The Lok Sabha elections in India will be held in April 2009. It will be interesting to see which political party wins the elections. Indian election results have always unfolded amidst high drama and anticipation, and this time around, it promises to get better. It has already got its hype what with Varun Gandhi’s “derogatory” speech, The Indian Premier League (IPL) being stashed away from India to South Africa owing to the elections, high-profile election rallies etc. For once, I wish elections would have been a low profile affair.
The other day I was going through the latest edition of The Outlook and I came across some facts and figures for these elections which dumbstruck me. 10,000 Crore Rupees, is the amount that is going to be spent for electing the 15th Lok Sabha and a new Prime Minister. 543 constituencies, 7 national parties, more than 200 regional parties and outfits are going to be a part of this election. Not only this, 71.4 Crore voters are going to cast their votes, 40 Lakh civil officials and 20 Lakh security personnel are going to be a part of this as well.
Out of the 10,000 Crore Rs, national parties are going to spend an estimated 4,350 Crore Rs, regional parties – 1,000 Crore Rs, BJP and Congress – 1,000 Crore Rs, other parties – 650 Crore Rs, Election Commission – 1,000 Crore Rs, Administration cost – 700 Crore Rs, “Cash for buying votes” – 2500 Crore Rs etc. The corporate world is supposed to be pitching in almost 50% of the entire amount. So where does all the rest of the money come from? You are right. From the pocket of the ‘Tax-Payer’ or simply put ‘The Common Man’. All this for electing a person to govern the largest democracy in the world! It’s very interesting to note here that the expenditure during the 2004 general elections was a handsome 4,500 Crore Rs.
If we compare the elections in India with those that took place in the United States of America which was ‘the most’ promoted and popular general election of all time, one would be surprised to know that the expenditure on this was 8,000 Crore Rupees. I don’t know whether it is a matter of pride or shame that we are going to spend a good 2,000 Crore Rupees more than the USA.
For me, it is really shameful that we will be spending so much money in electing politicians who might or might not be better than the current ones. Even if we do elect a very good candidate for the post of the Prime Minister (which, is a much foregone cause), I don’t think we can expect much work to be done by him/her, as they are really old. According to me, to govern and run a country like India, we need a person who is not older than 50 years of age. This, I believe will bring in a combination of experience, knowledge and a youthful energy in our system.
It’s interesting to note here that even the most developed nation in the world was overrun in the election expenses by our nation which is tagged as a developing country or more frequently called a Third World country
What’s more interesting is the fact that these ‘politicians’ who should be working for our welfare have been focusing only on the elections since the beginning of this year. Where have all the promises of making India a safer and better country gone? These people seem to have comfortably forgotten the recent terror attacks that took place across various cities of India. These politicians are seemingly very busy in their election rallies and we don’t seem to have the time to ask them ‘why aren’t they working?’ One can find at least one election rally taking place in each and every corner of India! For me, this seems like a very huge circus and I feel like laughing. Sadly, I can’t as I can see that my country is going from bad to worse. In fact, nowadays, I don’t feel any pride in saying that I am an “Indian”.
This post might seem like ‘a bashing of Indian politics’, however, I am sure that a certain level headed section of people might agree with me that the only people to lose out here are us and not these politicians.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Can India Really Compete with China
A few days ago, I came across a post titled ‘Can India Compete with China’ on the website Management Paradise. I was really surprised to see the response of people on this topic, and even more surprised to see that most of the people were giving illogical answers to the topic being discussed.
Most of the people who gave answers either do not know the real situation in India and China or they don’t want to know the truth.
I personally feel that India cannot compete with China anytime soon. I have my own reasons to believe in this. Let me highlight a couple or more of them.
1) India liberalised its economy in 1991 and China did it after 1995, and that too not entirely as it is still reeling under communism. China became a very hardcore player and started undertaking aggressive strategies to attract the world towards it. India, on the other hand, just freed the economy and sat back. The laid back attitude of the industries and people in India added to the already existing lethargy.
2) Even under communism, China continued to grow at a very amazing speed whereas India enjoyed a steady growth rate. The bureaucracy and the political environment in India is what hampered the overall growth of India.
3) In China, people either do or die. In India, we have options of doing, enjoying, resting (more than necessary) etc etc..but we don’t have the do or die attitude. Just take a look at our new 11th five year plan for the economy and most of you will understand what I am saying. Did you know that we have made money amounting to almost Rs. 19000 Crores from Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s), but have invested and lost more than Rs. 90,000 Crores in these SEZ’s by giving them tax benefits and illogical leverages.
4) Agriculture is supposed to be the backbone of the Indian Economy, but most people don’t know that the aim of the 11th five year plan(2007-2011) is to accelerate the agricultural growth to 4% of the entire GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Just 4%!! and the government still says that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy.This plan also wants to a) provide primary education to at least 50% of the Indian population free of cost b) provide secondary education to at least 50% of the population at reduced rates c) develop and maintain important roads in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai etc d) provide clean water to at least 90% of the population etc. From this isn’t it quite evident that previous governments have not been able to provide even the basic amenities to Indians?
5) In India, we have only 40 vocational and technical areas in which we can get training. In China, people have access to more than 4000 vocational and technical courses!!!
6) India seems to borrow almost every ideology from China, except for communism. We borrowed the concepts of SEZ’s , proper infrastructure development , industrial licensing policy etc etc etc.. from …China!!
7) China in the past few years has become the world’s second largest economy after the United States. And where are we? Can anyone answer this?
Its amazing that many global organisations like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Nokia etc arrived in China, even before India actually knew about these organisations! Hell, Wal-Mart and Starbucks have still not arrived in India!
I am not a person who loves to criticise India. I love my country, however, I would really like to take pride in saying that I am an “Indian”. Once we get more strict and stringent with our policies and cut down the bureaucracy in India, we can “think” of at least arriving at the stage where China is right now. However, I don’t see this happening anytime at least in the next 5 years!!!
Most of the people who gave answers either do not know the real situation in India and China or they don’t want to know the truth.
I personally feel that India cannot compete with China anytime soon. I have my own reasons to believe in this. Let me highlight a couple or more of them.
1) India liberalised its economy in 1991 and China did it after 1995, and that too not entirely as it is still reeling under communism. China became a very hardcore player and started undertaking aggressive strategies to attract the world towards it. India, on the other hand, just freed the economy and sat back. The laid back attitude of the industries and people in India added to the already existing lethargy.
2) Even under communism, China continued to grow at a very amazing speed whereas India enjoyed a steady growth rate. The bureaucracy and the political environment in India is what hampered the overall growth of India.
3) In China, people either do or die. In India, we have options of doing, enjoying, resting (more than necessary) etc etc..but we don’t have the do or die attitude. Just take a look at our new 11th five year plan for the economy and most of you will understand what I am saying. Did you know that we have made money amounting to almost Rs. 19000 Crores from Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s), but have invested and lost more than Rs. 90,000 Crores in these SEZ’s by giving them tax benefits and illogical leverages.
4) Agriculture is supposed to be the backbone of the Indian Economy, but most people don’t know that the aim of the 11th five year plan(2007-2011) is to accelerate the agricultural growth to 4% of the entire GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Just 4%!! and the government still says that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy.This plan also wants to a) provide primary education to at least 50% of the Indian population free of cost b) provide secondary education to at least 50% of the population at reduced rates c) develop and maintain important roads in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai etc d) provide clean water to at least 90% of the population etc. From this isn’t it quite evident that previous governments have not been able to provide even the basic amenities to Indians?
5) In India, we have only 40 vocational and technical areas in which we can get training. In China, people have access to more than 4000 vocational and technical courses!!!
6) India seems to borrow almost every ideology from China, except for communism. We borrowed the concepts of SEZ’s , proper infrastructure development , industrial licensing policy etc etc etc.. from …China!!
7) China in the past few years has become the world’s second largest economy after the United States. And where are we? Can anyone answer this?
Its amazing that many global organisations like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Nokia etc arrived in China, even before India actually knew about these organisations! Hell, Wal-Mart and Starbucks have still not arrived in India!
I am not a person who loves to criticise India. I love my country, however, I would really like to take pride in saying that I am an “Indian”. Once we get more strict and stringent with our policies and cut down the bureaucracy in India, we can “think” of at least arriving at the stage where China is right now. However, I don’t see this happening anytime at least in the next 5 years!!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
India - A Nightmare for Foreigners
India is a nightmare for foreigners and most of them would agree with me. I have seen many foreigners being harassed by locals. Yes, literally harassed! These fellows come to India with the thought of seeing a new India, where the ancient traditions gel perfectly with the new modern ideologies and thinking (well almost). What follows their actual visit to India is not less than a nightmare.
Local people of a certain city take advantage of these foreigners by overcharging them on almost everything. I for once saw a foreigner pay 125 Rupees for a bottle of mineral water, which cost only 12 Rupees. The extents to which Indians can actually take advantage of them Is really unimaginable.
Ok, so they have got loads of money in their pockets. I mean, come on, is it really their fault that theirs is a much better and stronger economy than ours? If the Indian economy would have been so strong then probably, we would have been in their places and they would have tried to sell the same bottle of mineral water at a much higher price than we do. But I am not writing this because I am jealous of their economy or anything else. I am writing this because it appalls me at the sight of Indian people taking advantage of these foreigners who visit India to have a good time.
One such instance that frequently pops up nowadays in my mind is of this Iranian girl who was my girl friends co passenger in a bus en route from Goa to Pune. My girlfriend told me about this Iranian girl and how she was having an awesome time in India. Now, we all know that Iran is a country which according to its customs and traditions has some restrictions and prohibitions on the way women dress, and behave in their country. So this girl came to Pune to enjoy two years of her life on the pretext of learning English language from Pune University.
She told my girlfriend that she was enjoying her time in India. She was doing everything in India that she could never do in her country. Right from smoking to drinking, multiple dates to wearing all kinds of clothes that she could never possibly wear in her country.
So that same evening I was having dinner at a restaurant called Malaka Spice with my girlfriend, when we spotted the same Iranian girl sitting in the same restaurant with an Indian guy. So my girlfriend went over and spoke to her and exchanged pleasantries (this has to be the most irritating trait among girls, where they giggle and laugh without any specific reason). She also came over to our table to greet me. Then she told us something that I can never forget.
Apparently after my girlfriend and this girl got down from the bus at their destination in Pune, this girl took a rickshaw to her place. The rickshaw driver told her that his friend was also in the same rickshaw and asked if it would be a problem to her. As she did not want to argue with these local rickshawwallas at 6:30 in the morning, she said no, it won’t be a problem. While the rick was driving her home, this alleged friend of the rick driver spoke continuously in local language i.e.in Marathi, with the rickshaw driver and she felt that something was wrong somewhere. She saw the surroundings and did not recognize them.
She spoke to the driver in Hindi with real difficulty as she only knew some words. The driver told her that he was taking a short cut so that they could go faster. After almost 25 minutes, the driver stopped the rick in a secluded place and demanded 3000 Rs from her. Now, this poor girl was in a mess. She did not have any ‘real friends’ in Pune and she did not know what to do, as they were two hefty and sturdy guys. So she got scared and took out 500 Rs from her bag and gave it them. They noticed that she had foreign currency in her handbag and asked her to hand over the “Dollars” to them (Its funny, that people deem each and every foreign currency to be a Dollar even when they don’t exactly know what the currency is). This girl could not do anything. There wasn’t single soul around to help her. She took out whatever money she had in her handbag and gave it to them (Of course, she had much more “Dollars” in her luggage bag, which obviously was not known to the rick driver and his friend).
They took the bait and took the money she gave them. Luckily for the girl, they did not leave her there. They eventually dropped her in the locality where she lived and fled from the scene. This girl was very lucky that they did not rape or kill her after taking the money. The rick driver and his friend seemed to have got scared at that very thought. Whatever the reason, this incident had really shaken up the girl.
After listening to the story, we felt very sad for her and also for all the other foreigners who visit India. Each and every foreigner goes through such a phase in India where they are literally looted in daylight by Immoral Indians. I am an Indian and believe me; I don’t feel proud about being an Indian after all this. The fact that we can be as downtrodden as this causes immense sorrow to me.
I personally, did not want this to happen to the girl again, and I told my girlfriend to exchange phone numbers with her, in case she got into any trouble in the city. She also did not know how to contact the police. We told her that in any emergency, if she needed help from the local police, all she needed to do was to dial 100 from her cell phone or from the nearest public phone. She was very happy when we gave her this information and I think she must have felt a bit safe as well.
I don’t say that all Indians cheat foreigners. People like hawkers, shopkeepers, antique sellers, tour operators and even bus drivers take these foreigners for a ride. Indians have this fascination for white-skinned people and think that all foreigners have lots of money. Sometimes I feel pity on these foreigners and sometimes I feel pity on myself on being an “Indian”, where according to traditions, a guest should be treated as god!
Local people of a certain city take advantage of these foreigners by overcharging them on almost everything. I for once saw a foreigner pay 125 Rupees for a bottle of mineral water, which cost only 12 Rupees. The extents to which Indians can actually take advantage of them Is really unimaginable.
Ok, so they have got loads of money in their pockets. I mean, come on, is it really their fault that theirs is a much better and stronger economy than ours? If the Indian economy would have been so strong then probably, we would have been in their places and they would have tried to sell the same bottle of mineral water at a much higher price than we do. But I am not writing this because I am jealous of their economy or anything else. I am writing this because it appalls me at the sight of Indian people taking advantage of these foreigners who visit India to have a good time.
One such instance that frequently pops up nowadays in my mind is of this Iranian girl who was my girl friends co passenger in a bus en route from Goa to Pune. My girlfriend told me about this Iranian girl and how she was having an awesome time in India. Now, we all know that Iran is a country which according to its customs and traditions has some restrictions and prohibitions on the way women dress, and behave in their country. So this girl came to Pune to enjoy two years of her life on the pretext of learning English language from Pune University.
She told my girlfriend that she was enjoying her time in India. She was doing everything in India that she could never do in her country. Right from smoking to drinking, multiple dates to wearing all kinds of clothes that she could never possibly wear in her country.
So that same evening I was having dinner at a restaurant called Malaka Spice with my girlfriend, when we spotted the same Iranian girl sitting in the same restaurant with an Indian guy. So my girlfriend went over and spoke to her and exchanged pleasantries (this has to be the most irritating trait among girls, where they giggle and laugh without any specific reason). She also came over to our table to greet me. Then she told us something that I can never forget.
Apparently after my girlfriend and this girl got down from the bus at their destination in Pune, this girl took a rickshaw to her place. The rickshaw driver told her that his friend was also in the same rickshaw and asked if it would be a problem to her. As she did not want to argue with these local rickshawwallas at 6:30 in the morning, she said no, it won’t be a problem. While the rick was driving her home, this alleged friend of the rick driver spoke continuously in local language i.e.in Marathi, with the rickshaw driver and she felt that something was wrong somewhere. She saw the surroundings and did not recognize them.
She spoke to the driver in Hindi with real difficulty as she only knew some words. The driver told her that he was taking a short cut so that they could go faster. After almost 25 minutes, the driver stopped the rick in a secluded place and demanded 3000 Rs from her. Now, this poor girl was in a mess. She did not have any ‘real friends’ in Pune and she did not know what to do, as they were two hefty and sturdy guys. So she got scared and took out 500 Rs from her bag and gave it them. They noticed that she had foreign currency in her handbag and asked her to hand over the “Dollars” to them (Its funny, that people deem each and every foreign currency to be a Dollar even when they don’t exactly know what the currency is). This girl could not do anything. There wasn’t single soul around to help her. She took out whatever money she had in her handbag and gave it to them (Of course, she had much more “Dollars” in her luggage bag, which obviously was not known to the rick driver and his friend).
They took the bait and took the money she gave them. Luckily for the girl, they did not leave her there. They eventually dropped her in the locality where she lived and fled from the scene. This girl was very lucky that they did not rape or kill her after taking the money. The rick driver and his friend seemed to have got scared at that very thought. Whatever the reason, this incident had really shaken up the girl.
After listening to the story, we felt very sad for her and also for all the other foreigners who visit India. Each and every foreigner goes through such a phase in India where they are literally looted in daylight by Immoral Indians. I am an Indian and believe me; I don’t feel proud about being an Indian after all this. The fact that we can be as downtrodden as this causes immense sorrow to me.
I personally, did not want this to happen to the girl again, and I told my girlfriend to exchange phone numbers with her, in case she got into any trouble in the city. She also did not know how to contact the police. We told her that in any emergency, if she needed help from the local police, all she needed to do was to dial 100 from her cell phone or from the nearest public phone. She was very happy when we gave her this information and I think she must have felt a bit safe as well.
I don’t say that all Indians cheat foreigners. People like hawkers, shopkeepers, antique sellers, tour operators and even bus drivers take these foreigners for a ride. Indians have this fascination for white-skinned people and think that all foreigners have lots of money. Sometimes I feel pity on these foreigners and sometimes I feel pity on myself on being an “Indian”, where according to traditions, a guest should be treated as god!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
closing techniques and follow up
I have used Google and other search engines to find lots of information for my projects, reports and presentations for more than 6 years now. But sometimes, I could not find the exact thing I searched for either in Google or the other search engines. I also, used to be too lazy to even prepare a document myself and upload it on the internet so that others could use it. However, from now onwards I will start posting my presentations, documents etc on my blog, linked to either Scribd.com or Esnips.com where the actual documents will be uploaded. The first document I am uploading is a presentation on the topic 'Closing Techniques and Follow-Up. These documents have been prepared by me and as a firm believer in Open Source Tech, I urge all the people who use this document to tweak the document as required and post it again on the internet so that other people can access it.
Let me know if anyone needs any specific document and I will be glad to help.
This document can be downloaded from either Scribd or from Esnips
Monday, March 9, 2009
Chetan Bhagat - The Three Mistakes of My Life Book Review
One day, I was wasting my time doing nothing. I was bored, really bored. Then, this friend of mine, came to me and said, "Hey, Chetan Bhagat's new novel, 'The Three Mistakes of My Life' has become a bestseller! Well, I thought, I could read his book, though I was very apprehensive about it. Apprehensive. Yes, because his last novel, 'One Night At The Call Centre' was 'CRAP'. Seriously, after reading his first book, 'Five Point Someone', I was expecting much more from him. So, when I heard about his third book, I decided to read the book. It was "The First Mistake of My Life". If this was not enough, I decided to buy the book to read it. This was "The Second Mistake of My Life". Then, I finished reading the book in 4 hours. This was "The Third and The Biggest Mistake of My Life". I am not going to get back those 4 hours of my life!
The book is utter crap. Take my words for it. I have read many more crappier books, and this is one amongst the crappiest best. Thank goodness I finished the book in 4 hours. I can imagine the anger and frustration in those people, who were expecting a mind blowing novel. True, the book is mind blowing coz it really blows your mind so far that you can't even search for it. Even an amateur could have written a better book.
The book starts with Govind and then I really don't know where it heads coz it is mindless crap. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Five Point Someone' but this book is worthless. Chetan Bhagat, is just capitalising on his fame and writing crappier books day by day. Normally, books are so interesting that readers are compelled to turn the pages. Here, I was compelled to turn the pages because I wanted to finish off reading the book real fast so that I could at least get some of my money's worth by not wasting too much time on it.
The book looks promising at first but then loses the track altogether and the author's style of writing is pathetic. One suggestion Mr. Bhagat. You really need to get your act together for your fourth book i.e. if you are planning to write another one, after all the bashing you got for your last two books. I would really love to read 'Five Point Someone - The Sequel'. That book was really good. Please spare the poor readers from more of this crap and write better novels. We expect this from "The biggest-selling English-language novelist in India's history"
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Reservation Theory Part 2
This post is the second part of a series that I have started so that I can write down about what I feel towards reservations and the quota system. You can check out the first post of this series at 'The Reservation Theory Part 1'
Reservations tend to limit the thinking of some sections of the society as they are given ‘benefits’ which they think will work towards their betterment. What they fail to realize is the fact that they won’t arrive at a better position in life, depending only on these reservations. My colleague Kushal Sharma read my previous post and he told me “Dude, do you think the government really wants these people to come up in life? If they really do want this to happen, then why are they not making policies that will help the poor?” I thought about it and I said “Yes, dude. You really have a valid point”. I like to think and I thought deeply about this. I racked my brains and then I realized the fact that if the government or rather the political parties really wanted to help them and bring them out of the puddle, then it would have had achieved it by now. During every election phase, every new candidate promises “upliftment of the poor”. I ask, why hasn't it been done in the last 60 years? This has not been done because this is the strongest point which gets the political parties their valuable votes.
In the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, Morgan Freeman says, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free”. Hope. This is what these people have. They hope that at least one of these electoral candidates will help them in living a better life. However, only hope can never set anyone free. You have to work towards it. Sadly, people in India rely heavily on help from outside rather than helping themselves. This is where the government comes into the picture and uses them as pawns for its benefit.
The government according to the constituency of democratic India is ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’. I understand ‘by the people’ as we make the government i.e. we vote for the candidates and then they are elected in their power. What I fail to understand is the concept of ‘of the people and for the people’. Of the people essentially means that the people of a country own the government as they are the ones who have elected it. In India it’s the other way round. The government acts like it is the creator of the people in the country. It imposes rules, regulations, policies, reservations, systems etc on the people without even bothering to think about the well being of the people. The prime reason for this is corruption. People from the highest power to the people in the lowest power are corrupted to an unimaginable level. In India, you can bribe anyone from a small time traffic cop to the, ahem.., Chief Minister, Governor or even the Prime Minister. Or else, how can you expect a person who earns (estimate) around 43k INR per month and still has enough money to support his future generations even after retirement?
In India people from the ‘ruling’ political party are amongst the richest people. Ruling. This is the exact term that is used by the bureaucrats when they have to mention political parties. The political party which is running the government is termed as the ‘Ruling’ party and the one opposing it is termed as the ‘Opposition’ party. I understand the term Opposition as it signifies that the ‘a certain political party is opposing the other one, which is essentially the political party that is running the government’. However, I fail to agree to one term. Ruling Party. How can a political party rule in a democracy? Democracy itself means ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Then how can a political party rule the people? I would really like someone to explain this concept to me. Why do we say ‘the ruling party’ when we are the ones who actually run the country? Is this what we mean when we say ‘of the people’? If yes, then I don’t see the ‘people’ anywhere in the picture....
Reservations tend to limit the thinking of some sections of the society as they are given ‘benefits’ which they think will work towards their betterment. What they fail to realize is the fact that they won’t arrive at a better position in life, depending only on these reservations. My colleague Kushal Sharma read my previous post and he told me “Dude, do you think the government really wants these people to come up in life? If they really do want this to happen, then why are they not making policies that will help the poor?” I thought about it and I said “Yes, dude. You really have a valid point”. I like to think and I thought deeply about this. I racked my brains and then I realized the fact that if the government or rather the political parties really wanted to help them and bring them out of the puddle, then it would have had achieved it by now. During every election phase, every new candidate promises “upliftment of the poor”. I ask, why hasn't it been done in the last 60 years? This has not been done because this is the strongest point which gets the political parties their valuable votes.
In the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, Morgan Freeman says, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free”. Hope. This is what these people have. They hope that at least one of these electoral candidates will help them in living a better life. However, only hope can never set anyone free. You have to work towards it. Sadly, people in India rely heavily on help from outside rather than helping themselves. This is where the government comes into the picture and uses them as pawns for its benefit.
The government according to the constituency of democratic India is ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’. I understand ‘by the people’ as we make the government i.e. we vote for the candidates and then they are elected in their power. What I fail to understand is the concept of ‘of the people and for the people’. Of the people essentially means that the people of a country own the government as they are the ones who have elected it. In India it’s the other way round. The government acts like it is the creator of the people in the country. It imposes rules, regulations, policies, reservations, systems etc on the people without even bothering to think about the well being of the people. The prime reason for this is corruption. People from the highest power to the people in the lowest power are corrupted to an unimaginable level. In India, you can bribe anyone from a small time traffic cop to the, ahem.., Chief Minister, Governor or even the Prime Minister. Or else, how can you expect a person who earns (estimate) around 43k INR per month and still has enough money to support his future generations even after retirement?
In India people from the ‘ruling’ political party are amongst the richest people. Ruling. This is the exact term that is used by the bureaucrats when they have to mention political parties. The political party which is running the government is termed as the ‘Ruling’ party and the one opposing it is termed as the ‘Opposition’ party. I understand the term Opposition as it signifies that the ‘a certain political party is opposing the other one, which is essentially the political party that is running the government’. However, I fail to agree to one term. Ruling Party. How can a political party rule in a democracy? Democracy itself means ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Then how can a political party rule the people? I would really like someone to explain this concept to me. Why do we say ‘the ruling party’ when we are the ones who actually run the country? Is this what we mean when we say ‘of the people’? If yes, then I don’t see the ‘people’ anywhere in the picture....
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Reservation Theory Part 1
What is it with the government and education? I completely understand the fact that the government wants to bring quota system in every possible field. However, isn’t it very naïve to bring in the quota system in the field of education as well? I mean come on, whoever heard of anything like this before? People get admission in college, schools, grad colleges etc on the basis of their caste and not merit!! This has to be the most stupidest, dumbest, unworthiest (these are some of the new words created by me) thing ever done by any government on Earth!
For those of you who don’t know; a quota system is a thingy in which people get reservations in colleges, government offices, private workplaces and every other damn place. India is a country which is a mixed bag of religions. Now if this wasn’t enough, every religion is classified into different castes and sub-castes. Every sub caste is divided into even more sub castes. These sub castes are further broken down into sub –castes. Phew! For the sake of understanding things properly, the government has broadly classified this into:
Scheduled Tribes – ST’s
Scheduled Castes – SC’s
Other Backward Classes – OBC’s
Open Class or Open Category – OC
When the constitution of India was drafted, Late Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, took the pain to see to it that everything is In order in the new to-be-emerging country of India. He made the life easier of the people belonging to the poorer section of the society by making reservations for them in institutions, government offices etc. This helped them in bringing their life back on track by working, earning money, giving good education to their children and almost eradicated their poverty. People who really worked hard for their own upliftment came up in life and people who lazed their way to glory, depending on luck and destiny are still living in their good old hutments by the road sides. I am assuming, by now, most of you must have understood the idea behind reservations. If not, then please visit Wikipedia and get enlightened
India has come a long way since independence (this is what every Indian says :)). However, I fear we have not amended the constitution and its law, rules, regulations or whatever it is accordingly. We still follow the 60 year old constitution which was drafted for a new India 60 years ago. The government has failed to understand that India is a land of opportunities and we need to make changes from time to time. Change is a part of everyone’s life and change should happen for the better good. The government of India sadly still follows the rickety old constitution which is on the verge of collapsing on its own face.
Today every Tom, Dick and Harry in India knows that reservations are a thing of the past. Every person believes that very person should be considered in any post only if that person is worth it. Sadly, these reservations don’t help the cause…..
For those of you who don’t know; a quota system is a thingy in which people get reservations in colleges, government offices, private workplaces and every other damn place. India is a country which is a mixed bag of religions. Now if this wasn’t enough, every religion is classified into different castes and sub-castes. Every sub caste is divided into even more sub castes. These sub castes are further broken down into sub –castes. Phew! For the sake of understanding things properly, the government has broadly classified this into:
Scheduled Tribes – ST’s
Scheduled Castes – SC’s
Other Backward Classes – OBC’s
Open Class or Open Category – OC
When the constitution of India was drafted, Late Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, took the pain to see to it that everything is In order in the new to-be-emerging country of India. He made the life easier of the people belonging to the poorer section of the society by making reservations for them in institutions, government offices etc. This helped them in bringing their life back on track by working, earning money, giving good education to their children and almost eradicated their poverty. People who really worked hard for their own upliftment came up in life and people who lazed their way to glory, depending on luck and destiny are still living in their good old hutments by the road sides. I am assuming, by now, most of you must have understood the idea behind reservations. If not, then please visit Wikipedia and get enlightened
India has come a long way since independence (this is what every Indian says :)). However, I fear we have not amended the constitution and its law, rules, regulations or whatever it is accordingly. We still follow the 60 year old constitution which was drafted for a new India 60 years ago. The government has failed to understand that India is a land of opportunities and we need to make changes from time to time. Change is a part of everyone’s life and change should happen for the better good. The government of India sadly still follows the rickety old constitution which is on the verge of collapsing on its own face.
Today every Tom, Dick and Harry in India knows that reservations are a thing of the past. Every person believes that very person should be considered in any post only if that person is worth it. Sadly, these reservations don’t help the cause…..
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Firefox 3 Download Day Certificate
I downloaded Firefox 3 today and i am proud to say that i am one of the people to have helped Firefox in creating a world record. I downloaded Firefox twice :) On my office computer and my personal computer at home. I feel Firefox is one of the safest ways to surf the big bad world of the Internet. With lots of useful Add-ons and themes, Firefox for me is the best Internet browser.
Look what i got!!!
I understand that millions of people across the globe have downloaded Firefox today and have got this certificate. So what makes me so proud to show it off?? Well, i feel proud because my download has been instrumental in making it a huge success :D
So go ahead and show off your certificates as well!!! Cheers!!
Look what i got!!!
I understand that millions of people across the globe have downloaded Firefox today and have got this certificate. So what makes me so proud to show it off?? Well, i feel proud because my download has been instrumental in making it a huge success :D
So go ahead and show off your certificates as well!!! Cheers!!
Firefox 3 Ready For Download
Finally folks, it’s here! The final version of Firefox 3 is available for download starting today! I downloaded it this morning, and I must agree that its totally awesome!!! It comes with some really cool themes and add-ons. In fact, some add-ons did not work with the Firefox RC’s; this final version has taken care of all those worries. Till now I haven’t had any difficulty in installing it or using it. There are some cool add-ons like the WOT add-on which identifies if a website is spam free or not, the super PicLens add-on which defines a totally new way to watch videos, photos etc, the McAfee site advisor which was missing in the Firefox RC’s and a whole load of other stuff as well. There are some awesome new themes which look uber cool. Check out the Black X theme. I am using it and it is very good.
There are some issues with few add-ons and themes not working with this version of Firefox, but hey, who’s cribbing? I love Firefox and this version in one word is “Awesome”. Mozilla, is attempting to set a Guinness world record by getting the most downloads of Firefox in a day. To download it right now, visit www.mozilla.com!
There are some issues with few add-ons and themes not working with this version of Firefox, but hey, who’s cribbing? I love Firefox and this version in one word is “Awesome”. Mozilla, is attempting to set a Guinness world record by getting the most downloads of Firefox in a day. To download it right now, visit www.mozilla.com!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Worst Video Game Ever
Okay, I have played many video games, but i just haven't played E.T. Now all of you must be wondering why E.T? Well that's because it is the Worst Video Game that has been ever made and i am intrigued to find out what was so bad in it that made the creator's a big bunch of losers. They went bankrupt in a single day and all the people who have played this game are still mad at it because it cost them a lot to buy the game.
Yahoo! has compiled a list of the worst video games to ever hit the gaming industry and E.T is among them. I am a big fan of the movie that Steven Spielberg made, but hey i want to play this game and see how it feels to play the worst game ever made. Reportedly the game maker had to suffer almost $50m in losses.
Yahoo! says "No list of video game flops would be complete without the game that's widely credited with causing the great videogame crash of 1983. Atari paid somewhere around $25 million for the movie license, then had their programmers hammer out a game in a mere five weeks. The video games industry celebrated its release by disappearing into a recession that took years to cure, and Atari was broken up and sold just a year later. E.T. is still remembered as the worst game ever made. Still, if that hasn't put you off (perhaps you are a masochist or otherwise insane) head for the desert and start digging: untold millions of unsold E.T. cartridges were dumped in an Alamogordo, New Mexico landfill where they remain to this day. Best place for 'em."
For all the other "Worst Video Games Ever", please visit Yahoo!
Yahoo! has compiled a list of the worst video games to ever hit the gaming industry and E.T is among them. I am a big fan of the movie that Steven Spielberg made, but hey i want to play this game and see how it feels to play the worst game ever made. Reportedly the game maker had to suffer almost $50m in losses.
Yahoo! says "No list of video game flops would be complete without the game that's widely credited with causing the great videogame crash of 1983. Atari paid somewhere around $25 million for the movie license, then had their programmers hammer out a game in a mere five weeks. The video games industry celebrated its release by disappearing into a recession that took years to cure, and Atari was broken up and sold just a year later. E.T. is still remembered as the worst game ever made. Still, if that hasn't put you off (perhaps you are a masochist or otherwise insane) head for the desert and start digging: untold millions of unsold E.T. cartridges were dumped in an Alamogordo, New Mexico landfill where they remain to this day. Best place for 'em."
For all the other "Worst Video Games Ever", please visit Yahoo!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Of Amulets and Beliefs
India is known as a very orthodoxical (this word is my copyright) and traditional country. Since a very long time (probably thousands of years) there have been beliefs and superstitions in India regarding various things. From not cutting nails in the evening to not wearing black colored clothes for a ceremony, every Indian has some or the other beliefs or superstitions.
One particular belief that almost 60% of people in India have is for Amulets. Yes, the shiny or pale, sharp or blunt objects that are worn around the necks more commonly known as amulets. These objects are believed to possess the power to cure diseases, bring strength, protect a person from evil and yes also to increase the male or female libido. A tiny little (or not so tiny) object hung around the neck with a piece of string or steel or gold or silver or plastic strings is also believed to possess magical powers. There are lots of stories and myths about amulets that have inspired many films, short stories and generations of people. They are not restricted to any particular set of people. Even people from developed nations like the US of A, UK and others believe in this power of amulets. In India most particularly people wear them with the object being a pendant depicting various gods, coins from the bygone era, tiger nails, horse hair, tiger teeth etc etc.
Today when I was traveling by my usual local train in the morning, I overheard a conversation between two co-travelers. One of them was boasting about an amulet which a friend of his had got for his 2 year old son. This particular piece of amulet was a tiger nail tied to a string of gold. This person was telling his friend that the amulet had magical powers and it was supposed to make the child strong and keep him away from fear and all other evils. Woah!! Tiger nails! Isn’t it illegal to kill a tiger and procure a tiger nail or in that matter procuring a tiger nail by any means is considered illegal in India, and this person was boasting his was to glory! His friend had got it from some part of Madhya Pradesh which is a state in India. Everyone knows that a tiger possesses immense strength, valor, vigor, keen sense etc but isn’t it totally rubbish and foolish to believe that a small tiger nail brings such unbelievable abilities in a human being. Scientifically speaking tiger nails as any other nail is dead skin which is immune to pain, shock etc but some superstitious people still believe that it has such immense powers. I mean, come on, it’s just another piece of nail isn’t it? People need to understand the logic behind this. Why can’t such people just use their brains instead of believing in what other say! But, then again, wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone used even 10% of their logic and common sense?
Idol worship is very common in many parts of the world. In fact in India you will find a different deity for every different region or state. It is estimated that there are at least 330 million different varieties of ‘gods’ in India. People worship in temples, churches, mosques etc etc. However, what is the whole idea of wearing a deity around the neck? People tend to think that this will keep them away from the ‘evil eye’ and bring happiness. As some one had said ‘true happiness lies within’! This needs to be understood by most of the people. People except to be protected by a piece of metal hung around their neck. Isn’t this very absurd? We actually depend on this piece of metal to protect us?? In India many religions actually encourage the use of amulets and pass them off as a ‘part of the tradition’. The question that arises here is ‘who made the traditions’? Was it us or was it god? Certainly us because humans really don’t have the guts and patience to listen to anyone who commands them. Also, where is the ultimate proof that god told humans to follow these traditions? Traditions are the brain child of humans and hence these amulets are also the brain child of a very wise person who found out a way to treat insecure and over anxious people. People just need a medium through which they can express their thoughts, fear etc and wearing such amulets is an absolutely indigenous way of showing that they have faith in god.
Such amulets are available all across the globe but for a price. They are sold in temples, across the street, by the hakim, the crooked person whom people fondly call ‘baba’ and so called saints who are believed to have powers unknown to mankind (yeah right!, like the world needs more powers!) People have to wake up to the fact that these amulets contain powers that we believe they will have. It is our mind which makes us think that they have powers behind comparison. Only, the human mind and a pure heart without any guilt, dishonesty or wrong doings in life can have true happiness. These amulets just use our will power, confidence and motivation to ‘possess’ the power that we want them to have. We have to stop believing in all these gibberish and realize the fact that they are nothing but a human creation to blame some one else but us. Humans have a very uncanny ability to blame god for everything and these amulets serve as the right medium. They are held responsible for bringing happiness, strength etc. What we fail to realize is that we are responsible for our actions and nothing else. The day people start realizing this, the world will truly be free of these ‘objects’ that we fondly call ‘amulets’.
One particular belief that almost 60% of people in India have is for Amulets. Yes, the shiny or pale, sharp or blunt objects that are worn around the necks more commonly known as amulets. These objects are believed to possess the power to cure diseases, bring strength, protect a person from evil and yes also to increase the male or female libido. A tiny little (or not so tiny) object hung around the neck with a piece of string or steel or gold or silver or plastic strings is also believed to possess magical powers. There are lots of stories and myths about amulets that have inspired many films, short stories and generations of people. They are not restricted to any particular set of people. Even people from developed nations like the US of A, UK and others believe in this power of amulets. In India most particularly people wear them with the object being a pendant depicting various gods, coins from the bygone era, tiger nails, horse hair, tiger teeth etc etc.
Today when I was traveling by my usual local train in the morning, I overheard a conversation between two co-travelers. One of them was boasting about an amulet which a friend of his had got for his 2 year old son. This particular piece of amulet was a tiger nail tied to a string of gold. This person was telling his friend that the amulet had magical powers and it was supposed to make the child strong and keep him away from fear and all other evils. Woah!! Tiger nails! Isn’t it illegal to kill a tiger and procure a tiger nail or in that matter procuring a tiger nail by any means is considered illegal in India, and this person was boasting his was to glory! His friend had got it from some part of Madhya Pradesh which is a state in India. Everyone knows that a tiger possesses immense strength, valor, vigor, keen sense etc but isn’t it totally rubbish and foolish to believe that a small tiger nail brings such unbelievable abilities in a human being. Scientifically speaking tiger nails as any other nail is dead skin which is immune to pain, shock etc but some superstitious people still believe that it has such immense powers. I mean, come on, it’s just another piece of nail isn’t it? People need to understand the logic behind this. Why can’t such people just use their brains instead of believing in what other say! But, then again, wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone used even 10% of their logic and common sense?
Idol worship is very common in many parts of the world. In fact in India you will find a different deity for every different region or state. It is estimated that there are at least 330 million different varieties of ‘gods’ in India. People worship in temples, churches, mosques etc etc. However, what is the whole idea of wearing a deity around the neck? People tend to think that this will keep them away from the ‘evil eye’ and bring happiness. As some one had said ‘true happiness lies within’! This needs to be understood by most of the people. People except to be protected by a piece of metal hung around their neck. Isn’t this very absurd? We actually depend on this piece of metal to protect us?? In India many religions actually encourage the use of amulets and pass them off as a ‘part of the tradition’. The question that arises here is ‘who made the traditions’? Was it us or was it god? Certainly us because humans really don’t have the guts and patience to listen to anyone who commands them. Also, where is the ultimate proof that god told humans to follow these traditions? Traditions are the brain child of humans and hence these amulets are also the brain child of a very wise person who found out a way to treat insecure and over anxious people. People just need a medium through which they can express their thoughts, fear etc and wearing such amulets is an absolutely indigenous way of showing that they have faith in god.
Such amulets are available all across the globe but for a price. They are sold in temples, across the street, by the hakim, the crooked person whom people fondly call ‘baba’ and so called saints who are believed to have powers unknown to mankind (yeah right!, like the world needs more powers!) People have to wake up to the fact that these amulets contain powers that we believe they will have. It is our mind which makes us think that they have powers behind comparison. Only, the human mind and a pure heart without any guilt, dishonesty or wrong doings in life can have true happiness. These amulets just use our will power, confidence and motivation to ‘possess’ the power that we want them to have. We have to stop believing in all these gibberish and realize the fact that they are nothing but a human creation to blame some one else but us. Humans have a very uncanny ability to blame god for everything and these amulets serve as the right medium. They are held responsible for bringing happiness, strength etc. What we fail to realize is that we are responsible for our actions and nothing else. The day people start realizing this, the world will truly be free of these ‘objects’ that we fondly call ‘amulets’.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Jeffrey Archer - A Prisoner of Birth Book Review
As an avid reader, I was waiting for the book A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer to hit the book shops in India. I was eager to know what he had written in this book that had already become a world wide bestseller even before it was published. Jeffrey Archer is known as a master of fiction stories. His books Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, The Eleventh Commandment are some of the books that I read over and over again. These books fail to lose their essence even after you re-read them. However, how latest book, A Prisoner of Birth fails to live up to the hype.
The story starts with an incident that happens outside a watering hole in England. This incident changes the life of the protagonist Danny Cartwright and his fiancee Beth Wilson as Danny is charged with a crime he has not committed. The crime that of his to be brother-in-laws' murder. There are four friends who have actually got into a brawl with Danny and his best friend (aka his brother-in-law). However, the fight soon ends in a brutal murder which catches Danny unawares and he is accused of the murder as the four friends who have actually murdered the person are very powerful in the society.
Then Danny is sentenced to twenty two years in prison. This is the part of the book where the real story begins. The story takes many twists and turns like typical Jeffrey Archer novels and keeps the reader involved. However, some times the story line turns to be somewhat predictive and the reader can lose interest.
I have read ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ and it is arguably the inspiration behind this novel. The plot ends in a wicked twist which the readers should not miss. It could have been much better though. The book lacks clear writing, has some very usually used storyline and fails to impress even after beginning on a good note.
This book is for die-hard Archer fans and as I am one, I would recommend this book to them. I would still like to believe and say that ‘The Eleventh Commandment’ is the best work by Archer. This book could have been much better, but as they say ‘to err is human and to forgive is divine’ Jeffrey Archer fans will surely look forward to his next novel and expect it to meet the expectations of readers worldwide and also live up to all the hype that they generate before the book is published.
The book is a best seller no doubt, but I don’t think any reader would go in for a second reading. For 295 Rupees, I had expected a lot more from Archer, however, this book is a must read for every Archer fan, despite its flaws. Watch out for the protagonist Danny Cartwright in this book. Archer has really put in some strong points in him!!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Oh so Rainy!!!
Ah! The rains are finally here. It has been a loooonnnng time since I posted something on my blog. Today while I was traveling back home, after a not so tiring day at work, I thought why not rejuvenate my blog with my thoughts on the best time of the year. It is the time of the year that I await the most. As a true Indian, I absolutely hate the summers. The winters are more or less like the summers except for the fact that it is a lot cooler in the morning. The rainy season is the only time of the year in which a person can expect cool mornings, a cooler afternoon and a much cooler evening and night. The skies are overcast and the clouds are brimmed with ‘water’ waiting to burst over and fall on the ground.
In Mumbai, the city where I live, the rains come a bit late than usual. If I were to speak like a typical god-fearing Indian (which I am not), I would say; “The rain gods have finally smiled upon us” How can any ‘god’ smile and make the water fall from clouds?? This is one thing that intrigues me. I won’t say that I don’t believe in god, but I certainly don’t blame god for everything and I most certainly don’t attribute my success to god. It’s my hard work which has lead to my success. Wait!!! Why am I diverting from the topic? The topic here is ‘Rains’. I will get back to my thinking about the 330 million Hindu gods in my later posts (and a bit of bashing to all the ‘god-fearing’ Hindu people in India)
The skies have been overcast since the last two days and the last two days have seen the rains getting into Mumbai. I stay in Dombivli which is a suburb, located almost 50 Kms away from Mumbai. However, today was the day, which saw the skies, laden with dark clouds and strong winds for the entire day.
When I was traveling today from home to my office in Mumbai, it had already started to drizzle. I thought it would be yet another day which would bring false hopes to all those people who love the rains. The Mumbai Metrological department had predicted that the rains will strike Mumbai by 10th June. And, like every time, they got it horribly wrong! The rains struck Mumbai and how! The overcast skies refused to get cleared and it started raining. The weather was awesome and legen….wait for it….dary! As I was working on my workstation jotting away email to my books’ reviewers, my attention was always diverted outside whenever it used to thunder. I longed to go outside and enjoy the rain with the rain drops falling on my smooth silky hair (yes, you got it, I am exaggerating the hair part) As always, I was deprived of an opportunity to step out of my office and enjoy the rains for even 10 minutes, as I was pathetically busy listening to awesome songs by Pink Floyd, Cranberries etc and also doing some ‘work’. As I was about to step out of my office for some time, the HR guys of our organization had organized ‘Funday’ today which needless to say was no fun at all. To add to it, there was the employee of the month award, which as usual was given to person who totally ‘did not’ deserve it. I personally believe that these awards are given to people when the organization thinks that the person is not eligible for a promotion, but not too bad enough to let go. More on this will follow in my ‘soon to come’ blog posts.
Finally, the time to bid adieu to today’s work came and I joyously left my office to drench in the rains. The best part about the monsoon is that it brings lot’s of joys to people as they bring water to the city (which is the most important aspect to a bustling city like Mumbai, which has been dubbed as the melting pot of India). The rain drops bring joy to my eyes and needlessly to say to my heart.
I enjoy sipping on a cup of tea by the roadside tea stall, which have made their presence felt in each and every corner of the city. I especially enjoy a hot vada pav to go with the awesome taste of the tea. Many Mumbaikars (this is what the people residing in Mumbai are called) hate traveling in the train after a hard and long day at work. But, I prefer traveling in a train, standing at the train door and I love it when the cool wind blows in my face messing up my awesome hair (yes, I am obsessed with my hair)!! I love the sweet though distinguished smell of the rain drenched soil. Most mumbaikars hate the rains because the streets get very dirty owing to the loads of plastic bags, satchets etc etc which get accumulated over a period of time and which are washed on the street adding to the list of many woes that a normal every day traveler has.
I absolutely love the rains. In fact, I was longing for the rains to arrive this year as I was fed up of the heat this summer. I wanted to fell the cool breeze and the drops of water on my face and I did get my share of ‘drenching in the rain’ yesterday and today. I beg to differ from all those people who think that rains are very messy. They according to me are the most beautiful part of the year. I love the thunders, the clouds, the overcast skies, the lightning…everything!!!
Yes, I might be a fanatic for rains, but hey that’s how I am, whether you like it or not!
Three cheers to the monsoon!!!
In Mumbai, the city where I live, the rains come a bit late than usual. If I were to speak like a typical god-fearing Indian (which I am not), I would say; “The rain gods have finally smiled upon us” How can any ‘god’ smile and make the water fall from clouds?? This is one thing that intrigues me. I won’t say that I don’t believe in god, but I certainly don’t blame god for everything and I most certainly don’t attribute my success to god. It’s my hard work which has lead to my success. Wait!!! Why am I diverting from the topic? The topic here is ‘Rains’. I will get back to my thinking about the 330 million Hindu gods in my later posts (and a bit of bashing to all the ‘god-fearing’ Hindu people in India)
The skies have been overcast since the last two days and the last two days have seen the rains getting into Mumbai. I stay in Dombivli which is a suburb, located almost 50 Kms away from Mumbai. However, today was the day, which saw the skies, laden with dark clouds and strong winds for the entire day.
When I was traveling today from home to my office in Mumbai, it had already started to drizzle. I thought it would be yet another day which would bring false hopes to all those people who love the rains. The Mumbai Metrological department had predicted that the rains will strike Mumbai by 10th June. And, like every time, they got it horribly wrong! The rains struck Mumbai and how! The overcast skies refused to get cleared and it started raining. The weather was awesome and legen….wait for it….dary! As I was working on my workstation jotting away email to my books’ reviewers, my attention was always diverted outside whenever it used to thunder. I longed to go outside and enjoy the rain with the rain drops falling on my smooth silky hair (yes, you got it, I am exaggerating the hair part) As always, I was deprived of an opportunity to step out of my office and enjoy the rains for even 10 minutes, as I was pathetically busy listening to awesome songs by Pink Floyd, Cranberries etc and also doing some ‘work’. As I was about to step out of my office for some time, the HR guys of our organization had organized ‘Funday’ today which needless to say was no fun at all. To add to it, there was the employee of the month award, which as usual was given to person who totally ‘did not’ deserve it. I personally believe that these awards are given to people when the organization thinks that the person is not eligible for a promotion, but not too bad enough to let go. More on this will follow in my ‘soon to come’ blog posts.
Finally, the time to bid adieu to today’s work came and I joyously left my office to drench in the rains. The best part about the monsoon is that it brings lot’s of joys to people as they bring water to the city (which is the most important aspect to a bustling city like Mumbai, which has been dubbed as the melting pot of India). The rain drops bring joy to my eyes and needlessly to say to my heart.
I enjoy sipping on a cup of tea by the roadside tea stall, which have made their presence felt in each and every corner of the city. I especially enjoy a hot vada pav to go with the awesome taste of the tea. Many Mumbaikars (this is what the people residing in Mumbai are called) hate traveling in the train after a hard and long day at work. But, I prefer traveling in a train, standing at the train door and I love it when the cool wind blows in my face messing up my awesome hair (yes, I am obsessed with my hair)!! I love the sweet though distinguished smell of the rain drenched soil. Most mumbaikars hate the rains because the streets get very dirty owing to the loads of plastic bags, satchets etc etc which get accumulated over a period of time and which are washed on the street adding to the list of many woes that a normal every day traveler has.
I absolutely love the rains. In fact, I was longing for the rains to arrive this year as I was fed up of the heat this summer. I wanted to fell the cool breeze and the drops of water on my face and I did get my share of ‘drenching in the rain’ yesterday and today. I beg to differ from all those people who think that rains are very messy. They according to me are the most beautiful part of the year. I love the thunders, the clouds, the overcast skies, the lightning…everything!!!
Yes, I might be a fanatic for rains, but hey that’s how I am, whether you like it or not!
Three cheers to the monsoon!!!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
India wins the Perth Test match against the Aussies
Finally! the moment every Indian Cricket fan was waiting for has arrived. The aussies have been defeated and how! At the start of the Perth Match everyone was confident that the Aussies are going to create a record by winning this Test Match thus giving them a place in history of being the only team to have registered 17 successive Test match wins.
However, the Indian Team was in no mood to grant them this wish. Both the teams played brilliant cricket, however the Indian Team shone in the end and registered a historic win over Australia in Australia.
This is the first time that a team from the India Sub-continent has won a test match in Perth. Again, it was Australia's first defeat in Australia since 2003. The last team to have defeated Australia in Australia was.. well India! Yup. this happenned 5 years ago when Saurav Ganguly was the captain of the team. The situation was the same. Australia at that time too needed one win to register a record of 17 successive teast wins. But, they were denied the chance then, and they were denied the chance this time too.
Experts say that the India team was fired up after the incidents in the Sydney test. Sunil Gavaskar, the original little master of the cricketing world said that this win was the most important win of India in over 40 years! CricInfo.com has compiled a bulletin of the match and I completely agree with them.
The only worry though is whether India can maintain their stature and go ahead to win the next match? Well, lets just wait and watch!
However, the Indian Team was in no mood to grant them this wish. Both the teams played brilliant cricket, however the Indian Team shone in the end and registered a historic win over Australia in Australia.
This is the first time that a team from the India Sub-continent has won a test match in Perth. Again, it was Australia's first defeat in Australia since 2003. The last team to have defeated Australia in Australia was.. well India! Yup. this happenned 5 years ago when Saurav Ganguly was the captain of the team. The situation was the same. Australia at that time too needed one win to register a record of 17 successive teast wins. But, they were denied the chance then, and they were denied the chance this time too.
Experts say that the India team was fired up after the incidents in the Sydney test. Sunil Gavaskar, the original little master of the cricketing world said that this win was the most important win of India in over 40 years! CricInfo.com has compiled a bulletin of the match and I completely agree with them.
The only worry though is whether India can maintain their stature and go ahead to win the next match? Well, lets just wait and watch!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
New rules to be implemented in Cricket
(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED ) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE .
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be sought from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACISM only.
(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE : If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET .
These rules will clarify better to all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be sought from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACISM only.
(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE : If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET .
These rules will clarify better to all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
India's wealthy go back to nature
The village is set on a 12-acre farm Some of India's richest people are paying $150 a night to live like peasants at a "native village" in the southern state of Karnataka. The village, Hessargatta - just outside India's IT capital, Bangalore - is designed to encourage the preservation of some of India's rural traditions. It offers visitors the chance to qualify in tasks like milking cows and looking after the other animals, such as turkeys, ducks, chickens and dogs.
Designed to be environmentally-friendly, the village swimming pool is in fact a pond, and kept clean by aquatic plants rather than chemicals. The plants feed on the skin tissue shed when swimming. There is also an open area, on which residents play traditional village games and fly kites, and a temple.
5 reasons to start practicing Yoga and Meditation
The practice of yoga and meditation has become increasingly popular in the past few years, but I am sure that there are many people who are still asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” So, if you have been wondering whether it would be worth your time to start practicing yoga and meditation, I would like to give you five good reasons why it would be a very worthwhile activity for you.
1. Yoga and meditation will improve your health
- Yoga postures put gentle pressure on the internal organs of the body and help them to function properly. In particular the postures help your digestive system to work smoothly and thus avoid problems such as constipation, acidity and indigestion, which are common conditions that can lead to more serious problems later on. Meditation and deep relaxation can be just what you need to lower your blood pressure. Thus, yoga postures plus meditation is a great combination for maintaining and improving health.
2. Yoga and meditation will help you to overcome bad habits
- What’s a “bad habit?” It’s something that you are doing continually, and something that you know is harming you but you can’t stop it. Are you smoking now? Maybe you thought it was good when you started, but you would now like to stop. The trouble is that it is not so easy to quit smoking or a similar habit once it has become established.
This is where yoga and meditation can help you out. The yoga postures help you to become more relaxed and mentally balanced. Meditation can help you to concentrate your mind and build up your will-power. Once you become internally balanced and have a stronger will power, it will become possible for you to break any habit, even one that you have been troubled by for many years.
3. Yoga and meditation will help you to lose weight
- Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of the modern era. Our lives have become more sedentary and our food sources have changed over the last 100 years and this why many adults and even children are now overweight.
Although this is a life-style problem, it is something that can be dealt with. The surest way to lose weight is to get more exercise and to control what you are eating. This is of course, easier said than done. But yoga and meditation can help you out. There are some yoga postures that are helpful in weight loss programs. Similarly, the mental strength that you can get from both yoga postures and from meditation can help you to gain a better control over your diet and this can result in healthy and permanent weight loss.
4. Yoga and meditation will bring you inner peace
- You may be earning a lot of money and you may have a lot of social prestige but is physical or social wealth the goal of your life? Whatever material or social wealth you have, if you are not contented, satisfied and at peace with yourself then you will not be a happy person.
The goal of meditation is to help you find the inner core of your being. Who are you? Is it the name and address on your identity card? If you start meditating you will find that deep within you is a pool of infinite love and peace. This is the real you. If you can reach this place, then you will find peace and contentment; it is guaranteed!
5. Yoga and meditation will make you a wiser person
- Every one of us has made mistakes that we regret. There is nothing we can do about the past. We can’t go back in time and not make the mistakes. But what we can do is to build up our capacity to see what has permanent value and what is transitory. When we attain this state of discrimination, then we will not do actions that we will regret later on.
Meditation helps a person to go beyond the “chatter” of the mind and attain a state of wisdom that will always be of help. Wisdom does not mean stuffing your mind with “facts” but it does mean to have a mind that will choose a course of action that brings about the welfare of everyone.
I have a list with many more reasons why yoga and meditation are helpful, but I thought I would start off with these five reasons. So, if any one of these items are interesting for you, then why not see for yourself, and start practicing yoga and meditation?
1. Yoga and meditation will improve your health
- Yoga postures put gentle pressure on the internal organs of the body and help them to function properly. In particular the postures help your digestive system to work smoothly and thus avoid problems such as constipation, acidity and indigestion, which are common conditions that can lead to more serious problems later on. Meditation and deep relaxation can be just what you need to lower your blood pressure. Thus, yoga postures plus meditation is a great combination for maintaining and improving health.
2. Yoga and meditation will help you to overcome bad habits
- What’s a “bad habit?” It’s something that you are doing continually, and something that you know is harming you but you can’t stop it. Are you smoking now? Maybe you thought it was good when you started, but you would now like to stop. The trouble is that it is not so easy to quit smoking or a similar habit once it has become established.
This is where yoga and meditation can help you out. The yoga postures help you to become more relaxed and mentally balanced. Meditation can help you to concentrate your mind and build up your will-power. Once you become internally balanced and have a stronger will power, it will become possible for you to break any habit, even one that you have been troubled by for many years.
3. Yoga and meditation will help you to lose weight
- Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of the modern era. Our lives have become more sedentary and our food sources have changed over the last 100 years and this why many adults and even children are now overweight.
Although this is a life-style problem, it is something that can be dealt with. The surest way to lose weight is to get more exercise and to control what you are eating. This is of course, easier said than done. But yoga and meditation can help you out. There are some yoga postures that are helpful in weight loss programs. Similarly, the mental strength that you can get from both yoga postures and from meditation can help you to gain a better control over your diet and this can result in healthy and permanent weight loss.
4. Yoga and meditation will bring you inner peace
- You may be earning a lot of money and you may have a lot of social prestige but is physical or social wealth the goal of your life? Whatever material or social wealth you have, if you are not contented, satisfied and at peace with yourself then you will not be a happy person.
The goal of meditation is to help you find the inner core of your being. Who are you? Is it the name and address on your identity card? If you start meditating you will find that deep within you is a pool of infinite love and peace. This is the real you. If you can reach this place, then you will find peace and contentment; it is guaranteed!
5. Yoga and meditation will make you a wiser person
- Every one of us has made mistakes that we regret. There is nothing we can do about the past. We can’t go back in time and not make the mistakes. But what we can do is to build up our capacity to see what has permanent value and what is transitory. When we attain this state of discrimination, then we will not do actions that we will regret later on.
Meditation helps a person to go beyond the “chatter” of the mind and attain a state of wisdom that will always be of help. Wisdom does not mean stuffing your mind with “facts” but it does mean to have a mind that will choose a course of action that brings about the welfare of everyone.
I have a list with many more reasons why yoga and meditation are helpful, but I thought I would start off with these five reasons. So, if any one of these items are interesting for you, then why not see for yourself, and start practicing yoga and meditation?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Stone Cold returns to help team WWF
This is my all time favorite kick *** video featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin aka The Rattlesnake!
Lead India Campaign Ad
This is the new ad of the Lead India Campaign initiative from The Times of India.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
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