The Liberhan Commission Report

And the New Guiness World Record for "the longest time to write a report" goes to "The Liberhan Commission of Inquiry Report" (what else). Well, it is precisely, 16 years and 4 months. Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan must have become a grandpa by now. On a more serious note, grandpa has done a seemingly impossible task. Simply compiling such a monumental document of 3 volumes comprising of 1000 pages and what with, all the political pressure, could drive a man crazy. What came of such a mountain of information and evidence? Nothing that we already did not know except that our celebrated kavi and former prime minister Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee is a "pseudo-moderate". The chief culprits the RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the BJP are the other "pseudo-moderates". And of course, the star of the show Mr. Kalyan Singh. Well according to the report, he was the one who planned, "created an environment" and instigated the goons who destroyed Babri Masjid. OK, so we have heard what we had to hear. But does it not look a bit odd that the report has come up just when the BJP least need it. I mean, after a disappointing defeat at the centre, this looks like a coup de grace by the congress. We can never know the real game but we do know that the congress has "promised the people that they will propose a bill to prevent communal riots". A neat position the congress is in, ain't it?

Should Pakistan be saved ?

It all started from the Swat valley truce, if you can call it a truce at all. The "Taliban" is the last organisation with which, a government run by sane minds, will make truce. Is this is the beginning of the end of Pakistan ? Well, let us look at the situation from another point of view i.e., from Pakistan's point of view. We have a country which has an unstable government, a not-so-good economy and is a paradise for terrorists. Not only that, it is being taken over by the world's most notorious terrorist group. What should I do if I were the President and these terrorists were threatening to take over my country ? The first thing I would do, instinctively, would be to ask for help. From whom ? Of course from the big brother, the United States of America. But it refuses to help and since it is the world's most powerful country, no one dares to disagree. In such a situation, my second most probable action would be to buy time, be it a truce with the terrorists. So thats it, you see ! The best thing India can do as a neighbouring country is, to watch and learn. Negligence can take us where Pakistan is right now !

About Lee Iacocca

Well it is not "Aya-co-cah", its "Ya-co-cha". Now that we have got the name right lets breeze through the life of another inspiring personality. For those who aren't familiar with the name, Lee Iacocca was the creator of the Ford Mustang. Did that ring a bell ? No, then what about Mark II ? Never mind. Lee Iacocca was the son of Italian parents who migrated to the United States during the 1900s. Named Lido Iacocca, he modified his name to "Lee" because people kept forgetting his unusual name. He got his education from the Lehigh Engineering college and joined Ford. Ford, then run under Henry Ford II (the grandson of Henry Ford himself), was one of the big auto manufacturers of that period, the other two being General Motors and Chrysler. Lee was an instant success as he was hard-working and creative. He spearheaded the Mustang project and they sold almost a million cars the first year. But things did not go as expected. Henry Ford II soon started feeling insecure and started pinning Lee in every chance he got. He never allowed him to work on the Front-wheel drive technology. At last, Lee was fired. Perhaps, he was destined to do greater things, and this gradually proved to be true. Chrysler, then , was going through a very critical financial crisis. It's management approached Lee and asked him to accept the Presidency of Chrysler. He reluctantly accepted the crown of thorns. As if the He was testing his endurance, US was hit by a recession which almost evaporated the automobile industry. Wading through this deep muck, he pulled Chrysler out and established it as the people's favourite motor company. Today, Chrysler is known for its elegant sophistication. Now thats what I call "Life" in top gear !!

Is the third front really necessary ?

First let me tell you what is the third front. In Indian politics right now, we have two fronts-the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the NDA (National Democratic Alliance). Each of these fronts is a coalition of several big as well as small parties. Now, there are some other parties besides these parties who are working independently and are even running the state governments. The best example of such a party would be BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), headed by Ms. Mayawati, the only Dalit Chief Minister in India. The Political scene in India has always been very aggressive and competitive, as there are hundreds of parties involved in the election process. The Election Commission of India has always practised a kind of tolerance towards all parties, just like a father pampers a child. And this is not an unwise decision at all because these parties (most of them regional) cater to the interests of each and every community however small and neglected it may be. This as we may realize is the very objective of democracy. But will these parties be able to form a stable and successful coalition even when they have had no experience in considering the national interests, as a national party has ? Some of us may think, well, why not give them a chance. For now, it isn't the best time for such an experiment. More work is needed to be done in the state level especially towards critical issues such as terrorism and naxalism. There is still a long way to go. It will be some time before we see a Dalit Prime Minister. A chair won't stand till all of it's legs are sturdy !

The City of Joy

If you are an Indian, you must have recognised the well-known sobriquet. Yes, this is the name with which Kolkata has been dwelling in our hearts since time immemorial; the land of Rabindranath Tagore, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Satyendranath Bose, Mother Teresa and many great scholars and saints. I have had the good fortune of living in this great city for almost 14 years. This great city has seen more history than any other city in our country. "What West Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow". Who would realise this fact better than I? Atleast I thought so.......Recently I read a book by Dominique Lapierre having the same title as this blog. I was astonished about how little I knew about Kolkata. First of all, Kolkata got its name from the word "Kalikata" meaning the village of Kali, the goddess of love and death in Indian mythology. This book was basically about a suburb in Kolkata, when Indian was still a young country riddled with false bureaucracy and corruption. It was a time when its most commom mode of conveyance were the human-horses i.e. rick-shaws pulled by humans. Oh, yes! "Human Rights" may be, what is coming to your mind right now. I had the same feeling too. But then, Dominique explained the reason why these human-horses had to do this job. They were previously simple peasants who grew rice and vegetables, and lived a simple but contented life. Frequent floods and draughts, and blood-sucking moneylenders compelled them to migrate to the merciless city which was already teeming with a population of more than 10 lakhs (a large number at that time). Surviving in such a cruel environment seemed impossible but for these rick-shaws. Their life was an epic journey of incessant struggle and infinite hope (nothing keeps a man alive in such harsh conditions but hope). The account was heart-rending but history has its way of telling stories. What we can do is learn from it. I hope our "netas" read this blog!

Gandhi who ?

"There is always a shadow under a lamp that lights a path. " The light has no intention to cast a shadow but it cannot help but be the very cause of that patch of darkness; a darkness so gloomy and lifeless that even that speck of light is threatened to be engulfed by it. Harilal Gandhi ? Do you know him ? No ? It is alright. What about Harilal Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ? Well, he had the misfortune of being the eldest son of the "Father of our nation" ; a relationship that was not more real than the relationship between the sun and the stars. Ideals, principles and harsh discipline was the image young Harilal had of his father. He knew that he was the son of a most extraordinary man and felt great responsibility about this fact. Following his father's footsteps he dreamt of becoming a Barrister and serve his country. But Bapu as he fondly called him had thought otherwise. He despised the British education system and thought that Hari would learn more staying with him in Phoenix Farm in South Africa. He had forgotten that the same education system had produced himself, the leader of the people. Hari could not understand and neither can I, how could an illiterate person serve his country and fight for his rights, when he did not even know what his rights were. Differences prevailed between father and son, and Hari left for India to is wife and children, to start a new life. But people used him and his famous name for making money and left him destitute and frustrated. Liquor became his only solace. He tried to keep a number of different jobs but his name came as an obstacle. People denied to give him menial jobs because he was the son of Gandhi and he was not qualified for higher jobs. This aggravated his frustration and he stuck to his addictions. Religious activists also used him. He was converted to Islam with the name Abdullah. But again converted back to Hinduism. The shadow of the Mahatma followed him wherever he went and ultimately consumed him. The Mahatma failed to convince his own blood, the same blood which he claimed to be his own, never realising the fact. Five months after he died, Harilal died in oblivion in a hospital in Mumbai on the 18th of June, 1948. The question is still there. Who was the real Gandhi, the Father of the nation or the father of Harilal ? We will never know. 

Is the parliament worth it ?

Regular scuffles between opposing parties, disregard for the speaker, low attendance, cash for questions, etc.; is this the parliament our leaders, the avant-gardes of our constitution had dreamt of ? The year 2008 has seen more misconducts, to speak in the politest manner, than had ever occurred in the history of the parliament. Recently, the childish behaviour displayed at the constituent assemblies in Orissa and Karnataka seem to underscore the already blemished image of the members of parliament. Surely, these people cannot be our representatives. It has been popularly said that, "If a gang of monkeys be let loose over a few typewriters, eventually we would get the complete works of Shakespeare." But, I surely haven't heard about a gang of monkeys running a democracy. Well, now it doesn't seem impossible any more. The Lok Sabha speaker Hon'ble Somnath Chatterjee made a shocking revelation that, "In the year 2008 about 25% of the parliament time was unproductive." That means, 25% of the public money from taxes has gone down the drain. Wait, there is still one upside to this i.e., we have room for development. To use this room judiciously we, the youth, have nothing to do but, to vote for the right people. We surely can do better than this. "Jago Bharat Jago !" 

The Maverick

Recently, I read the Autobiography of the famous entrepreneur and adventurer, the founder of "VIRGIN" , Richard Branson. He is one of those CEOs who believes in living life to the fullest and stands with unabashed bravado on its face. Born in England in a small town, he was truly English blood i.e., a proportionate mixture of brazenness and simplicity. He suffered from Dyslexia in his early days and found it hard to deal with numbers. That was a time, when Dyslexia was not yet recognized as a disease. If you couldn't do maths, it meant that you were not paying enough attention. Corporal punishment was thought to be the best way to deal with such children. Perhaps, this episode of his life agravated his dislike for numbers. In his later days, he had quoted, "Numbers cannot be trusted at all. They can be easily twisted to make you believe in anything." Despite this setback, he followed his heart supported by his mother and founded "Virgin Music". Then, he worked with bands which later became famous such as "The Rolling Stones","The Human League", etc. Later, when his newborn company was in decent position, he gradually expanded its horizons, entering into "Virgin Books" and "Virgin Airways". This was when he seriously thought about adventure and pulled off many death-defying feats with Air-balloons. Recently, he has launched the "Virgin Galactic" and aims at Space Tourism. He is one of those persons who has succeeded in all the ventures he has undertaken. His motto truly inspires the philosophy of his company, "Screw it! Lets do it!".  

Jai Ho !!

This sudden telekinesis to the global stage has caught us unaware. Allah Rakha Rehman, the perpetrator of this cultural shock, just stands modestly and smiles. Today, I won't talk about the movie and bore people who haven't been given a moment's respite from the constant reminding by the news agencies. Frankly, I am not happy for "Slumdog Millionaire". Why does it always have to be an outsider to jolt us out of our stupor ? I do not mean that Danny Boyle should not have been allowed to shoot in India. What I mean is, we have lived in India for ages and understand it better than anybody else in the world. But, when it comes to cinema we, unfortunately, go for the false razzmatazz. Many Indian directors shoot almost all of their movies abroad. Isn't it ironical that people come to India, shoot movies and documentaries and sweep away the Oscars ? For the lesser informed public, a documentary "SMILE PINKI !" got the award for the best Documentary on a short subject. It was shot completely in India and revolves about the life a girl called Pinki. This will surely serve as an eyeopener for the Indian cinema fraternity and raise their respect for the subject called "INDIA !!".

Oscar Fever

This is surely going to be the event of the year. Yes, I am talking about the 81st Academy Awards ceremony due this Sunday, the 22nd of February 2009. The Hollywood Boulevard is being transformed from a usually busy, typical american street to a high profile venue adorned with the famous "Red carpet". About 50 Oscars will etch the names of their winners in the history of cinema, 8 of whom may find their way into the lap of "Slumdog Millionaire" which showcases a rags-to-riches story of a young indian slum-dweller who eventually goes on to win 2 million rupees in the popular gameshow "Who wants to be a Millionaire ?". There is much anticipation in India, a country still waiting for its much deserved Oscar glory. The transition of the Oscars from 1929, when it all started with an audience of 270 and 15 oscars inside a banquet room at the Kodak Theatre, to 2009 is indeed fascinating. The venue is the same but now, millions of eyes would be glued to their television sets making it one of the most watched t.v. events after the Beijing Olympics. "Overwhelming" is the word I would use !

The Mexican Paradox

Mexico is a country that shares about 2000 miles of border with the United States. The first thing that comes to mind is, the development and prosperity of the world's richest and most powerful country must be surely rubbing off on Mexico. But, it seems quite the contrary. The present day Mexico is rent with drug-traffickers and gang wars. There appears to be no control of the government over the dire situation. There has been a critical history between the two countries because of the frequency of mexicans crossing the American border illegally (some had even tried to smuggle drugs into the country). But this time, the situation seems to be grim. The circumstances faced by the common mexicans may compel them to cross the American border. People are scared and have lost faith in the administration. Despite the vertigo it is in, Mexico has always stabilized itself. It has held regular elections, paved roads and educated its people. But, the momentum is continuously being broken by such problems. The best thing, now, would be to avoid a civil war otherwise it would leave a permanent scar on its face !

Making linux popular

In a country where "Microsoft Windows" operating system dominates, a common user like me completes his short span of life without even, so much as, tasting the concept called "Open Source". One might say, I can get a pirated version of Windows software, why do I need Linux ? In a country like this, it is difficult to find linux users. Keeping this in mind, Ubuntu has taken a step forward in popularising linux. The latest version of Ubuntu i.e. version 8.10 boasts of a new improvement. It has provided an option where an average Windows user can install Ubuntu inside windows like any other ordinary application with no need of formatting or partitioning any drive. Two days ago my friend told me about this. This was the thing I was looking for. With the drives of one's system full to the capacity, one has to think twice before partitioning. So, Windows users go ahead and try linux ! You will surely find it interesting. For one thing, its free,fast and easy to install. The best thing is, its virus-free. Well, there you are !!

The Gaza bombings

It seems as if history is being repeated though on a smaller scale. About 8 years ago, the placement of US troops in Afghanistan in reply to the 9/11 attack created a very similar situation. Though the US government harped on the "promise to save Afghanistan from the Taliban", the thing that eventually happened was the killing of innocent civilians. Even after almost 8 years the world's most wanted person is still "the most wanted". Though US was in a much better position to make a different choice, it chose to do what it did. The situation in Gaza is far from stabilizing anytime soon. What certainly becomes clear is that the US is more an opportunist state than a protectionist one !