The Alarmingly Low Potability Level Of Delhi Water

A survey by two prominent NGOs has exposed a very scary truth about Delhi’s water. In that survey the two NGOs, viz. Hazards Centre and Water Aid, tested 53 samples of the city’s water. Shockingly, only 2 of those samples were found to be potable. All the rest 51 samples were found to be highly contaminated, containing varying degrees of heavy metals, faecal coliform, flouride and even pesticides.

And before you heave a sigh of relief by thinking that you have “Aquaguard” at home, I will like to remind you that this city’s population also includes poor people who cannot afford to have any such household water-treatment facilities.

I do not know whether the NGOs have already submitted their report to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Anyways, I sincerely hope that DJB will take the matter very very seriously the moment they have the report on their table.

By the way, I genuinely feel that Delhites should immediately resort to Coke and Pepsi for just quenching their daily thirst. Having such soft drinks on a regular basis is certainly not a good habit. But it is definitely a better choice than drinking water that has such a high level of contamination.

Avoid Using Laptops and iPads Just Before Going To Bed

Don’t use devices like laptops and iPads just before going to bed. Because that will disrupt your sleep, eventually turning you into an insomniac.

A team of American researchers has discovered that devices emitting bright lights confuse our brains and sleep patterns. How? By deceiving our minds that it is still day time. And this eventually prevents sleep and enhances the possibility of insomnia.

Please remember that our brains are biologically wired to be awake when the sun is out. And bright light after dark prevents the brain from secreting the hormone named melatonin. It is incidentally the hormone that makes us sleepy.

In case you want to distress your mind before going to bed, then reading a book or watching television will be a far better choice.

News Courtesy: The Times of India, New Delhi, 18th May 2010.

Now Book Jet Airways Ticket Through SBI Card

Indian private carrier Jet Airways has tied up with SBI Card, wherein the carrier’s customers can book their tickets through Jet Airways portals by using the SBI card option. It may be mentioned here that SBI Card is a joint venture by State Bank of India (SBI) and GE Capital.

This arrangement will enable SBI Credit Cardholders to choose an option to convert their ticket purchases – through the Jet Airways website – into a zero-percent EMI of 6 months tenure.

The offer is meant to make family air travel more cost-effective and economical.

Mumbai’s Bavicca Bharathi To Be India’s Youngest Airlines Commander At 21

Bavicca Bharathi of Marol (a part of the bigger suburb of Mumbai’s Andheri East area) became India’s youngest pilot after acquiring a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) in 2007. That time she was just 18. This notable achievement was even recorded by Limca Book of Records in its 2008 edition.

Now, after acquiring her Advanced Training Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) on 3rd May 2010 (incidentally her 21st birthday), she is very much on the verge of becoming India’s youngest airlines commander. Currently a co-pilot with Kingfisher Airlines, Bavicca had to successfully fly 1,500 hours to get the coveted ATPL.

By the way, Bavicca’s mother Judith (43) also holds a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL). Any guess when she got her CPL? Well, it was in 2007, along with her daughter. Wow! And yes, Judith is also an employee of Kingfisher Airlines, i.e. the same organization where her daughter is working. What a great mother-daughter duo Kingfisher Airlines has got.

Congrats Bavicca! Wish you all the best in your career. Who knows, one day I might fly in a plane commanded by you.

Human Beings To Get Rid Of Deafness?

We often make fun of people who are deaf or at least short of hearing. But we all know that actually it is not funny. Just think of the plight that our deaf friends have to go through. While we complain of sound pollution, they are forced to live in a world that is disturbingly silent.

However, now there seems to be a ray of hope for these hapless people. An international team led by Stanford University School of Medicine is reported to have identified a way to re-create the sensitive hair cells. Hair cells are the ones which play a key role in hearing. The team has claimed that it has found a way to re-create the hair cells by using stem cell technology. And the team further claims that this finding can lead to a way wherein the deaf people can regenerate their own inner ear sensory cells to cure the condition.

It may be mentioned here that all sorts of hearing loss (ranging from mild to serious) often result from damage to the “hair cells” in the cochlea. And what is cochlea? Well, it is an organ that lies deep inside the human ear, and is responsible for converting vibrations into electrical signals.

Myth Broken: Tobacco-Free Cigarettes Are No Less Harmful For Your Health

You are a smoker, but you are not worried about your health. Why? Because you smoke cigarettes that do not contain tobacco or nicotine, and you are confident that such cigarettes do not cause any harm to human health like the ones which contain tobacco.

Sorry dude, but you are completely mistaken. If researchers at New York Medical College are to be believed, then tobacco-free cigarettes are likely to be more carcinogenic (i.e. a substance or agent that tends to produce cancer), as they actually induce more extensive DNA damage than cigarettes which contain tobacco.

So now you can see that you are not causing any less harm to you health by smoking tobacco-free cigarettes. So now you have two options. Either quit smoking completely (which is virtually impossible for an addict like you), or continue your smoking with cigarettes that contain tobacco. After all, why should you harm the tobacco industry when you are doing no less harm to your health even by avoiding tobacco while smoking?

Causes of honour killings

This article on Honour Killing has been written by my good friend Mr K.V. Gautam. He requested me to post the same in my blog, and I am executing his order. I will like to mention that though this article is being posted in my blog, it is Mr K.V. Gautam who is solely responsible for the outcome of this post. - Raja Basu


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The honour killing of young journalist Nirupama Pathak (Delhi based, working for Business Standard) throws up some disturbing realities. Now honour killing is not limited to some uneducated people with medieval mindsets living in Haryana . It has been seen even in educated middle class.

These are the causes of honour killing in India:


Parents think that they are some manufacturing units and their children (of all ages) are their products

Parents think that their sons and daughters have no life of their own. And they have all rights to use and abuse their sons and daughters

The whole concept of human rights and child rights are alien to Indian parents

Indian parents are experts at emotional blackmailing

Parents think that they have done some favor to their wards by giving birth to them (which is wrong as kids are born out of sex, a pleasant activity. and people give birth to kids because it gives pleasure to them)

Parents think that they have done some favor to their wards by bringing them up (which is wrong as parents bring kids up just for their self-interest of helping them in their old age)

Psychologically speaking, parents unconsciously abuse their wards to take revenge for the abuse they had themselves suffered at their own parents' hands (someone please stop this barbarity in the name of tradition and so-called family respect)


Are people who kill their sons and daughters in name of caste any better than terrorists who kills people in the name of religion?

Naveen Jindal's Support To Khap Panchayat - An Act Under Compulsion

Everybody is surprised and shocked that Naveen Jindal has expressed his support for the infamous Khap Panchayat's opposition to same-gotra marriage. The root of the surprise lies in the fact that Naveen Jindal is not only a young politician, but is also well educated and comes from an elite family with apparently a modern outlook.

However, I feel that there is nothing surprising about it. Naveen Jindal is not supporting the Khap Panchayat spontaneously, but under compulsion. Everybody knows that the Khap Panchayat commands huge control on the local community, i.e. the local electorate. Therefore, if Naveen Jindal rubs the Panchayat in the wrong way,then it will ultimately result in his losing the support of the local people. And that will eventually result in his failing to retain the Kurukshetra (Haryana) parliamentary seat in the next general election.

Therefore, it is simply to ensure his victory in the next election that the hapless politician is feigning support for a demand that he himself knows to be completely wrong.

It is basically a classic example of the draw backs of popular democracy, wherein a public representative is forced to support a wrongful demand, simply because it is a popular demand. We witnessed a similar incident when we saw Sachin Pilot fighting for getting his Gujjar voters the coveted ST status. However, Sachin Pilot was very much likely to be aware that his Gujjar voters' demand for an ST status was completely illogical and baseless.

Some Interesting Outcomes Of The Recent UK General Election

The recent UK election has certain outcomes that might be interesting for the Indian mass. They are as follows –

1.) Keith Vaz and Valerie Vaz of the Labour Party have become the first brother-sister duo to jointly enter the House of Commons since 1950s. Their ancestral root lies in Goa.
2.) Indian origin Priti Patel has become the first Conservative Party woman of Indian origin to be elected to the UK Parliament.
3.) Priti Patel and Valeri Vaz have also become the first women of Indian origin to enter UK’s directly elected national legislature.
4.) Indian origin Marsha Singh has again won from the Bradford West constituency, an area often referred to as “Little Pakistan” as the majority of the local population is of Pakistani descent. In fact Marsha Singh has been winning this constituency since 1992. It is notable that his opponents have always fielded Pakistani origin candidates against him. And yet he has managed to retain his constituency which is, I repeat, dominated by Pakistani origins.

Congrats guys! You have really made us, the citizens of your ancestral country, proud. We wish you all a rewarding political career in the UK.


A Pakistani success

Shabana Mahmood has become the first woman of Pakistani origin to enter the UK Parliament.

Congrats sister! May you achieve the zenith of success in your chosen vocation, and make your ancestral country proud of you.


A tight slap for the anti-immigration hawks

The anti-immigration, far-right British National Party has failed to win a single seat, despite the fact that they fielded 300 candidates. The Asians owe a huge thanks to the forward thinking people of the UK, who rejected downright the flawed jingoism that British National Party was trying to sell.



News Courtesy: The Times of India, New Delhi, 8th May 2010.

Limb Amputation To Be History?

The human society might get rid of the painful experience of limb amputation, provided a group of US scientists working to that effect is successful in its mission.

A team at the Centre of Regenerative Medicine in Pittsburgh (USA) is reported to have developed a “miracle powder”, nicknamed “pixie dust”. The scientists claim that the powder is likely to ensure that injured limbs do not need to be amputated.

The powder has been made out of pig bladders, which enables the body to grow new tissue, and can also regenerate large areas which have been badly injured. But how is it possible? Well, pig bladders are blessed with a substance called extra cellular matrix, and that is mainly constituted of collagen.

Notably this “pixie dust” has already been used to treat some severely injured US soldiers who are back from war-torn Afghanistan. All those soldiers had their limbs so badly injured that they were very much likely to be amputated. But they did not have to go through that ordeal, courtesy the use of “pixie dust”.

Is Your Pet Dog A Lefty or Right Handed?

No no, please do not get me wrong. I have not lost my sanity. Dogs and cats indeed are left or right-handed. And so are even parrots and fish. This startling fact has been unearthed by a team of psychologists from Canada’s Queen’s University. They have come to this conclusion after studying 42 pet cats for several weeks.

Really an interesting piece of information, eh? Such findings might not help us improve human life by any aspect, but they nevertheless add a touch of fun and amusement to our day-to-day life.

So if you have a pet, then why do not you ask him or her right now – “Hey Tommy (or whatever it is), are you a lefty? Or right-handed?”

European Inventor Award 2010 For Sanjai Kohli of India

India’s Sanjai Kohli and his partner Steven Chen have won the prestigious European Inventor Award 2010, instituted by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Commission. They have won the award in the category of inventors who belong to countries outside the European Union.

So what is their achievement? A significant one, to say the least. Kohli and his partner are credited with inventing powerful but inexpensive chips that have facilitated the commercialization of GPS. It is reportedly due to chips invented by them that today we can see the successful incorporation of GPS technology in so many constituents of our everyday life, such as cars, planes, ships and mobile phones.

By the way, Mr. Sanjai Kohli is the worthy son of F C Kohli, the “Father of Indian software service industry”. Like father, like son.

Long live Indian technology! Long live Indian brain!

What Exactly Is “Carbon Credit”?

You must have heard of the term “Carbon Credit”, right? Why, it is one of the most pronounced terms in today’s time, when Global Warming has become such a huge menace for all of us.

But what exactly is meant by “Carbon Credit”? If you just have a sketchy idea, and not a concrete one, then please permit me to offer a brief explanation.

Carbon Credit is basically the monetary reward that a country or organization gets for reducing its Carbon Emission. There is a reward of one (1) unit of Carbon Credit for the reduction of every metric ton of CO2. And the monetary value of every unit of Carbon Credit is, as of today, approximately 12 Euros (the value may change in the future).

In a nutshell, a country or an organization can get around 12 Euros for every metric ton of CO2 that it will manage to reduce.

I got this explanation of Carbon Credit from my good colleague and friend Mr. LS, an expert on Forest and Environment Management. In case you find anything wrong in the information, please rectify me.

Hang Ketan Desai Till Death

Ketan Desai, the President of Medical Council of India or MCI has been arrested, after being caught red handed while taking a bribe of Rs 2 crores.

MCI is the organization that regulates medical education in India. And one of its chief functions is to give government recognition to a medical college (and the medical degree offered by it) after being satisfied with the latter’s infrastructure, quality of teaching, etc.

In fact Mr Desai had asked for the bribe in exchange of giving government recognition to a Punjab-based medical college.

It is taken for granted that Mr Desai and his associates have already given that government recognition, in exchange of hefty amounts, to various such medical colleges which are not able to impart appropriate medical education. But the students who will pass out of these colleges will be able to boast government recognized medical degrees, and will be approached by innocent people at the time of need. And just imagine the type of treatment those doctors will offer.

By fiddling with medical education, Mr Desai has actually fiddled with human life. So I feel the case should not be treated as one of just corruption and bribery. Rather, it should be treated as a case of deliberate attempt to mass murder.

And then will it be too much to demand a death sentence for this scoundrel?

UNESCO Declares Bengali To Be The World’s Sweetest Language

UNESCO has declared the Bengali language to be the sweetest language of the world.

Bengali is one of the major languages of India, and the main language in the state of West Bengal in eastern India. It is the mother tongue of the Bengali community of India, i.e. the community to which I belong.

Bengali is also spoken in the tiny country of Bangladesh, a neighbouring country of India. In fact, in Bangladesh Bengali is virtually the sole spoken language, and enjoys the status of the National Language.

I have always been so proud that I have such a sweet as well as rich language as my mother language. And today that pride got a huge booster.

However, my pride in and love for my language will never make me look down upon any other language of this world. Rather, I have (and will always have) a huge respect for every spoken language in this world, as each of them has enriched the human civilization in one way or the other.

DGCA Orders Grounding Of Paramount Airways

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered the grounding of Paramount Airways, the Coimbatore-based regional carrier.

So what is Paramount’s fault? Well, as per civil aviation guidelines, it is mandatory for a scheduled operator (national) to maintain a minimum strength of five aircrafts.

And unfortunately, Paramount (which earlier had five aircrafts) was of late operating with just one aircraft.

Quite naturally DGCA had no option except to order the cancellation of Paramount’s license.

The airlines has now moved the Delhi High Court against DGCA’s order. Let’s see what happens now.

The “Volcano” Chaos For Air Travel – A Possible Lesson For ICAO?

The recent chaos in the global air travel, caused by an Icelandic volcanic eruption, probably established this point that there must be a guideline and/or plan of action to counter such incidents that may occur in the future.

Needless to say that this guideline or plan of action will be global in nature, with the airlines of every country being ready to adhere to it. And it is to be monitored by a global aviation body. And when we think of such a global aviation body, we have only one choice – International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body concerned with the global aviation issues.

I feel ICAO should take this incident as a research study, and formulate one such plan of action that can be effectively used in case any such incident occurs in the future, disrupting the global aviation. Yes, that plan of action will not be able to rectify the situation. But it can at least alleviate the impact of the situation, thereby alleviating the harassments of the concerned air travelers.

Indrajit Hazra's Crap in Hindustan Times

What is one of the main reasons that always keep The Times of India ahead of its rival Hindustan Times? Simple. Every article that you will find in Times of India (TOI) has a basic quality, a standard. On the other hand in Hindustan Times (HT) you will often come across articles that are nothing but craps.

One such latest crap that I came across other day was the article "End with a Bong, not a whimper" (link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/columnscricket/End-with-a-Bong-not-a-whimper/Article1-531387.aspx) by Indrajit Hazra, a funny looking man with a funny face that only his mother can love.

In that article this guy has discussed IPL, and has actually focused on KKR's poor performance in the same. And while doing so, he has completely focused on criticizing Ganguly, as a player and captain.

He certainly has the right to criticize Ganguly. After all it is true that KKR has failed in the IPL, and everybody has the right to criticize the hapless captain of the team.

But what was disgusting was that while criticizing Ganguly and his performance, this audacious (and seemingly uncultured) person has unnecessarily focused on Ganguly’s ethnicity (i.e. his Bengali ethnicity), and has also shown (albeit indirectly) lack of disrespect for the Bengali community as a whole.

I post some samples here –

First, the heading – “End with a Bong, not a whimper”

Second – “I don’t see why I can’t say a few cathartic words in response to the post-defeat outbursts of the Bengali man’s dream of a Bengali man: KKR skipper Dada Moany.”

Third – “Not with a bang, but a frustrated Bong who says he could have won Shah Rukh Khan the tournament if he had ten more…..”

Just a look at these samples can make one understand how the person – in the garb of criticizing Ganguly – has actually tried to poke a fun at the Bengali community. As I said that every person has the right to criticize anybody, be it Ganguly or anybody else. But while doing so there should be no attempt to show any disrespect to his community. That is an extreme level of impudence that can be expected only from an ill-bred guy like this Indrajit Hazra. That will immediately give a communal colour to that discussion, which is bound to make people from that community to be emotional. It is for this reason that Bengalis get so emotional when people criticize Ganguly, as we find them that his critics do not perceive him merely as an Indian cricketer, but as a “Bengali cricketer”.


At the end of the article (read crap) Hazra has expressed his hope that Ganguly will not start tweeting. I will love to tell Hazra that if we can bear the burden of Hazra’s so-called articles, then we can certainly bear with Ganguly’s tweets.

God knows what type of family this person has come from, that he can so unabashedly make such cheap remarks to win some cheap claps from some equally uncultured people. It is not his fault that he is so uncultured. The problem actually lies with his blood.

Kingfisher Launches 2 New International Routes

A good news for the Indian civil aviation sector is that the private air carriers are constantly trying to upgrade themselves, in terms of infrastructure and service capacity.

Just recently Kingfisher Airlines launched 2 new international routes – Mumbai-Bangkok and Delhi-Bangkok.

The airlines will be operating in these routes through Airbus A320 aircrafts.

The Mumbai-Bangkok flight will offer connectivity with cities, such as Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Indore.

The Delhi-Bangkok flight will offer connectivity with cities, such as Jaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Patna. It will also have Hong Kong in its route network.

IndiGo Planning Hefty IPO

IndiGo – the Indian Low Cost Carrier (or budget carrier) with largest market share – is planning a hefty IPO of around Rs 2000 crores. Some reputable bankers including Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse have been appointed for the purpose.

The company seeks to raise some funds for expansion, which is actually a heartening news for domestic air travelers. A budget carrier is mainly meant for the middle class section of the society, and air travelers from that section of the society will eagerly await an expansion of one of their favourite airlines. Because the expansion means more service deliverability for that company, which ultimately means more gains for the middle class air travelers of India.
As of now IndiGo has 25 aircrafts. Let’s see how far they can go.

Good luck Mr. Aditya Ghosh. Please go ahead! Wish you all the best!

Swiss Airline Renews Code Sharing Agreement With Air India

There has been a positive development for the troubled Indian carrier Air India, with Swiss International Airlines renewing a code sharing agreement with the latter.

By virtue of this agreement, to be effective from 18th April 2010, Air India will be able to do business in some areas where it does not have any fleet presence, by using the fleets and crew of Swiss International Airlines.

Needless to say that it will be a good booster for Air India’s business prospects. Firstly, it is always great if an airline’s service capacity gets bigger in comparison to its infrastructure. Secondly, through this agreement Air India is getting an opportunity associate itself with a prominent brand like Swiss International Airlines.

Hopefully Air India will be able to make full utilization of the business prospects (as well as brand enhancement prospects) to be offered by this agreement.

Besides, Air India management may also think of using the example of this agreement with Swiss International Airlines to enthuse other major global airlines to sign similar agreements with them.

Jet Airways Retains No. 1 Position, Consecutively For The 6th Month

Jet Airways, along with its low-cost subsidiary JetLite, has retained its No. 1 position in the Indian civil aviation arena, consecutively for the 6th month. The airlines achieved this honour by capturing 26.1 percent of domestic market share in March 2010.

The 2nd and 3rd positions have been occupied by Kingfisher Airlines and Air India, respectively.

Congrats Jet!

Darjeeling – The Shangri-La In Eastern Himalayas

Protected by the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga, and caressed by green carpets of tea gardens

Darjeeling is such a beautiful place, even with its thick fog and rains.

The beloved homeland of proud and self-respecting peoples, such as Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis

It is a land of amazing beauty, a land also endowed with eternal charm and peace.

Come here to witness how snow-covered mountains are bathing themselves in fast flowing chilly winds

Come here to observe the thrilling scene of vivacious rivers swiftly flowing through the surrounding rocks and greens.

Come here to relish a colourful flora, which comprises varieties of trees, flowers, plants and orchids

Come here to experience a rich fauna, ranging from Red Panda to singing birds and butterflies.

Come here to know about Mountaineering, one of the world’s top sports and many peoples’ craze

Come here to see the spectacular Darjeeling Toy Train, the wonder recognized by the UNESCO as an object of world heritage.

Come here to know about the cultivation of tea, which might be your favourite beverage

Or come here just to have an idle vacation, and spend some leisurely days.

Whatever may be your interest and objective, come to this astounding land before it is too late

Otherwise, who knows, not visiting Darjeeling might become your life’s greatest regret.

Will US Aviation Firms Set Up Bases In India?

It is really worth watching whether US aviation firms decide to set up bases in India.

During his US tour the Indian Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel appealed to the US aviation firms to establish manufacturing bases on the Indian soil, and also to invest in the Indian aviation infrastructure, such as airports.

In fact, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have told Mr. Patel that US aviation firms are impressed with the growth curve of the Indian civil aviation sector, and will love to contribute to the same.

Now let’s see whether the US firms will choose to witness the Indian aviation sector’s performance from a distance, or whether they will love to be a part of the notable growth that this thriving Indian sector is achieving.

Indian Government Mulling A National Commission For Aeronautics

The Indian Government is reportedly mulling a National Aeronautics Commission, which will act as the umbrella organization for all research and development activities. A proposal to this effect has been submitted to the Government by Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI).

This key information was shared with the media by the Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, Mr Vijay Mallya, who is also the President of AeSI.

Mr. Mallya claimed that having an umbrella organization for all research and development activities would enhance the growth potential of the aeronautical sector.

BA-Iberia Merger Forms Europe’s 3rd Largest Airlines

British Airways (BA) has signed a merger deal with Spain’s Iberia to form Europe’s third biggest airlines. The merger will come into life under a new holding company called International Airlines Group, boasting of 408 aircrafts and flying to 200 destinations.

Till the last development, there has been no communication on fleet reduction and staff cuts. However, such developments have always taken place after all similar airlines mergers in the past.

SpiceJet and IndiGo To Fly Abroad

For quite some time Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have been the only two private airlines to fly abroad. But now they have to share the honour with two more players - SpiceJet and IndiGo.

The two airlines have already got the go-ahead from the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry. Now they are awaiting the completion of the necessary procedural formalities, to be conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Both the players have fulfilled one criterion, i.e. having a minimum fleet size of 20 aircrafts. And both of them will soon achieve the other criterion, i.e. having a track record of conducting domestic operations for 5 years, uninterruptedly.

Notably, neither of the two players is eyeing far away destinations, like Europe and US. Rather both of them have their focus on South Asian region.

Good luck, guys. Wish you people all the best.

India Proceeds Towards Elite Mobile Technology Arena

So at last the bidding for 3G mobile technology spectrum has started in India? It’s really so thrilling!

In fact, it is something that should have happened long back. Already around 130 countries of the world are using 3G mobile technology, and India is going to be one of the last countries in the world to embrace the same. And that is not only embarrassing, but also quite surprising. Apart from being an emerging economy, which is already well-respect across the world, India is also known for having witnessed a notable telecom revolution. And Indians are also known to be connoisseurs of technology and gadgets as a whole, with telecommunications being one of their special areas of interest.

In this backdrop, it is certainly astonishing that we have been so late in moving towards this latest mobile technology. It is actually not only a question of national prestige and status, but also a question of offering latest mobile technology to a certain community (i.e. the Indian community) which genuinely deserves the same.

Anyways, better late than never. Now just let’s wait for the day that will witness the actual introduction and initiation of 3G mobile technology in our country.

And yes, right now we should decide that we will not be late in embracing the 4G mobile technology.

Some Unquotable Quotes

Quote 1

Never judge a person’s behaviour/action in isolation. Rather, try to understand the circumstances under which he has behaved or acted in that way. You may find 100 reasons to justify his behaviour/action, no matter how much unacceptable it may have been apparently.


Quote 2

If you dislike somebody, then neither pretend to like him nor overtly display your disliking. Both the approaches are unsustainable, and you cannot carry any of them for a long time unless in rare cases.



Quote 3

The best way to deal with a tragedy or trauma? Try to make a productive use of the lessons learnt from that experience. The eventual satisfaction may enable you to accept the unfortunate incident.


Quote 4

How a person will be treated by the society is not always determined by his own actions. An ordinary person, with no notable contributions, may enjoy love and reverence simply because he or she is the son/daughter/wife, etc. of a respectable personality.

Similarly, a person of no unsavoury character or background may be hated (or at least disliked) by people, simply because he or she is related to a person who is hated or disliked by the society.



Quote 5


Every second person you come across is like a mirror, who will reflect the treatment that you will extend to him. Treat him with love and respect, and he is very much likely to give you back that love and respect. Treat him with audacity, and he is likely to give you back that audacity unless he has any compulsion.

Usually the behaviour that you get from the other person is actually the reflection of your own behaviour towards him.


Quote 6

You cannot term a person “an escapist” merely because he is avoiding a problem. An escapist is a person who knows how to solve the problem, but does not have the guts to implement that solution. But that person is not an escapist who is avoiding the problem not because he lacks the guts to solve it, but because he does not know the way to solve it in the first place.


Quote 7

The negative outcome of being too much humble – Proud and haughty people will look down upon you, as they will perceive you as a very ordinary person.

The positive outcome of being too much humble - Nice and kind people will be sympathetic to you, as they will perceive you as a very ordinary person.


Source: The heart-felt realizations of an ordinary blogger.

Sikkim – The Fairy Tale Land That This World Is Lucky To Have

On the lap of snow-white mountains – amidst lush green forests and crystal clear rivers – there lies a fairy tale land

Named Sikkim, it is a land that in the true sense is amazing, magnificent and grand.

Boasting of rich and colourful folk cultures, courtesy its indigenous communities

Sikkim also has a marvelous religious appeal, being a key hub of Buddhist practice.

It is a spectacular land that personifies beauty, enigma, mysticism and myth

It is a piece of land that this world is genuinely fortunate to have been endowed with.

Uttarakhand – The Abode Of God

Mountains, waterfalls, streams and jungles

Which place am I talking about, any guess?

Home for some interesting tribes, like Tharus, Vanrawats and Jaunsaris

And blessed with the Hindu pilgrimage of Kedar Vadri, where people flock in search of religious quest and mental peace.

A place that epitomizes natural beauty, and has had famous residents like Jim Corbett and Ruskin Bond

Yes, you are right, I am talking about the “Devbhumi” (Abode of God) named Uttarakhand.

Arunachal Pradesh – The Picturesque Land of Dawn Lit Mountains

“The Land of Dawn Lit Mountains”, Arunachal Pradesh is captivating, enchanting and amazing

Representing an out-of-the-world natural beauty that one can imagine only in dreams.

A wonder of the world, Arunachal Pradesh is richly bejeweled with mountains, forests, streams and wildlife

And is the beloved home for Monpa, Nishi, Adi, Apatani, and a host of other interesting and hardy tribes.

A hub of Buddhism, the place boasts gorgeous and magnificent monasteries

Visit the place to taste real natural splendour and tranquility, and regain your mental peace.

Calera’s “CO2-Cement” Claim. Is It Bankable?

I was thrilled to know that Silicon Valley start-up company Calera has claimed that it has invented a way wherein it can capture the carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants, before turning them into cement.

Now, if Calera (funded by noted Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla) can really do it, and that too on a mass scale, then it will be a double benefit for the world. On one hand it will reduce CO2 emissions, and on the other hand it will result in the production of a highly usable commodity. So it is everybody’s guess how important a development it can be. In fact, Calera has claimed that it has already drawn an investment of $15 million from world’s biggest coal company Peabody Energy.

However, there are some experts who are not ready to bank much on this claim. They feel that Calera will not be able to produce large quantities of cement that is both sustainable as well as environment-friendly.

Let’s see what happens. Only time can tell whether Calera will be successful in doing what many players have tried to do for around 15 years.

Bharti’s Zain Deal – Another Shining Feather In India Inc.’s Hat

Bharti’s successful taking over of the African business of Kuwait’s telecom major Zain has unfolded yet another glorious chapter in India Inc.’s history.

The $10.7 billion deal (the largest by any Indian company after Tata’s Corpus deal) reflects the emerging strength, confidence and ambition that characterize the present day Indian corporate players. Apart from playing a strong role in promoting Indian telecom sector’s business in the foreign market, this deal will also promote abroad the overall brand of the Indian corporate sector as a whole. In a nutshell, this deal has resulted in an international image enhancement for the already shining image of India Inc., and can be utilized to curve further niche in the global scenario.

What has added significance to this deal is that it is involved with the telecom sector. While any major international deal makes the global corporate fraternity to take notice of it, there are some sectors that create interest among so-called common people as well, i.e. people who are not likely to be interested about such deals. This happens when such a deal takes place in a sector that lies very close to the heart of common people (or common consumers), and telecom sector is one of these sectors. No wonder, Bharti’s successful taking over of Zain’s African business will not only enhance the international image of the corporate India, but will enhance the image of the India as a country, as well.

Congrats Mr. Sunil Mittal. You are one of my most favourite corporate personalities of India, with the other being Mr. Vijay Mallya. And I find personal charm and pleasure in each corporate success that you achieve.

Pune Blast - R.R. Patil Once Again Proves His Inefficiency

After the 26/11 massacre of Mumbai two Home Ministers had lost their jobs – Mr Shivraj Patil in the Central Government and Mr R.R. Patil in the Maharashtra Government. After that the ruling coalitions at both the places contested elections, and won back their respective positions. While Shivraj Patil was not brought back to his old position by the UPA II at the Centre, the Congress-NCP coalition of Maharashtra surprisingly brought back R.R. Patil as the Home Minister of the State. It was a decision that understandably raised many eyebrows, with sporadic voices of criticism and disagreement. People were worried that Patil’s ineptitude would once again make the State to pay a dear price.


And that people were right that has been proved after the shocking Pune blast, which was again the result of an intelligence failure as had happened in the case of 26/11.

While the Home Minister may not be held responsible for each and every intelligence failure, in this case there is no doubt that there has been lapses on the part of Patil himself. The Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai has gone on record saying that the Central Government had warned the State Government – in February 2009 – about the possibility of one such attack in Pune. And R.R. Patil is saying that he had no knowledge of any such communication from the Centre.

If it is true that Patil indeed had the knowledge of any such communication, then he showed unpardonable callousness by ignoring the same, and should immediately be shown the door.

And if it is true that he really did not have any idea about any such information, then again it proves his own inefficiency. Why? Because in that case it is proved that the Maharashtra Home Department is being run in an unorganized manner, where proper sharing and subsequent analysis of critical information is not taking place. And it is the Home Minister himself who should be held responsible for the same.

So whatever the truth may have been, one thing is certain that R.R. Patil should be sacked with immediate effect. He clearly does not have the competence and efficiency that are required to occupy the crucial position of the Home Minister, and his holding that office actually poses a serious threat for the common people of the State of Maharashtra.

Toyota’s Scheduled “India Launch” Of Prius – A Life Threat For The Indian Consumers?

Toyota is scheduled to launch its hybrid car model Prius in India in March-end or the beginning of April.

It would have certainly been a great news for the car connoisseurs of India. However, there is an unfortunate factor that forces (or should force) everybody to wonder whether the launch of Prius should be welcomed at all.

The problem is, while on one hand Toyota is going to launch the said car model in India, at the same time it is recalling the same model from the markets of other parts of the world. Reason? A faulty brake system.

Now the question that naturally comes in mind is that if Toyota feels Prius to be misfit for a launch in other countries, then how can it go ahead with the plan of launching it in India? Shouldn’t it have launched the car in India only after rectifying the faults, something that it is going to do elsewhere? How can the Toyota management present the Indian car market with a faulty car model which it does not dare to launch elsewhere? Isn’t it a case of taking the Indian car consumers for granted?

And it must also be remembered that the fault in question is not an insignificant one. Using a car model with a faulty brake means fiddling with human life, wherein the driver puts both his own life as well as the lives of other people in the road at stake. So it means that for Toyota the issue of financial profit and loss is more important than the lives of its customers.

Actually the bookings for Prius already started in January this year. Now recalling the model will mean losing all those orders, which will be a huge loss for the global car major. It is certainly true that such a huge loss is a nightmare that any organization will try to avoid. But while an organization has 100% right to take steps to avoid financial loss, can it do the same at the cost of “life security” of its customers?

Such a blatant act of irresponsibility was certainly not expected from Toyota.

The Questionable Arrest Of Gen. Sarath Fonseka Of Sri Lanka

It may be just a wild guess encouraged by something which is a plain coincidence. However, the world is predictably finding it very hard to believe that the ongoing government actions against the former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka have nothing to do with his failed challenge to the re-election bid of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

As I said that it may be just a coincidence that the initiation of government actions against the war hero came close to the heels of his high-pitched “Presidential” fight against Mr. Rajapaksa. However, there are a couple of factors that are forcing the world to believe that all these government actions (including the controversial arrest of the beleaguered former army chief) are actually being carried out to “punish” the “audacious” soldier for daring to challenge the incumbent President in his re-election bid.

For example, let us look at this charge against General Sarath Fonseka that he had started plotting and conspiring against Mahinda Rajapaksa even when he was still the Army Chief. Fine. But in that case why did not the Sri Lankan Army take any actions against him at that very point of time? He was permitted to retain his office, and he eventually played a crucial role in giving the final blow to LTTE. There were no actions against him even after he quit his Army position. It is only after he contested against Rajapaksa and failed to “dethrone” the latter that the government has suddenly become aware of his illegal activities, and has started taking actions.

OK, it may be so that the government was unaware of Sarath Fonseka’s offensive activities when he was the Army Chief, and incidentally came to know about the same only after the recent Presidential election (the “coincidence” angle that I was referring to). But in that case the Sri Lankan government was expected to make it very clear to the nation as well as the world, thus leaving no rooms for any rumours. Was it very difficult for the government to understand that the timing of Fonseka’s arrest would raise questions and doubts in the minds of people?

Another thing that “apparently” reflects the Sri Lankan government’s vindictive approach is the manner in which the once revered Army Chief was arrested. The basic human rights principles demand that even when a petty criminal is arrested and taken into custody, it should be done with some dignity. And this former war hero was held by hands and feet, and dragged away by the Military Police. How humiliating it must have been for the person to be treated in this way by the same people who used to salute him till the other day. And after arresting him the government was seemingly not even eager to disclose his whereabouts, at least not initially (though later Fonseka’s wife was permitted to meet him).

Anyways, as I have said that all these may have been just a case of coincidence, sending a baseless smell of a foul play while the actual reality is completely different. If the former General has really done something wrong then he must be punished. And in that case the Sri Lankan government has certainly not done anything wrong by initiating actions against him.

However, the government must appreciate this fact that the timing of the actions is sending this message to the world that everything is not fair and square in this “Sarath Fonseka drama”. And, this doubt is gradually gaining ground. So if the Sri Lankan government is confident that it is on the right side of ethics, then it must carry out all the related activities with utmost clarity and transparency, while involving the global media in every step. This will ensure that there is no room for any rumour, with no chance for the Sri Lankan government’s credibility coming under question.

Mehmood Qureshi – The Cheap Gallery Player

I always knew that Mehmood Qureshi is an over-smart, over-talkative foreign minister who is more interested in destructive diplomacy rather than constructive one (at least while handling issues related to Indo-Pakistan relationship).

But I never knew that he was so good at cheap gallery playing, a quality that he exhibited other day while addressing a mass gathering in Multan in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Displaying a theatrical histrionics, that completely belied his so-called elite background, Qureshi kept briefing the innocent people about how the Pakistan government scored a diplomatic victory over India by forcing the latter to hold a dialogue with Pakistan despite strong initial reluctance for the same. In a nutshell, what Qureshi meant was that India’s acceptance for a dialogue process was not out of any constructive mindset, but simply out of diplomatic pressure that Pakistan had so successfully exerted on the Indian government.

Qureshi also “highlighted” how India tried to get Pakistan diplomatically isolated from the world, and how his country countered that attempt so effectively.

I do not wish to discuss much about Qureshi’s childish behaviour on that day. Rather, I have a humble suggestion for the Pakistan government. And the suggestion is, if it is serious about having a meaningful dialogue with India, then it must replace its foreign minister at the earliest. With such a blatantly irresponsible foreign minister in place, there is little chance that Pakistan’s scheduled dialogue with India will make any headway.

A couple of years back Pakistan had another such irresponsible foreign minister in Gohar Ayub Khan, a shockingly tactless person who carried his anti-India feelings on his sleeve. Instead of trying to normalize his country’s relationship with India, he kept making provocative remarks. And those remarks not only threatened to further worsen the Indo-Pakistan relationship, but also left Gohar’s own government completely red-faced. And ultimately the then Nawaz Sharif government of Pakistan was forced to replace (read sack) Gohar, when it was convinced that the former army officer had no wish to deviate from making cheap anti-India rhetoric.

Will the Pakistan government act now, or will it like to wait till Qureshi ends up causing a serious damage as far as Indo-Pakistan relationship is concerned?

Former ISI Chief In The Kashmiri Separatists’ Meet

The blatant shamelessness of the Pakistan government is really shocking to the core. The extent of the government’s unscrupulousness again came to light when the other day the Kashmiri separatist groups held an open meeting at Muzaffarabad, the capital town of Pak-Occupied Kashmir or POK (i.e. Azad Kashmir or “Independent Kashmir” in Pakistan’s language). The meet was attended by all the top leaders of “Kashmiri Freedom Movement”, including Sayeed Salahudeen of Hizbul Mujahideen. In the meet these separatist leaders openly discussed their plans to further enhance their activities (i.e. disruptive activities), expressed their faith in “Zihaad” (which is nothing but meaningless bloodshed) as the “only solution for the Kashmir problem”, and also sent this message to “their brothers” on the other part of LoC (Line of Control) that they are always with them (they have taken it for granted that they enjoy unanimous support from the Kashmiri youths).

Everybody knows that POK is virtually a part of Pakistan. And still these blood-thirsty maniacs managed to hold such an open meeting just under the nose of the Pakistan government, with the latter simply turning a blind eye to it. In the meet the separatist leaders not only discussed their future plans, but also issued open threatening to the Indian government. How did they dare to come up with such audacious activities, on a piece of land where Pakistan calls the shots?

However, what is more shocking is the presence of former ISI chief Hamid Gul in that meeting. A known India-baiter, Hamid Gul is known for having played very “constructive” role in “strengthening” the so-called “Kashmiri Freedom Movement”, during his stint as the ISI chief. Therefore it is not surprising to see him participate in any event or programme that champions the “cause of Kashmiri freedom movement”. But this event was different in the sense that it was the meeting of the dreaded separatist leaders who are trying to achieve their objective not through dialogue or mass movement or any other peaceful tools, but through the blood-soaked tool of terrorism. And in fact they used this meeting as a platform to chalk out plans for their future disruptive activities. By participating in this meet Hamid Gul has virtually brought himself down from the level of an ideologue to that of a petty terrorist.

The Indian government should immediately exert pressure on its Pakistani counterpart to come up with a proper explanation on how those bloodthirsty savages were able to organize such a meeting in Muzaffarabad. The Pakistan government should also send for Hamid Gul, and ask him to explain exactly what he was doing in that meeting. If Mr. Gul has provided those terrorists with some strategic guidance or advice, then he must be arrested immediately.

The Indian government should also draw international attention to the event, so that the world can be made more conscious about the naked double-standard that the rogue state of Pakistan has been playing not only with India, but the entire world.

Mango’s Qualcomm Deal – An Indicative Achievement For The Indian Software Community

Till the other day the Indian software community was known only for its expertise in software solutions, without any footprint on the software product development category. The entire world would recognize and appreciate the expertise of the Indian software solutions providers in addressing the various problems of organizations across domains and sectors. However, in a sharp contrast to it, the Indian software industry had virtually no success in the product development scenario. This led to this widely accepted theory that the Indian software professionals only good at providing software solutions, and have no command of software product development. This in fact encouraged some critics (including Indians) to term the Indian software professionals as “software coolies”.

However, the scenario is now changing, with the Indian software product developers slowly solidifying their presence in the global software landscape. There was a strong indication of the same when the Bangalore-based Mango Technologies sold two of its software products to Qualcomm, a respectable name in the wireless semiconductor domain.

Mango Technologies achieved a signal success for the entire Indian software fraternity when it sold to Qualcomm the following two of its products – a mobile handset user interface (UI) software and a PC-based UI customization toolkit.

Probably this incident marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Indian software history, the chapter of India’s recognition as a software product development major, while being a software solutions wizard as well.

Hearty congrats to the two founders of Mango Technologies – Sunil Maheshwari and Lekh Joshi (both only in their early 30s). Guys, you people have made us proud. Wish you many such success in the future.

O. Henry – The Master “Story Digger”

Last night (1st February, 2009) after a long time I was reading the short stories of one of my all time favourites – O. Henry. As I said that it was after a long gap that I was reading his stories, and I realized that I still find those stories to be what I would find them in my younger days – ultra-fascinating.

There are several factors that make O. Henry stories (originally named William Sydney Porter) so charming for readers. These factors are, in the language of Wikipedia, “their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.” Absolutely correct. O. Henry’s mastery of the language and natural ability to give twisted endings to his stories are legendary. Equally captivating is the way he created the main characters of his stories, characters which are so interesting in the way they talk, think and behave. And yes, the subtle sense of humour found in those stories also add a lot to their appeal.

However, personally I feel that the master storyteller’s actual dexterity lay in his ability to find a “plot” in matters and situations that appeared so ordinary and insignificant to other people. At least in a number of O. Henry stories I have found the plot to be based on scenarios or issues that are in no way extra-ordinary, at least apparently. It seems to me as if the gifted writer used to “dig out” a story that lay buried under an ordinary garb, a garb that belied the “story potential” of the situation that the master storyteller would expose to us, with aplomb.

Just think of the plots of the stories like “The Gift Of The Magi”, “The Last Leaf”, “The Cop And The Anthem” and “After Twenty Years”. And you will probably understand what I mean.

O. Henry was a magician of language, a great player of words, and a master of imagination. And above all, he was a great “story digger”, who enabled us to find the striking stories that lie hidden behind petty everyday affairs, of which we ourselves are a part.

Mr. Azad Gupta – The “Betrayer” Of Common Perception

We came to know Mr. Azad Gupta, or Guptaji (as we call him) just a couple of years back. He is a nice gentleman in his early 50s.

Since then he has been our companion every time we (me and my parents, and now my wife) need to go to Railway Station to catch a train. And sometimes it is again he who has kept us company on our way to home from Railway Station after we have come back to Delhi from outside. And he sometimes also keeps us company even when we go somewhere inside the Delhi itself, generally when we visit somewhere for a long time.

Guptaji is very polite and gentle in his communication. Apart from speaking Hindi, he is also fluent in English. And his favourite topic of discussion is spirituality.

Guptaji sent his children (one son and one daughter) to reputed public schools. His son is now studying Telecommunications Engineering at IIT Roorkee, while his daughter is now at class 12. Guptaji is very concerned about the education and career of his children, and discusses the same every time I travel with him.

Fine. But who is this Guptaji, after all?

Well, he is an auto driver. He is one of those infamous auto drivers (known for their rudeness and lack of culture) that we find in Delhi and Noida.

A rare species, right? A Delhite who will read this write up will understand what I mean.

Funny Oxymorons

1.) As I said before, I never repeat myself.

2.) Clearly misunderstood.

3.) Exact estimate.

4.) Small crowd.

5.) Act naturally.

6.) Fully empty.

7.) Found missing.



And now, the Mother of all oxymorons –


Happily Married.


Courtesy – My cousin sister Bibi (Rumela) and my brother-in-law Rahul.

The Five Indian Villages Where Sanskrit Is The Everyday Language

I have come to know, from a couple of online and printed sources, about 5 Indian villages where Sanskrit is spoken as the everyday language. Residents of these villages reportedly speak the language during every kind of communication, ranging from holding serious discussions to buying goods from grocery stores to having casual chats with friends.


These 5 villages are –

a.) Mattur or Muttoor (Karnataka).

b.) Hosahalli (Karnataka).

c.) Jhiri (Madhaya Pradesh)

d.) Mohad (Madhaya Pradesh)

e.) Baghuwar (Madhaya Pradesh)


I certainly do not know how far these claims are true. Anyways, I still decided to spread this information through Social Media. This is because I felt that the information might be of use to a scholar (from India or abroad) who is doing some research on a relevant area (such as Sanskrit language, Indian history, etc.)

Besides, I also felt that my fellow Indians who are unaware of these villages might be thrilled to know that such villages still exist in India.

But, I repeat, I am simply forwarding an information that I have found elsewhere, without having any personal idea about its veracity.

Netaji Subhas Was A Fool

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a fool. He was one of the greatest morons that India has ever seen.

He was born to a privileged family, and had the golden opportunity to lead a life of comfort and pleasure. He successfully qualified in the Indian Civil Service Exam or ICS (in fact he stood 4th), and got selected for the prestigious ICS, which was one of the top career options of the meritorious youths of that day India. He could have easily went for a life of honour, glamour and power, rubbing shoulders with the top echelons of the British Indian bureaucracy and other elites of the society.

But what the hell did he do? He declined to join the service, and rather joined the freedom movement. Well, even that would have been a great choice, if he decided to join the followers of Gandhi, who used to run their freedom movement by holding agitations and protests in the streets, courting arrests, spending few months behind bars, and resuming agitations and mass protests after being freed. If Netaji joined those youths of Congress (actually he joined, but later quit), then he would have got a good reward after Independence. First, he would have got the honour of a freedom fighter. Secondly he would have been respected as a loyal follower of Gandhi (instead of being despised by loyal Gandhians for questioning the effectiveness of Gandhi's peaceful methods). Finally, most importantly, he would have become a Minister in Nehru's Cabinet after India won freedom. And today, on 23rd January, India would be celebrating his Birth Anniversary with at least some respect, like Corporate Houses giving advertisements paying homage to him, small programmes on TV, etc.

But what did he do? Instead of being a "freedom fighter", he chose to become a "revolutionary". Instead of going for a "peaceful" protest sans violence, he decided to hit back at the British Lion through an "eye for an eye" method, as he felt that was the only language that the proud Colonial masters would understand.

While Gandhian freedom fighters could manage to run their freedom fight from the soil of India itself, Netaji, a revolutionary, had to leave his dear motherland for distant shores. He traveled a lot, several times by risking his life, developed a well-equipped army named Indian National Army or INA (though INA was originally was the brainchild of Rashbehari Bose), and arranged for a all-out military attack against the British. While the development of INA testified his organizational capability, Netaji's diplomatic acumen was displayed by the way he convinced the Nazi Germany and Japan to support India's fight for freedom. He approached Nazi Germany, as he perceived them not merely as a Fascist power, but as an enemy of the UK who could be used in the fight against the common enemy. By approaching Hitler he did not show his endorsement for Hitler's Fascist policies. Rather, it was just a strategic move that displayed Netaji's practical sense and deep political insight. (After all, how many people know that in his first meeting with Hitler he had strongly objected to the anti-India remarks made by the Nazi dictator in his autobiography Mein Kampf?)

Yes, Netaji did a lot for India. It might be so that his endeavour failed to deliver desired results. And it might be so that his plans and strategies were not always flawless. But nobody can deny his commitment and dedication, and the valour and grit with which he tried to fulfill his mission.

But what has he got?

Throughout his life he worked like anything, and then lost his life under ultra-mysterious circumstances. In return all that he has got is sheer ignorance, and even taunting from staunch Gandhi loyalists. My good friend Rahul Bajpai (a die hard fan of Nehru and Gandhi) feels that Netaji's dream of liberating India with the help of German and Japanese armies was "preposterous". He is certainly entitled to his view. But strangely he never finds Nehru's idea of conducting a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir (to find which country Kashmiris want to join) to be preposterous. And he does not find it "preposterous" when somebody says that Gandhi was the only person who drove Britishers out of this land.

Today Netaji's Birth Anniversary does not receive even a fraction of the attention that is attributed to the Birth Anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. There is no mention of the event in the media (newspaper and TV). And there is only a 2 page mention of his name and works in the school text books. The memory of Netaji has virtually been "banished" from the land that he fought for - India.

So this is all that he got after espousing the life of a revolutionary, that too by ignoring a life of utmost pleasure and comfort. So is it too much to say that he was a fool?

Indians love to read the biographies of revolutionaries from far away lands. But how comfortably they forget the indigenous revolutionaries (like Netaji and Bhagat Singh) who fought for their own land. Netaji, you chose to become a revolutionary for this land? Sorry to say, but you were one of the greatest fools that this world has even seen.

A More Effective Handling Of Post-Disaster Scenario

I was just watching these pictures in the newspaper, that how the hungry people in earthquake-devastated Haiti are fighting with one another for the food items being taken there as part of relief packages. They are also trying to snatch money and other valuables from one another, not always out of criminal psyche or greed, but to overcome the ruinous loss (of money, home, etc.) that they have suffered.

Actually such things happen in every place after it gets affected by a devastating calamity – flood, earthquake, tsunami, etc. I can still remember that few years back there was flood somewhere in India, and I was watching a TV news clipping that Indian Air Force planes were air-dropping food baskets there. I still remember that I was both shocked and moved by the scene of how people were fighting with each other for those food packets, despite the fact that all of them were seemingly from good families.


A thought has been there in my mind for quite some time, and I will love to share it today.


Why do we keep the victims of a calamity in the affected region itself, without evacuating them from the same? (I have noticed that the evacuation usually takes place only if there is any threat of further calamity). Isn’t it better to take them away to a place where they can have a more-or-less normal life, only to bring them back when the restoration process has brought back the affected region into normal condition?

It must be remembered that the survivors of a calamity experience a horrific time in the affected place, surrounded by a mount of dead bodies (and the foul smell emitted by them), shattered houses and buildings (such as in the case of an earthquake), acute lawlessness in the absence of police and other law enforcement agencies, etc. Restoration of normalcy takes time. And till then these survivors go through an ultra-harrowing time, sometimes even falling to death due to factors like hunger, thirst, contagious disease, brawl over relief, etc. And when somebody dies of such factors, it actually adds to the toll caused by the actual devastation.

So I have a humble suggestion for the Government of India. I feel it should identify 3 to 4 spots in India, scattered over various parts of the country and are uninhabited or sparsely inhabited. Now the government should develop those spots into temporary shelters for the survivors of calamities like flood, earthquake etc., the survivors whose city or village has been devastated by the calamity. The government can set up small houses or tents with all the basic arrangements that we need for our daily life, medical centers with doctors and nurses, a community kitchen with cooks, an adequate stock of food grains, etc.

Now, the moment a place in India gets devastated by a calamity, the government should evacuate the survivors from that place, and take them by air (or whatever) to any such “shelter spot” which is nearer to that calamity-affected region. The survivors will have a ready and easy access to a normal life, with food, a roof over head, medical infrastructure, etc. On one hand the government work on restoring normal condition in the affected region. And till that happens, the survivors will enjoy a normal life elsewhere, without suffering from a nightmarish experience that can haunt them for the rest of their lives. In fact, a quick escape from that affected place will help them overcome the trauma more easily, while a stay in that place amidst the destructions caused by the calamity will leave them with a permanent memory that they will fail to shed off in future. The government may be unable to save its citizens from the devastations of a calamity, as it is sometimes difficult to detect its arrival beforehand and evacuate the people from that place. But it can certainly save us from experiencing the post-devastation trauma that inevitably follows every calamity.

Bringing the survivors to a “shelter spot” will also ensure that a seriously injured or otherwise ill person gets a proper medical attention. It is very difficult to offer proper medical treatment to people in the makeshift hospitals in calamity-affected regions. Rather it is significantly easier to look after such people in a proper medical centre in a “shelter spot” that is in perfect condition.

The “shelter spots” should also ideally have psychologists and trauma counselors, who will help the survivors to overcome the terrible shock of losing everything overnight. There should also be some arrangements of entertainment, like music, which will also play some role in helping the hapless people forget or absorb their shock.

It is ridiculous that the people of a calamity-affected region will spend their nights under open sky, with hungry stomachs and among foul smell emitted by dead bodies lying around them. And their fellow citizens from other regions will watch their plight on TV, while having dinner in their cozy and comfortable drawing rooms.

Need Of The Time – Environmental Diplomats

There was a time when a country’s diplomats were mainly focused on political and military relationships with other countries, like pitching for either military co-operation (for example in a case of a possible war with another country) or voice of support on international podia while discussing an international issue (for example the Kashmir issue for India and Pakistan).

Yes, bilateral trade and commerce also played a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations. In fact, that aspect of diplomatic negotiation has been there for several hundreds of years. The Consulates of a country (like the US and British Consulates located in various Indian cities) are actually focused on fostering business prospects of their country in the “host country”.

However, the liberalization and globalization of the world resulted in the emergence of a special breed of diplomats, named “Economic Diplomats”. They are the diplomats exclusively focused on all the economic aspects of diplomacy and foreign relations, such as pitching for funds and aids from international organizations (WTO, IMF, etc.), identifying their respective countries’ business opportunities in other countries and charting out necessary roadmaps to tap the same, etc. Economic diplomacy is now a specialized wing of Statecraft, with almost every nation having a pool of expert Economic Diplomats.

The emergence of Economic Diplomats was the result of the dynamic character of Diplomacy, which is understandably very receptive to the changes in world affairs. And it is this dynamic characteristic of Diplomacy that is today signaling the need of another specialized wing of Diplomacy – Environmental Diplomacy.

The global warming has become a hot issue, highlighting the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emission. This has subsequently resulted in a “national compulsion” for every country to explain its stand/problem/view on climate change and emission issues. And this has further resulted in the need to develop a pool of efficient and expert Environmental Diplomats, who are able to present their respective countries’ views on international podia.

And I suppose that India is at least somewhat lagging behind on this score. I think this came into light during the recent Copenhagen Summit, where the India delegation was sometimes failing to present its views effectively (though of course there were stiff and shameless opposition from the developed nations). I also feel that India failed to develop a united stand with other like-minded developing nations, thereby creating a strong pressure on the developed nations.

And the reason behind India’s not-so-effective Environmental Diplomacy is probably the Indian government is not precisely considering the domain expertise while selecting its Environmental Diplomats. There have been a number of IFS and IAS officers who are responsible for defending India’s environmental views and policies on the international arena. Unfortunately, many of them are not that expert in the field as they are supposed to be to effectively executive their responsibility.

Just one example is enough to establish that the Indian government has been unnecessarily biased to the bureaucratic community while choosing “members” of its Environmental Diplomacy team. Who is our Chief Climate Negotiator? Mr. Shyam Saran, our former Foreign Secretary.

There is no doubt that Mr Saran is a brilliant and talented person, who unarguably deserves crucial positions in the Government. But does he hold that level of expertise in Climate Change issues, which our Chief Climate Negotiator is expected to have? Well, I do not think I am sure.

I hope the Indian government is aware of the fact that Environmental Diplomacy is a specialized wing that should be handled only by people with strong domain expertise and skills. And I hope that the government is working towards the development of a well-qualified team that will be successful in defending our environmental views and policies on the international arena.

The Recent Sugar Price Issue – Some Thoughts

The extreme hike in sugar price (almost Rs. 50 per kg) had become a hot topic of discussion for the Indian mass for the last few days. Everybody was shocked, upset, and (understandably) angry. Thank god that at last the price of this widely consumed food item is showing some downward trend.


I feel instead of focusing on exchange of criticisms and blame game, we should now focus on how we can prevent the emergence of such situations in the future. Taking preventive measures to prevent future crisis is more important than identifying the “culprits” of present crisis and criticizing them for their failure. Right?

So do I have any suggestion? Yes, I do, though I am not sure about its practicability. And I also do not know whether any decision to this effect has already been taken or being considered. All I can say is that I have a suggestion, and I will love to share it with everybody.

Other day in TV I found they were saying that a particular strategy of the Agriculture Ministry has largely contributed to this sugar price crisis. And that strategy is – Export when there is surplus quantity, Import when there is scarcity. (Well, I do not remember the language ad verbatim, but it was something like that).

Now, when there is a surplus quantity of a food item, then exporting a part of it is not a bad idea. After all, it is always a great idea to tap an opportunity to draw foreign exchange.

However, at the same time the Government should remember that there can anytime be an emergency situation in the country, which will result in a sudden and emergency demand for that surplus quantity in India itself. For example, there can be a drought-generated famine in a certain region of India, resulting in an overnight creation of a sea of hungry people in an acute need of food items, including that particular food item. Similarly, there can be flood in one region, with the Government facing the task of sending relief to that place. Needless to say that the relief items must include food items, including that particular food item.


Now my humble suggestion -

Therefore, I feel that whenever there is a surplus production of a particular food item, the Government must store a certain percentage of it as the Buffer Stock. And this must be made a regular practice, irrespective of how strong or faint the possibility of an emergency situation is.

Now, if there is any situation like drought-generated famine, then the Government can use the buffer stock to address the acute need of food items in the affected region.

In case there is a flood in a region, the Government can send adequate food items by using that buffer stock.

And when a food item will suffer from constant price rise due to the scarcity of that item in the market, the Government can check that price rise by reducing that scarcity. Yes, by supplying that food item into the market from its buffer stock.


So, what do you people think of my plan?

Effective Implementation of Plastic Bag Ban

Despite a ban on its use in India, plastic bag is very much in use in India. One of my colleagues from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh is claiming that the ban is very much successful in that state. May be. But that the ban has been not that effective at least in Delhi that is very much established.

Fine. But why are people, mainly the shopkeepers, so unwilling to follow the ban? Is it merely a callous attitude towards the cause of environment? No! We all know that the actual reason is something different.

Actually, all the alternatives for plastic bag, such as jute bag, cotton bag and paper bag are more costly than plastic bag. Using any of such bags in the place of plastic bag will be quite a costly affair for shopkeepers. And it is this factor that is keeping them away from saying good-bye to plastic bag.

So what is the way out? Well, I have a suggestion, if nobody finds it audacious and over-smart. And I also tell in advance that my suggestion may be based on completely faulty and/or impractical logic. In that case I apologize in advance.


Is it very difficult for the Government to subsidize the production of jute and cotton bags? Subsidization will understandably bring down their production costs, eventually reducing their market price as well. And in that case it will be easier for shopkeepers to replace plastic bags with these bags.

Yes, this act of subsidization will result in a financial pressure on the Government. And I also have a suggestion about how to address it (and again I must say that my suggestion can be wrong).


If shopkeepers gradually stop purchasing plastic bags, then the manufacturers of plastic bags will automatically stop or reduce production of such bags, right? And that will eventually result in a significant reduction of CO2 emission, as plastic bag manufacturing results in a huge CO2 emission.

Now, can the Indian Government use this achievement of causing emission reduction to earn some Carbon Credits (the economic allowance that a country earns for reducing greenhouse gas emissions)? And can that economic allowance be used to address the financial pressure that the Government will face while subsidizing the jute and cotton bag manufacturing?

I have just sought to share an idea that came in my mind. I will love everybody to share his views on it.

The Ruchika Girhotra Case – Something So Enjoyable And Enchanting For Me

The Ruchika Girhotra case has been one of the most enjoyable and enchanting incidents that I have seen in my life so far. And I am really so happy that the incident has happened in my country, India.

No, please do not get me wrong. I do not mean that I have found it to be enchanting what happened to unfortunate Ruchika, who was prevented by destiny from growing up into a successful lady (apart from being an asset for the Indian tennis fraternity). I also do not mean that I have relished the harrowing and nightmarish experiences that Ruchika’s family had to go through.

Then why the hell did I term the Ruchika Girhotra case “enjoyable” and “enchanting”? Because the case proved, for the umpteenth time, the tremendous power that the common people of India have, which itself stems from the deep-rooted culture of democracy that India takes pride in.

The nasty SPS Rathore had long eluded his due punishment by virtue of his clout, and managed to get away with a minor punishment even when law finally managed to get him within its grip. It was not only going to be a grave injustice for the departed soul of Ruchika, but also a shameful travesty of justice, eventually resulting into an extremely disgraceful event in the history of Indian legal system.

But ultimately that did not happen, with the Indian legal system being forced to take a fresh look at the entire case. And this impossible was made possible by only one force – the Indian mass power (the civil society, the media, et al). It is this mass power, through its strong reactions and protests, ensured that Rathore does not have the last laugh. And what is the result? Well, just few days back I had seen Rathore’s picture in the newspaper, with his face beaming with smile. And today when I find him in the TV channels, I never fail to notice the traces of nervousness and fear on his face, something that instantly brings a broad smile on my face.

Today, after so many years Ruchika’s hapless family is going to have justice. And the entire credit for that goes to the common people of India, who actually made that happen.

I never claim that my country is perfect. Rather, I am always conscious of the fact that my country is plagued with a plethora of problems – ranging from corruption, poverty, caste problem, and so on.

But I am also proud of some of the genuinely appreciable qualities that my motherland boasts of. And one of them is the immense power that is enjoyed by the Indian mass, a fact was so conspicuously reflected in the Ruchika Girhotra Case. The proceedings in this case have further strengthened my faith and confidence on the Indian mass power. And this explains why I find this case to be so enjoyable and enchanting.

Today let the entire Indian mass make a New Year Resolution. And that Resolution is – We will always unitedly fight for the right cause, thus compelling the Government/Judiciary/Legislature to take only those steps that are truly in the interest of the entire citizenry. Let us recognize our power, and make a good use of it. Let us make the right and intelligent use of the democratic rights that we are so fortunate to have.

NB – I will like to end my write up by expressing my heart felt respect and regards for Ruchika’s friend Aradhana Prakash. Aradhana’s ceaseless fight for getting justice for her late friend is …….well, I do not have the right words to appreciate the commendability of her act. All I can say is – “Hats Off To You, Aradhana! You are one of those people who epitomize genuine friendship.”