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.