Inhumane................!!!

The widespread violence, terrorist activities and rise of the Naxals and other forces clearly show that the present Central government is weak and our home minister, Shivraj Patil, the weakest home minister ever. The article on Sardar Patel by Jagmohan (Salute to Sardar Patel: Rebel and statesman, October 31) shows the glaring difference between Patel, India's strongest ever home minister, and the present incumbent. The rise of sectarian and parochial forces is cause for serious concern. The real problem is that defeated from Latur in Maharashtra in the last Lok Sabha election, Patil lacks the moral and political authority to control the situation and can do little other than condemn heinous acts. When will the Centre awake?
Every inhumane act of injuring and killing, that damages the social fabric and disturbs peace and harmony in the nation, brings us shame. Let us pray for the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the incident and hope that communal harmony and peace will be maintained not only in the Northeast, but also in every part of India.
A docile Prime Minister, a soft state, a napping home ministry, an ineffective intelligence department, a lethargic state government, a clueless police, vote-bank politics, bickering politicians and, finally, a bleeding nation. This is the state of affairs in our country, which is pitted against an intelligent, omnipresent terror network. Why blame other nations? It is our inefficiency in suppressing terror networks, which operate with nonchalance. Every leader condemns terrorism and issues statements. But nobody does anything about it.

Shivraj is a lost bet......!!!

Union home minister Shivraj Patil visited Assam after the serial blasts and condemned the terrorist mayhem (Shivraj: Where are the masterminds). But condemnation alone is not enough. When terrorists are striking left, right and centre, the traumatised people look up to him not only for solace but for more in the form of striking back at the perpetrators of this terror. Also, the country's police is badly demoralised, the police stations are in a terrible mess and political interference in the working of the police has reached an all-time high. How can such demoralised people give their best under such trying circumstances? The people of India are looking forward to you, Mr Patil, to take the lead in the fight against terrorism. Will you do it?

Regionalism...........a curse

What Raj Thackeray is doing today is a continuation of what his uncle Bal Thackeray did earlier. He has said that he wants peace in this country, but a has also justified his party's actions. These are contrasting views. If the MNS chief wants tranquillity in the country, he should choose the democratic path. If the government does not take stringent action soon, then regionalism will put speedbreakers in the path of Indian development. These extremists should remember that the nation is higher than regionalism.
Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has said he will seriously consider blocking railway services to violence-affected parts of Maharashtra if the violence continues. But there was no need for such a statement. As it is the railways suspend services in regions were rioters vandalise property.If trains are halted, it is the people of UP and Bihar who will suffer. It will not affect Maharastrians, as they rarely migrate to other states. Mr Lalu Yadav should realise that he is only a railway minister, not the emperor of India.

Chanda mama pass ke............!!!

Kudos to the ISRO and all those who made Chandrayaan-1 a success.By successfully launching India’s first unmanned moon mission, India has joined a select band of five nations, and October 22, 2008 will be remembered as a milestone. No doubt we have earned more than we invested in Chandrayaan I. Political leaders should take inspiration from our scientists instead of playing politics over religion, caste and creed.India has every reason to feel heartened as it has hastened to join the group of five nations who sent missions to the moon in the past. The earth, the moon and Mars being explored by man will make one dream of planetary villages coming to address serious concerns associated with socio-economic, ecological, and bio-environmental nuances of mankind.

SACHIN & DEDICATION.............!!!

Sachin Tendulkar created history at Mohali.His stupendous feat makes India proud. It sends a message of dedication to all sportspersons in the world. Sachin has been a torchbearer in cricket ever since he entered the scene at the tender age of 16. A life of remarkable dedication and will power made him a world star and pushed him to the pinnacle of success.

Please give forces their dues...!!!

The country should thank the armed forces for their impeccable record of confining their role to the barracks despite grave provocations. However, the government has been taking advantage of this by neglecting the armed forces. The continued displeasure of the defence forces over the pay hike is bound to affect its morale. Let us hope the three-member committee, headed by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, will look into grievances of the armed forces related to the remuneration being offered to them by the Sixth Pay Commission.

Lesson for BENGAL................!!!

Finally, Tata Motors has decided to set up its Nano manufacturing plant in Gujarat, the right place for business sans politics. Though the Nano plant was in the interest of the people of Singur, including the farmers whose land was acquired, unfortunately, vote-bank politics played a role in West Bengal and politicians, for their selfish interests, became a hurdle in the economic progress of the state.
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi took barely a week to invite Ratan Tata to his state and to clinch the Nano project. Gujarat is known for its good infrastructure and for commitment to make it even better. In West Bengal, infrastructure is nowhere on the government’s radar and, therefore, the state is in a pitiable condition. While the Gujarat chief minister has put his state on the path of industrial growth, leaders in West Bengal are not even bothered about its development. This is the lesson of the big fuss over a small car.
The pullout of Tata Motors from Singur is a lesson or two for the people of West Bengal. They have been totally brainwashed by the Communists for over three decades or so and Mamata Banerjee has only taken advantage of her position to further her political career. Every corporate operating from West Bengal in the 1970s has shifted base to other states. Now the Communist leadership is beckoning private capital into Bengal. A great opportunity has been lost by the state to resurrect its lost pride. It is high time the present generation of West Bengal thinks about what is correct for them and does not allow itself to get brainwashed by defunct ideologies. What a slap to Mamata and her brand of politics when farmers in Gujarat danced and distributed sweets to welcome the Tatas. What India thinks today, West Bengal thinks after two decades.

locus standi.................?

............Has Zardari really changed Pak line? Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in his foreign-spun wisdom has now confirmed that militants in Kashmir are terrorists. Unfortunately, Mr Zardari does not represent the entire power structure of Pakistan. The country is woefully short of real leaders. India has to be wary of such conciliatory statements from Pakistani leaders as we are not sure what the Pakistan Army will do, especially with reference to the Kashmir issue. Mr Zardari may be merely basking in the meritoriousness of good intentions.

Raj dharm .............!!!

Even after more than a month since the communal carnage targeting the Christian minority in Kandhamal district of Orissa was unleashed by the VHP and Bajrang Dal, the Biju Patnaik government has failed miserably to control the communal violence and bring the situation back to normal. This clearly establishes that the state administration is either unable or unwilling to control the violence and maintain law and order in the state, which is its primary duty. The Centre should dismiss forthwith the inept, insensitive, incapable and callous Biju Patnaik government in Orissa and impose President's Rule.

Inwards...............!!!

The louder the drums of religion and ritual, the farther the sight of the spiritual.
Nature is spiritual to me, and nature is feminine. She is shakti, my personal shakti. I sit with me every morning and try to bring a stillness to my world and my thoughts, feelings and concerns, to get back in touch with the stillness from where all my frenetic energies flow. It is that shunya that is my trigger and my space to take a deep breath.
Places of religion, in general, revulse me, as does the behaviour of people there, devotees and God-dalals alike.
But I cherish my few seconds of inwarding every day.

Please quit smoking willingly............!!!

As per the television news report Smoking ban from today, doubts on how it’ll work, smoking is banned in public places, hospitals, offices, institutes, cinema halls and clubs. Enough publicity has been undertaken to create awareness about the harmful effects of active and passive smoking. This has led to a marked reduction in the number of people who smoke but new laws cannot help further. Until and unless those who smoke, willingly quit smoking, it will be difficult for the government to implement a complete ban on smoking.

Respect Martyr's...........!!!

It is a shame that politicians like Amar Singh are allowed to insult a martyr like Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma. Earlier, Mr Singh was a frontrunner in awarding the slain inspector’s family Rs 10 lakhs in recognition of Inspector Sharma’s sacrifice as an act of extraordinary bravery. In order to garner the Muslim vote, Mr Singh is adopting cheap tactics. If the Delhi police finds Amar Singh’s charge baseless, it should file a defamation case against Amar Singh to uphold the honour of its martyred police officer.

PLEASE DON'T ADVISE............!!

former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and other Muslim leaders have no moral right to advise the Prime Minister on the safeguards as they had failed to protect Hindus and Sikhs in the Valley. They were mute spectators when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in the 1980s.

Dada forced to quit......!!!

History will record that Sourav Ganguly announced his retirement, but actually he has been forced to retire. Sourav’s recent performance was above his teammates. In the last Test played in India, Sourav not only bagged the man of the match award, but also scored two half-centuries and averaged 52.75. Failure in one Test series against Sri Lanka gave selectors the chance to drop him for the Irani Trophy. When a senior player like Sourav is asked to prove his worth time and again, it hurts the honour and the prestige of the player and he is left with no other option but to quit. It is a sad moment for Indian cricket that the most successful skipper of the nation has been shown the door in the most disgraceful manner possible.

Yardsticks........!!!

R vips/vvips above rules?

I support those who have questioned the exemption granted by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to spouses of VIPs/VVIPs from pre-embarkation security checks at airports across India.It may be recalled that even the service chiefs were not exempted from it till last year. I fail to understand why there are two sets of rules, one for those categorised as VIPs/VVIPs and another for the rest? Our Constitution has no provision of VIP/VVIP status for anybody. Those holding vulnerable positions may be protected by the state, but in no case should they be above the rule.

Sovereign status........!!!

India’s decision to postpone the signing of the nuclear deal till it gets President Bush’s signature is correct.There is no need to rush through an important deal when the American side of the formalities are not over. If, by chance, the obligation was on the part of India in a similar deal, would the American President sign such an incomplete document? India and the US are sovereign states and they must respect our national status. Whatever the stakes India must take all precautions before it signs such an important deal. India displayed maturity without hurting its partner and the US should accept this with grace.

2 early 2 speculate.......!!!

The Australian cricket team has arrived in India. Ahead of the Test series to be played between India and Australia, the media and cricket experts have started speculating. While the Indian team has the advantage of playing at home, the Australian side should never be underestimated. Their pace attack is still formidable. Moreover, there is little hope that our senior players will put up a grand show and lead the team to victory. Hence it is better that the media and the so-called sports critics wait till the commencement of the Test series.

Power hungry Politicians..........!!!

HRD minister Arjun Singh and minister of chemicals and fertilisers and steel Ram Vilas Paswan have supported the vice-chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia, Mushirul Hasan, in his decision to provide legal aid to two of its students accused in the Delhi serial blasts. The minister is supporting those involved in killings of innocent people in the country by carrying out serial bomb blasts. At an age where they could have played a constructive role in the country’s development, they chose to join hands with terrorists and deceived their own country. How can any politician support those who never thought about their motherland? It clearly shows the hunger of politicians for power. No doubt these politicians will join hands with terrorists if it ensures power.

Gandhi ji & Hinduism........!!!

Hinduism, as viewed by Gandhiji, could be used to refertilise and revitalise that tradition. Dr S. Radhakrishnan, in connection with his study of religion, posed three questions to Mahatma Gandhi: "What is your religion? How are you led to it? What is its bearing on social life?"

Gandhi replied the first question thus: "My religion is Hinduism which, for me, is the religion of humanity and includes the best of all religions known to me." In response to the second question, Gandhi said: "I take it that the present tense in this question has been purposely used, instead of the past. I am led to my religion through truth and non-violence. I often describe my religion as religion of truth. Of late, instead of saying ‘God is Truth’, I have been saying ‘Truth is God’. We are all sparks of Truth. The sum total of these sparks is indescribable, as yet unknown Truth, which is God. I am daily led nearer to it by constant prayer."

To the third question, Gandhi replied: "The bearing of this religion on social life is, or has to be, seen in one’s daily social contact. To be true to such religion, one has to lose oneself in continuous and continuing service of all in life. Realisation of Truth is impossible without a complete merging of oneself in and identification with this limitless ocean of life. Hence, for me, there is no escape from social service; there is no happiness on earth beyond or apart from it. In this scheme, there is nothing low, nothing high. For all is one, though we seem to be many."

Gandhi elaborated: "The deeper I study Hinduism, the stronger becomes the belief in me that Hinduism is as broad as the universe. Something within me tells me that, for all the deep veneration I show to several religions, I am all the more a Hindu, nonetheless for it."

On the Mahatma’s birthday, it seems necessary to bring home these fundamentals, particularly to those who go on condemning Hinduism without even studying it and also to those members of the ruling elite whose attachment to fake and fraudulent "gods" have made the country a den of corruption, callousness, confusion and criminality.

Gandhi’s elucidation makes it clear that true Hinduism is nothing but spiritual secularism. To relegate such a religion and to follow a shallow and superficial secularism is one of the worst sins that the false prophets of contemporary India are committing. They call Gandhi the Father of the Nation. And yet in practice they do everything to negate all his beliefs.

Throughout human history, religion has remained a potent force, despite all the pounding it has received from thinkers like Marx who called it "opiate of the masses" and Freud who termed it as "a collective neurosis of the masses". It may be relevant to recall a talk between Cardinal Gonsalvic and Napoleon. The Cardinal was pleading the case for the Catholic Church. Napoleon got annoyed on some point and shouted at the Cardinal: "Your Eminence, are you not aware that I have the power to destroy the Catholic Church?" The Cardinal smiled and replied: "Your Majesty, we, the Catholic clergy, for the last 1,800 years, have done our level best to destroy the Catholic Church. We did not succeed. You will not succeed either." This conversation brings out in a telling manner the staying power of religion, notwithstanding its internal and external destroyers.

While religion has its influence in every country, it is more so in India. Swami Vivekananda, with his characteristic clarity and insight, has observed: "Each nation, like each individual, has one theme in its life, which is its centre, the principal note around which every other note comes to form the harmony. If any one attempts to throw off this central note, that is, its national vitality, the direction which has become its own through the transmission of centuries, that nation dies. In India, religious life forms the centre, the key-note of the whole music of national life. Take away religion from India; nothing would be left."

Power, in present day India, has become an end in itself. Justice is being buried deeper and deeper. Means, howsoever unscrupulous, are resorted to and then rationalised. Corruption in public life has attained alarming proportions. Most of our institutions have lost their underlying motivation of service and become effete and venal.

Why has this happened? Why have our State and society become soulless entities? Why have criminals enlarged their hold on politics? And why have power and pelf become everything, and justice and truth nothing?

The answer to these questions is that the ethical foundation of Hinduism, as seen by Gandhi, which could provide "an awakened conscience" to an individual and make him an honest, just and compassionate component of society, has been destroyed partly by the stink and slush of our past degeneration and partly by the type of spurious secularism which has been exploited in post-Independence India.

Hinduism, as made clear by Gandhi, sees all human beings as "sparks of truth/divinity". As such, it neither goes against any other religion, nor is it incompatible with the constitutional goals of equality, fraternity, liberty and justice. If the same divinity constitutes the core of all individuals, they cannot but be equal. Further, divinity in one person cannot in any way be unjust to the same divinity in another person. As the Gita puts it: "Seeing the same God equally present in everything, one does not injure the self by self; and goes to the highest goal".

In Hinduism, Gandhi saw a unique quality: "In it there is room for the worship of all the prophets of the world. It is not a missionary religion in the ordinary sense of the word". Gandhi underlined: "God is not encased in a safe to be approached only through a little hole in it, but He is open to be approached through billions of openings by those who are humble and pure of heart".