Fight Back, “The Land Of The Rising Sun”

A combined attack of a major earthquake and tsunami – for any other country it would have been a major blow
But the country in question is Japan, which is known for not letting any disaster make its morale low.

“The Land Of The Rising Sun”, Japan managed to stand up from the shambles of Hiroshima bombing
It is a strong-willed nation, for which fighting back a disaster with grit is not a new thing.

History bears the proof of the determination and courage that the Japanese community personifies
And there is hardly any doubt that the great country will overcome the present disaster with aplomb and ease.

The entire world’s sympathy, love and wishes are with you - our beloved Japanese friends, brothers and sisters
Fight back with your natural courage, by displaying for the umpteenth time the indomitable spirit of the Japanese mass.

Your ancestors faced Hiroshima bombing, and constructed a new Japan from the rubble of that devastation
Repeat that valour of your ancestors, and prove once again the resilience and buoyancy of your great nation.


(I wrote this poem on 14th March 2011 following the devastating Tsunami and earthquake in Japan that shook the world).

Change of Guard in Japan – After 50 Years

A historic political change took place in the Asian neighbourhood, when Japan’s main opposition party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) overthrew the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the recent general election, after an almost unbroken rule by LDP for half a century.

For quite some time the Japanese voters had been highly displeased with the ruling party for the strong economic crisis that Japan has been going through for around 20 years, witnessing high level of unemployment and other unpleasant factors that accompany a struggling economy. Moreover, there was no sign of any improvement in the near future, which could encourage the common people to retain faith on LDP. Therefore there is nothing surprising that the Japanese voters got LDP ousted. Rather what may be surprising is how they could tolerate LDP for such a long time.

However, DPJ has no time to cherish the elusive victory that they have at last managed to grab. They are now responsible for bringing back the country’s failing economy back on its feet. They must realize that actually it was not their victory, but the loss of LDP. The actual objective of common people was not to bring DPJ to power, but to get LDP out of power. So, instead of patting their own back for the electoral results, they should swing into action immediately. At the same time they must remember that there should not be any over-enthusiasm, no desperation to bring a sudden improvement in the economy. Any hasty act can result in further worsening of the situation. Rather, they should first make a proper, all-round study of the scenario, identify the loopholes and draw backs, and chalk out a roadmap, and then proceed.

We all know about the resilience of our Japanese friends. The way they bounced back after being demolished by US atom bombs is almost like folklore. And we all believe that the Sun of economic prosperity will again rise in this “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Photo Courtesy - www.newsweek.com

Congrats to Japan for launching Ibuki

Japan has done a really appreciable job by launching Ibuki – the satellite meant to study greenhouse gases concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Ibuki will take readings at around 56,000 locations, across land and sea, thus facilitating accurate predictions on the future of global warming.

With the global warming being a burning problem for the modern world, such a step was long overdue. Loads of congratulations to Japan for taking a significant step in this regard.

Hopefully countries across the world will now start sharing their technical expertise to counter the global menace that global warming is. And yes, it is not enough to identify the sources of problems. Such initiatives will be meaningful only when, after identification, the reasons for global warming will be properly eradicated. If that somehow hampers the business interest (or other interest) of country, even then the latter should not hesitate to cooperate with the rest of the world.