stand first in the queue of buying cars. Otherwise, how can they perform their chAturmAsya (four months sojourn at a single place, ostensibly rains do not allow movement)?

Q: Who actually need cars? Do doctors need?

Ans: Doctors of yore used to need, because they used to visit patients at their homes and prescribe. Today's doctors make patients to wait for hours in the conveyor belt like mode of sealing bottle cap. Consultants running around from one Super Specality Hospital to another Super Speciality Hospital may probably need.

Q: Do Sales representatives need?

Ans; They can go faster using bikes. Parking becomes a problem if they go on cars. Besides, they have to move quickly through the jammed vehicles, or else they will miss their appointments.

Q: Do employees need?

Ans: The practice of employers providing group transportation to employees to and fro to the work place, should develop. This ensures punctuality and regularity in attendance. The journey time in the Company bus can also be used for finding solutions to work-related problems. It improves inter-departmental co-operation because employees travelling in the same bus become more acquainted with one another and communications become easy.

Q: Won't businessmen need cars?

Ans: liaison Agents and lobbyists get things done, just by phones. Even they do not personally go to Government Agencies or clients. Businessmen use the luxury cars for going to clubs.

Q: Then who need cars?

Ans: Agriculturists may need some sort of station-wagons for transporting agricultural produce and workers. Hospitals may need ambulances. Employers, schools need mini-buses. What for, will be cars?

Q: Won't we need cars for week-end picnics?

Ans: This is one good usage, which cars can be put to. But can a country like India with its starving 1.2 billion afford cars? Those who buy cars in India depend more on mainly five types of income and wealth. 1. Those who get foreign funds. 2. Those who have high-fetching urban properties 3. Those who lend money. 4. Those who speculate. 5. Professionals like Doctors with great demand.

Q: How will this car mania end?

Ans: Car mania is different from cell-mania. When cell phones entered the country, they were items of conspicuous consumption. Their utility have made them essential daily use goods. Because of low price, and low energy needs, they have become the darlings of the population. Cars are unlikely to reach this state. Color TVs were items of conspicuous consumption for sometime. They, instead of serving the information needs of people, have become garbage servers. Having seen color TVs, people refused to look at portable TVs and BW TVs. To satisfy the people's urge, political parties have started making promises of free color TVs free laptops and free tablets. Someday will come, when parties have to offer free cars for each household.

A 20 Multiple Choice Question Test on Indian Society

2011-07-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Indian Culture is great, so do the Lovers of India say and canvass. How much of Indian culture do such Indians know? How much we know? Isn't it desirable for us to have a stock of it? Here is a small MCQ Test based on Indian Culture. Just , click the answer which you consdier as the best. Press the 'get score button' when you are done. You can press the 'get score' button any number of times even in the midst of test. Press 'reset' if you want to try afresh.

1.Parsis in India use the calendar:

Fasli
Shahenshahi
Kadmi
Gregorian

2.Onam is a festival popular in

Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Kerala
Tamil Nadu

3.Bihu is celebrated as new year in

Assam
Punjab
Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh

4.Dandia and Garba are dance forms popular in

Assam
Gujarat
Karnataka
West Bengal

5.Ghoomar and kachchi Gori are dance forms popular in

Assam
Bihar
Rajasthan
Jharkhand

6.Pandit Ravi Shankar is a celebrated exponent of

Sarod
Sitar
Santoor
jaltarang

7.The language the books of which have won the largest number of Jnan Pith awards:

Hindi
Bengali
Kannada
Marathi

8.Sharda Script of writing is popular in

NorthEast India
South India
West India
NorthWest India

9.Where a father gives away his daugher after blessing the couple with the text "May both of you perform together your duties", the marriage is known as

brAhma
Arsha
daiva
prAjApatya

10.When a man seduces a girl while sleeping, the marriage is called

Asura
gAndharva
rAkshasa
piSAca

11.Dayabhaga and Mitakshara codes deal with

cultivation
inheritance
marriage
trade

12.Indian Constitution permits reservations on the basis of

economic backwardness
social backwardness
religious backwardness
all

13.The Indian scripture which wants the fourth caste persons to weave baskets if they could not find suitable masters to serve

Valmiki Ramayana
Mahabharata
Mahabhagavata
Manu Smriti

14.The Indian State which has a right to decide whether any law made by Indian Parliament should not apply to it:

Arunachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Nagaland
Sikkim

15.India prohibited child marriages in the year:

1881
1929
1948
2000

16.According to National Crime Records Bureau, which State has the highest number of child marriage cases reported? (Some States may have a large number of unreported Child marriage cases):

Andhra Pradesh
Gujarat
Rajasthan
Madhya Pradesh

17.According to Sec. 125 of Indian Penal Code:

All divorcing should pay maintenance to their divorced wives
Muslim husbands need not pay maintenance
Christian husbands need not pay
Muslim and Christian husbands need not pay

18.Sec. 498A of Indian Penal Code is a popular Section. It deals with

property rights to women
reservations for women
harassment for dowry
kidnap and rape

19.What percentage of Indians are above 60 years?

1 to 10
11 to 20
21 to 30
31 to 40

20.The country which has the largest number of children in the world:

Brazil
China
India
South Africa

Coining new word 'Compassionism'

2011-07-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

I get a temptation to coin the word 'compassionism'. I am unable to find it in standard dictionaries.

The trigger for this idea: A blog by Mr./Ms. Naresh Sharma at Naresh-Sharma.Sulekha.com.

The title of the blog post is 'A case against vegetarianism'.

I quote the introductory lines of the blog post:

Many people in India are vegetarians. The argument often given (wisely) is of compassion and kindness, that we should not kill animals and birds ruthlessly and eat their blood-soaked flesh. This argument is however incomplete.

This article points out the insufficiency of the argument with respect to making a vegetarian person more compassionate and kind than a non-vegetarian one. More specifically, I'm trying to say that although vegetarianism may be a necessary condition for being a truly kind and honest person, it may be more likely (statistically speaking in the Indian context) that a non-vegetarian person is more active, kind and compassionate than a vegetarian one. ... ,,,

My views
'Compassionism' , I am not proposing as a rigid doctrine. I am trying to present some colors and shades of 'the need for compassion'.

1. India is a poor country.
2. Land is scarce.
3. Vegetarian foods draw less resources from land than non-vegetarian foods. Meats, chicken, fish, eggs etc. are to be made from animals which have to consume feed for a number of days/months before they start yielding eggs or gaining body-weight.

4. Cutting vegetables can cause as much pain to plants as killing the animals causes to animals. Animals wail loudly. Plants weep silently.

5. We, humans cannot survive without eating animals or plants. Something must be eaten. Hence causing pain to other living things
become inevitable. We have to think of minimising the damage by eating less of plants/animals. We shall be drawing less from this Earth and cause less environmental damage if we satisfy ourselves with plant-food.

6. Compassion in food-related areas, we can term as food-compassionism. An over-eater whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian obviously will be less kind to nature than an under-eater or a moderate-eater.

7. There can be any number of traits of compassion or 'compassionisms'. Compassion becomes a countable noun, because there are different varieties of compassion, kindness and nobleness. Example: Antonio vs. Shylock in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Antonio was interest-compassionate.

8. We have in India some pure-vegetarian communities. They will rank very high in food-compassionism. Some of them may be lending monies to poor persons at usurious rates of interest. Such money-lenders collect their dues quite merciless. In 'lending-compassionism', the money-lenders will rank low. We have another type of money-lenders known as 'kabooliwalahs' and 'multaniwalahs' etc. They are non-vegetarians. They too lend at very high rates of interest and recover them as mercilessly as the vegetarian money-lenders do. The non-vegetarian money-lenders may rank low both in food-compassionism and lending-compassionism.

9. A person, who wants to be a truly compassionate person, may have to be compassionate in as many different sectors of compassion , as possible. He cannot be extremely compassionate in one area and totally heartless in another area. Gentleness and moderateness, we need -- not selectively -- but as a part of our very nature. Example: Jesus Christ wanted to be compassionate to humans. But he was 'uncompassionate' to animals when he feasted with meats and barbecues. His rank will be very high in terms of compassion to humans, but very low in 'compassion to humans'.

10. A person who is very compassionate to other humans need not denigrate the persons who are compassionate to animals. The 'compassionate to human' person need not be 'uncompassionate to animals'. Trying to justify such uncompassionateness by making numerous arguments and writing lengthy articles, will only reveal the hollowness of their habits.

A person can never be 100% perfect or 100% compassionate given this Capitalist Society and the merciless society we inherit. Many Indians, fortunately are vegetarians, whatever be their other shortcomings. They have to try to overcome their shortcomings.

I am sad that more and more Indians are becoming slaves of non-vegetarian foods, either because of 'habits' such as alcohol + non-veg. or compulsions from friends.

Summary: Food-compassionism is separate from lending-compassionism or animal compassionism or plant compassionism or some other compassionism. A person has to conquer oneself in many areas. That endeavor should continue , be he/she a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.

Akshaya Tritiya is driving Indians into near-insanity

2011-05-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

The hunger and thirst for gold is chasing the Indians to corruption and insanity.

Akshaya Tritiyaa, the gold-buying binge day, was by and large ignored in the 20th Century. The traditional jewellery purchase festivals like Pongal and Divali and the wedding seasons were enough to madden the middle class and wealth Indians of the last Century.

The Akshaya Tritiya is outsmarting every other festival. The amount of gold purchased on the Akshaya Tritiyaa day is multiplying in geometrical progression.

Indians buy approximately 15 to 20 tonnes of gold on the Akshaya Tritiya Day.

Akshaya Tritiya was a Jain Festival of penance, renunciation, and sacrifice. It has nothing to do with buying gold.

Akshaya Tritiya as a Hindu Festival also seeks its followers to worship the God Vishnu and his wife Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of eight types of Wealth which include education, children, corn, valor, etc.). Worship of Kubera (God of monetary Wealth) used to take place on a low scale.

The problem with Commerce , Industry and Trade is : they enflare desires. They awaken and arouse desires which were dormant or non-existent in families and individuals. A Nation, after all, is nothing but, the collective embodiment and will of its individual citizens. A Nation becomes gold-crazy , when its constituent citizens become gold-greedy, resulting in uncontrollable corruption.

Live Example
Mr. Kethan Desai, the then President of the Medical Council of India, was arrested in April 2010 on charges of corruption. What was the amount of gold seized from him? 1.5 tonnes or 1,500 kg.

Seizing of gold ornaments of 1 kg. and silver utensils of 10 kg. is quite common in raids by Anti Corruption Department/CBI.

1 kg. gold has recently been offered as a lottery-prize, by an English newspaper, to promote its circulation. Buying a small gold ring of approx. 10 gms. itself is a great dream for an average Indian. Where is the question of buying one kg. gold, by a hardworking individual?

Sathya Sai Baba's craze for gold is not well-known. His Yajurveda Mandir's walls were covered with gold. He has a gold temple-car for himself. His capability to produce gold chains by slight of hand for presenting to his affluent devotees is his key business skill.

Indian scriptures are also full of references to thirst for gold.

King Janaka once wanted to test Brahmins. He has arranged for a thousand bulls. Every bull has two bags of thousand gold coins hung to its horns. He, then invited the assembled Brahmins. He asked any one of them who had self-confidence that he was endowed perfect gnaanam (knowledge) and claim the bullocks. No one initially came forward to claim the gold bags and the bulls, though everybody had an urge within himself to carry the treasure away. Sage Yagnavalkya after sometime came forward and claimed the lot. There were, thereafter, some arguments among the Brahmins so on and so forth.

Yudhisht`hira (Dharmaraja) , after the catastrophic Mahabharata war started suffering from a guilty complex of having annihilated his kith and kin. Sage Vyasa advised him, in Book 13 (Asvametha Parva) to perform a horse-sacrifice (Asvametha Yagna) and thereby cleanse his sins. Yudhisht`hira hesitated to perform the sacrifice because it needed tonnes of gold for gifting to priests, which did not have. Sage Vyasa advised him to dig Himalaya Mountains and procure the gold left out by Brahmanas in the sacrifice performed by King Marutta. Yudhisht`hira accordingly collected the gold from Himayalayas and completed the sacrifice.

Indian Star Wedding or British Royal Wedding?

2011-05-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Telugu film Hero 'Junior N.T.R.' is getting married with the daughter of a T.V. channel tycoon. Venue: Hyderabad.

Original guest list 25,000. Pruned guest list 15,000.
Police protection : 1,000 strong.

Bouncers (Meaning : a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting) : 150 Nos.

Wedding mandap (A hooded canopy or shelter with four pillars and a top -sitting in which the priest, bride, bridegroom, and their parents perform the marriage vows) : Cost Rs. 20 million.

Cost of lighting : Rs. 5 million.

Wedding Feast : 20 course dinner. This will fortunately be vegetarian. For 15,000 guests x @ Rs. 200 estimate per plate : Rs. 3 million.

Bride's wedding dress (sarees woven with gold threads etc.) : approx. Rs. 15 million!

Dowry : Not known.
Gold : Not known.

Wedding invitations : Do they use gold-embossed invitations or silver-embossed invitations?

Claims : Not spent lavishly. Want to avoid unnecessary pomp. Cost effective simple arrangements.

Who gave so much wealth to the film star and the tv channel tycoon?

This wedding may pale into a tiny dot of insignificance when compared to the ostentatiousness of the Prince William's Wedding which took place recently. The cost of the Royal Wedding was estimated between Pounds 30 million and 30 billion!

One Indian female Tennis Star sold the broadcasting rights of her wedding for a fat sum. Will Junior NTR also sell the broadcasting rights of his marriage? What will happen to his father-in-law TV tycoon?

The costs of British Royal Wedding were apparently born by the Queen and the Prince, and probably the British Exchequer under the pretext of providing protocol and security to the guests. Who will bear the costs of Indian star weddings? The star and his father-in-law will initially spend from their black-money. The star will try to increase his price for new films. The T.V. Channel will also try to find new avenues of income.

Junior N.T.R. will come before the crowds with great speeches, folding his hands and making promises.

#020 MEDIA AGOG WITH PERCEIVED DEMAND FOR WHAT THEY PRODUCE

2010-11-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

Indian Media is agog with sex gossip.

It believes that circulations will increase or readers will multiply , just by publishing celebrity chase stories.

One such example is : Deepika Padukone and Siddharth Mallya clicked together in Dubai.

Example 2 : Anna Kournikova and singer Enrique Iglesias moving together.

Do Indians really bother about celebrity relationships ?

Who is misleading whom ? Is Media misleading youth ? Are the youth misleading the Media ?

DURDINAM - BAD DAY

2010-11-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Sanskrit and most Indian languages have a word reading : 'durdinam' , which literally means ' bad day ' . It referred to the day on which the sky was entirely overcast with clouds and darkness pervaded everywhere.

Some of the worst days in Indian History would have been :

* The day on which Ghazni Mohammed ransacked the Somnath Temple , the second time .
* The day on which Ghori Mohammed slayed Prithviraj Chauhan , the Rajput ruler who bravely fought him.
* The day on which Malik Kaffir beheaded and deskinned the Yadava King ' Shankara Mahaadeva ' and the Anegondi King ' Bizzala IV ' .

We can probably include the 22nd November 2010 in the list. Reasons :

* The Indian People again knew that both the UPA and the NDA rulers engaged themselves in acts of grave corruption and nepotism.

* The President of India, the Prime Minister of India , and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh fell at the feet of an ordinary Godman : ' Puttaparti Satya Saibaba '.

* They used special planes and office cars for the purpose of prostrating before their savior.

* Prominent industrialists like Ratan Tata attended the celebrations.

# 018 WE SHOULD LEARN FROM BIHAR GOVERNMENT- THE WAY TO COMMEMORATE KHUDIRAM BOSE

2010-03-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Khudiram Bose was a great freedom fighter, who laid down his life at the alter of the Mother India.

Birth: Dec. 3, 1889.

Execution: Aug. 11, 1908 at the age of 18.

The British Government executed him for a bomb attack against the Chief Presidency Magistrate Kingsford.

He was buried in Muzzafarpoor, Bihar.

People forgot about the place of his burial at Chandwara ghat, Muzaffarpur Bihar. .

The Bihar Municipality built a Public toilet, at the place where he was buried.

The Government of India is somewhat better. It named the Railway Station at which Khudiram Bose was arrested while having tea, as "Khudiram Pusa".

Hats off to Mr. A. Kishore kumar Munna, an Independent M.L.A. from Bihar, for raising this issue in the Bihar State Assembly.

#017 WHAT AN UNGRATEFUL NATION?

2010-02-27T00:46:00.000-08:00

Today is the death anniversary of Chandrasekhara Azad, the great Indian Freedom Fighter. Azad shot himself during a shooting exchange with police on Feb. 27, 1931. He was in his prime youth at the time, just 25.

Picture: kind courtesy: nic.in.
Azad was an associate of Bhagat Singh and Basavaraj Rajguru. The death of Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpati Roy motivated Bhagat Singh and Rajguru to shot Sandars who was responsible for Lala's death. Azad shot at the Head Constable Rand guarding Sandars. The Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab announced a reward of Rs. 30,000 for capturing Azad alive or dead.

On the fatal day 27th Feb. 1931, 80 policemen surrounded Azad who went to Alfred Park. An exchange of fire started between the Police and Azad. Azad did not want to be captured or killed by the police. He fired at the policemen till all the bullets in his pistol were exhausted and fired himself with the last bullet.

The Indian Nation is agog with the World Record established by Sachin Tendulkar. Both the Houses of Parliament, the President, Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the leaders of Opposition parties congratulated him. Will any of these fellows care to recall the supreme sacrifice made by Azad? What an ungrateful Nation is India i.e. Bharat?

#016 COMMERCIALISATION OF THE WOMB

2009-11-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

#016 COMMERCIALISATION OF THE WOMB

FACTS
The Hindu Daily issue dated Nov. 1, 2009 contains an Open Page article, by Ms. Anjali Anchayil and Sapne Raheen. The article says: "It is left to our legislators to decide whether the pricing of a womb is tolerable or not".

BLOGGER'S VIEWS
*A few poor women in India may rent out their wombs to childless couples. This, they may be doing under conditions of utmost distress.

*Many Members of Parliament, and Members of Legislative Assembly, in India, sell themselves for supporting this group or that group. Who will decide whether the pricing of an MP/MLA is tolerable or not?

#015 BUY WHYTE AND MACKAY WHISKY AT RS. 300000 PER BOTTLE

2009-11-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

WON'T ONE DAY'S ENJOYMENT MEET ONE YEAR'S SURVIVAL?

FACTS
The Indians spent Rs. 2,500 each to buy ticket a ticket of Rs. 500 in black market, for the One day cricket match held with Australia at Firoz Shaw Kotla, New Delhi, on the 31st Oct. 2009.

BLOGGER'S VIEWS
*Women in India can mobilise with much difficulty Rs. 150 to buy a saree. They protect themselves from the vagaries of monsoon and shame from exposure of their private parts for one year. The rich have to introspect and mend their ways. Revolution will solve the problem, if the rich refuse to stop their malcious ways of amassing money and making it available to their kith and kin for spending thoughtlessly.

*We can not call the cricket spenders fools, because there are other mad people who buy Whyte and Mackay whisky @ Rs. 3,00,000 per bottle and Hennessey VSOP at Rs. 2,500 a bottle and ruin their health. They drive Mercedez Benz cars and kill people on the foot path.

We have to fit Indians into different classes of foolishness.

#014 CRAZE OR MADENESS?

2009-10-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

CRAZE OR MADNESS?

FACTS
Panasonic Plasma TVs worth Rs. 2.8 million or US Dollars 60,000 approx. (103 inch screen) each is on sale not only in Metros like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. B class cities like Vijayavada also sell them.

COMMENTS
Do we need TVs with screens of 103 inch. in homes?

Where does the money for these crazy rich come from? Real Estate? Political corruption? Bureaucratic corruption? Money lending or the fashionable financial innovation? Diversion of bank loans? Black marketing and hoarding? Smuggling? Bootlegging?

Are n't the Indians buying beyond their earning powers? Borrowing capabilities? Which Banks are financing the dealers and the buyers? Do the Banks, whether Public Sector Banks or the Private Sector Banks feel any social responsibilities?

Are n't the Indians going the American way?
*The American borrowers cheated the American Banks in their sub-prime lending.
*The American Banks cheated the American depositors.
*The American Government cheated the American Public by coming to the rescue of the American Banks.
*Is this going to happen to Indian Banks?

*Is the investment of $100 million justified for the project?

*What did the film star Ranbir Kapoor keep in his mind while accepting the brand ambassadorship for the TV?

What do the wise say?

SPEND AND BE FREE. BUT NEVER WASTE

#013 BYKES FOR WHOM?

2009-10-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Bajaj Auto launched the Kawasaki Ninja 250cc motor cycle. A very powerful byke. Price Rs. 2.70 lacs.

Who can buy the byke at this price? -- The sons of bureaucrats, industrialists and politicians having money to throw on their lazy sons some of whom tend to be criminal minded.

The police need this type of powerful bykes to chase criminals. What the police can do if criminals escape on the Ninja 250, unless they too have Ninja 250s?

#012 WHY INDIAN MUSICIANS CRAVE TO WORK IN HOLLYWOOD?

2007-12-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

Shri Adarsh Srivastava, noted Bollywood Composer was reported to have said:

"Here in Bollywood, a musician neither gets money nor respect. I would love to work there."

Read in The Deccan Chronicle, Print Edition, Hyderabad, dt. Dec. 1, 2007. Report from Shri Debarun Borthakur.

To work there, the artist meant USA and the Hollywood. 111 years earlier Swami Vivekananda said the samething in his letter of May 1896 to Ms. Alberta Sturges:

" ... I have had two classes already — they will go on for four or five months and after that to India I go. But it is to Amerique — there where the heart is. I love the Yankee land. I like to see new things. I do not care a fig to loaf about old ruins and mope a life out about old histories and keep sighing about the ancients. I have too much vigour in my blood for that. In America is the place, the people, the opportunity for everything. I have become horribly radical. I am just going to India to see what I can do in that awful mass of conservative jelly-fish, ..."

http://vivekanandayb.blogspot.com/2007/06/india-jelly-fish-yonkee-land-is-good.html

BLOGGER'S VIEW
By the year 1900 the whole thing changed. Vivekananda found it difficult to earn even his passage back.
We shall wait and see what Mr. Srivastava will have to say?

FACTS
On Nov. 29, 2007, there was a fire in a California - Sanfrancisco Restaurant in which two Indians were killed. Here is its link:
http://www.kcbs.com/Two-Dead-in-SF-Restaurant-Fire/1266051.

On our local TV channel, we saw that one victim was from Andhra Pradesh. He was working in the Restaurant parttime while studying his M.S.

BLOGGER'S VIEW
The poor boy lost his life, while aiming for the Great Yankee Land.

Of course, fires and explosions take place even in cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. Few months there was one such explosion at Gokul Chat, an eatery in Hyderabad. Some of the victims were youth from Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Funnily, even if a person stays at one place, still he may lose his life.

Anyway, I wish goodluck to Mr. Adarsh Srivastava. I hope that he will not sacrifice his the values of Indian Music in his lure for the Yankee Dollars.

#011 INDIA RANKS 128 IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX

2007-11-30T05:56:00.000-08:00

The UNDP's Human Development Report, based on 2005 data, is out. India ranks 128 overall.
Here is the link:

http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_IND.html

BLOGGER'S VIEW
The index mainly covers:
1) Life expectancy at birth
2) Adult literacy rate
3) Combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio
4) GDP per capita.

(Incomplete. Will continue)

#010 WHAT TYPE OF MPS INDIANS HAVE?

2007-11-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hey what a country is this!

Members of Parliament canvass for serving liquors on domestic flights in India. Here is a link to the news report:

http://in.news.yahoo.com/071114/43/6n8kj.html.

According to the Press, the MPs involved are:
1. Shri Rajiv Shukla 2. Shri M.S. Gill 3. Shri Tarlochan Singh 4. Shri Vijay Darda.

The MPs claim that it will help Maharashtra wine farmers.

THIS BLOGGER'S VIEWSShri Rajiv Shukla is a Congress MP. He is also a Vice President of BCCI.
Shri M.S. Gill is a Congress member in Rajya Sabha. He is a former Chief Election Commissioner.
Shri Vijay Darda, a Rajya Sabha MP, also seems to be from Congress. He represents Lokmata, a Maratha journal.
Shri Tarlochan Singh, is apparently independent, supported by BJP. He is also in Rajya Sabha. Chairman of National Commission for Minorities of India (NCMI).

NOW WE CAN IMAGINE HOW POWERFUL, THE INDIAN LIQUOR LOBBIES ARE. SOME DAY, THEY WILL GET A LIQUOR BARON AS PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA! POOR FELLOW, MAHATMA GANDHI WOULD BE SILENTLY WEEPING IN RAJ GHAT!

#009 EXPORT MANGOS AND IMPORT WINE?

2007-11-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

While searching for good blogs, I came across one blog: http://allfrutes.blogspot.com/2007/11/alphonso.html. I could not write my comment there, as it does not provide readers' comments. Hence I am writing this blog post.

QUOTE FROM THE BLOG
"... In the Indian epic Ramayana, Lord Rama spends 14 years in exile in the forest before he can claim his throne. Alphonso has had to wait for 17. The long wait is finally over. On May 1, 2007, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns welcomed the first Indian mangoes arriving through American port ..."

THIS BLOGGER'S COMMENT:Are Rama and the Alphonso mangoes equal? Can we compare their waiting in exile? Did the Alphonso mangoes suffer by waiting?

Should we export mangoes and import liquors (nothing but fermented trash) from US? Hitherto Indian rich were buying Alphonso mangoes and the middle class/poor were buying other varieties of mangoes. Now will the Indian rich buy other variety mangoes? Should the poor starve for vitamin A?

#008 SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO LOVE A CHANGED PERSON?

2007-11-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

QUOTE FROM W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM
We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person

THIS BLOGGER'S VIEW
This quote may not apply to at least half of married couples in India. In India, mostly marriages are made for life. Couples live together for life, may be because divorces are cumbersome to obtain; may be because there is no place to go, particularly for non-earning women. Some of the couples may be leading mechanical lives. Yet, at least 50% of the life-long living mates do not live together by chance.

Indian couples live together by intent only.

#007 SHOULD CHILDREN NOT LOVE THEIR PARENTS?

2007-11-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Should parental affection be kept under check after a person gets married?

In a peculiar case, the Andhra Pradesh High Court recently answered the question somewhat in negative.

FACTS OF THE CASE
1. Ms. Sumakiran Mallena, a software professional at Intergraph Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Secunderabad, India.

2. Mr. Nagasayana Baki, a Telecom Engineer, Minneapolis, USA.

Both are wife and husband respectively.

3. Mr. B.G.K. Prasad, father of Mr. Nagasayana.

Suffering from kidney cirrhosis. Son, Shri Nagasayana flew from Minneapolis to donate a part of his liver. Hospital: Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, New Delhi.

Ms. Sumakiran filed a writ petition in Andhra Pradesh High Court under articles 21 and 226 of Indian Constitution, requesting for a stay against the donation of the liver.

Her contentions:
1. The health of her husband (Mr. Nagasayana) will be adversely affected by the donation.
2. "My life will be doomed in the land of disease and misery."

3. My "freedom to life" (article 21 of Indian Constitution guarantees this freedom to live) needs protection.

COURT'S DECISION
1. Petitioner's contention (wife's) that her husband's act (of donating a part of his liver to his father) violates her right under Article 21, is wholly beyond comprehension.

2. Family squabbles cannot be given Constitutional color.

3. Ethical issues are involved, than legal or Constitutional issues.

THIS BLOGGER'S OBSERVATIONS
1. Where is this country leading to?
2. A wife's anxiety about her husband's health is understandable.
3. Why a highly educated and employed daughter-in-law is unable to show any sympathy towards her father-in-law? I guess another reason: Most marriages today are performed treating MONEY, DOWRY, PROPERTY ETC. as the key issues. If the father-in-law has sold his son to the daughter-in-law for monetary considerations, there are only pecuniary relations. Where is the place for sympathy?

For those who want to show full details of the case pl. see the link:
http://www.deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp#HC%20gives%20lesson%20in%20life%20to%20wife

#003 WILL THE GOVERNMENT AND LEADERS REDISTRIBUTE PROPERTIES?

2007-10-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

OBC RESERVATIONS CASE IN SUPREME COURT

FACTS

Here is an excerpt from an Indian Express News Report of Oct. 12, 2007.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/227399.html.

"... Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam, arguing before a five-judge Constitution Bench, said, “Affirmative action is not, as is contended by the petitioners, a sop handed out by a benevolent State. Rather, it is the acknowledgement of the right of the Backward Classes (BCs) to be treated as equal with the rest of the society. ... ”

MY FEELINGS AS READER (without prejudice to any decision which Supreme Court may take)

If equality of rights is to be respected, it is to be respected in all fields. For example, 80% of the properties in this country are owned by 20% of Indians. Will the Govt. redistribute properties, bank balances, gold, shares, Companies, and everything? Why equality only in College seats and jobs?
(This is not to be construed as I am for or against OBCs or OCs). I am trying to bring out stark realities.)

#004 WHEN WELL-WISHERS CONFLICT WITH PARENTS?

2007-08-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

CHILD RIGHTS

The Child Prodigy runner Budhia is again in news. His mother complained to the Police alleging torture of the boy by his coach. The boy is also in a joyful mood of being freed from the rigorous routine of exercise. He is elated by being asked to hoist a flag and treated as a hero by the other boys in a slum. So far so good.

Some tantalising questions are bound to hover over our minds.

1. Who gave the enduring and strong body to Budhia, enabling him to run 65 km. in spite of his being a child. God? Parents?

2. What is the role of the Coach in a) training Budhia b) bringing Budhia into public glare?

3. Had Budhia been in his parents' custody, would he have not been made a domestic servant or a child labor in a restaurant or in a mechanical shed? Would not that slogging have been a greater dredgery than a coach's rigors?

4. Of course Budhia alleged cruelty on the part of his coach such as his pouring chilli powder in his eyes. It is now clear why or how the coach had resorted to such ignoble acts undeserving of a true benefactor and guru. Was he using the boy as a money making tool?

5. Higher income parents also, nowadays thrust home work, tuitions and other drudgery on the children against their will. Their precious childhood is lost in to satisfy their parents' ambitions of their wards becoming doctors and engineers. Cerainly, when they grow up, they may become doctors and engineers. But who will give them their lost childhood? Is wealth a substitute for a joyful childhood?

6. Many-a-time a person enjoying his childhood in joyful pursuits may lag behind in education and fail to get a good job in a competitive environment. As an adult he may curse himself for not being a book and examination worm. A child knows only its present: cannot foresee its future which will unveil. This the parents know by their own experiences.

Striking a balance between allowing a child to enjoy its due and also keeping it on the track of progress is a challenge of the 21st Century for parents.

#002 IS INDIA FULL OF STEREO TYPES?

2007-08-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

This country is full of stereo types of top echelons of functionaries: Administrative, Judicial and Constitutional. Elected or appointed, makes no difference, in not being a stereotype.

A President should always be a cautioner, congratulator and mourner. Habitually he warns the nation against divisive forces.

A Prime Minister must always appear to be consensual, but must act like a conspirator and dictator with a secret agenda.

A CJI incoming or outgoing, must always express anguish about pending cases and exort the Govt. to strengthen the judiciary.

A Parliament Speaker must always speak of decency and decorum of the House. It is his job no doubt, yet the Speakers' expressions have become hackneyed.

A Home Minister must always declare that he will handle terrorism with iron hand.

A Governor must always carry scissors in his hands to inaugurate statues.

An MP must always make allegations and shout slogans unless he is speaking.

Die caste in moulds.

#006 WHY SHOULD INDIAN CITIES HAVE HIGH TRANSPORTATION COSTS?

2007-08-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

American Newspapers identified ten top American Cities such as Houston which have high transportation costs of about 21% of annual income of the citizens.

Indian cities are not lagging behind. Cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore which lack efficient local rail transport systems have high transport costs. Families spend nearly 20% of their income on transport. We never lag behind in aping the U.S.

#005 AT LEAST ONE GOOD THING TO LEARN FROM CHINA

2007-08-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Mayor of the Beijing City (China) has launched a campaign to remove bill-boards which advertise luxurious life style.

Let us hope that he is sincere. When Mayors of Indian Cities will learn this good thing?

#001 IS PRESIDENT OF INDIA SO YOUNG?

2007-07-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a skeptic or cynic. Somebody who looks at black side of things. Yes, I doubt everything.

Every Indian wants to look young and sport a black hair, as young as a twenty year old. Today, the President of India, Ms. Pratibha Patil has taken oath as President in a glittering function in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Welcome.

I found every inch of her scalp with black hair. Not even one small bit of gray. She is in her seventies. Obviously, 100% blackness cannot be true. There is the work of some black dye.

It is not surprising if a President in seventies wants to look youthful. Even Swamijis who claim to have renounced the whole world use colors on hair. The funniest part is Shri Ganapati Sachchidananda appears in local TV Channels. In some channels his hair is black, beard is white. In some other channels both his hair and beard are black. In another channel, the hair may be white and beard may be black. At least, there should be some consistency or not? Another fun is, there is a code of conduct for monks traditionally which prohibits them from looking into mirrors!

On Indian roads, nowadays we see men and women, with their hair dyed in "copper-like color". Owing to poor quality of the dyes used, the hair looks red and conspicuous.

Of course, these may be individual preferences for citizens. But for Presidents and monks, it looks odd, because they are supposed to be elderly enough to preach.