Tourism has the proven potential to usher in significant economic development for an area.
However, we can “tap” that potential only if we channelize the Tourism generated revenue in the appropriate manner. And unfortunately a gross problem with us is that most of us perceive Tourism just as a means to generate revenue, without bothering much about the “ideal utilization” of the revenue that has been generated.
We must remember that the revenue generated by the tourism activities in a place should ideally be utilized for the economic growth of the local people. Yes, that is the only way to translate the Tourism activities in a place into a strong economic development of the latter.
Fine. But how can we maximize the utilization of the revenue for the benefit of the local people?
Well, for that we have to ensure that the largest possible chunk of the revenue generated by Tourism goes to the hands of the local community.
Fine again. But how can we ensure that the local community gets the largest possible share of the revenue generated by the local Tourism activities?
Well, the flow of the Tourism-generated revenue to the local community is directly proportional to the involvement of the latter. In a simpler language, more the local people will be associated with the local Tourism activities, more will be their share in the revenue generated by those activities.
So if the government is serious about using Tourism as a means to uplift the economic condition of the local people in remote and/or underdeveloped areas, then it must craft the tourism infrastructure in those places in such a way that it has ample room for the involvement of the local people. In fact, involvement of the local community must be made one of the “thrust areas”, enjoying the same focus and importance as enjoyed by other key issues like building of roads and air/railway connections, setting up of hotels, formulation of marketing/promotion strategies, etc. It should be the government’s responsibility to identify each and every way to involve the local community, e.g.
• As employees in local hotels/restaurants (like in-house tourist guide of a hotel, waiter in a restaurant, etc.)
• As entrepreneurs, either selling commodities directly to tourists (like selling local handicrafts in the market) or playing vendors to other players who are directly interacting with tourists (like supplying food ingredients to local hotels/restaurants)
As of now, the success of a tourist spot is judged mainly (if not only) on the basis of the tourist inflow and the eventual revenue generation, i.e. how many tourists it has received in a specific period of time, and the revenue generated therein. Now the government should add another parameter, i.e. what percentage of the Tourism-generated revenue has been utilized for the economic upliftment of the local people. After all, what is the benefit of the revenue if the same is not utilized for the gains of the local people?
Now it is often found that the civil society (NGOs, intellectuals, etc.) keeps a track of the environmental-friendliness of a Tourism project, i.e. whether the project is causing any damage of any sort to the natural resources, etc., of that spot. It is time the civil society also got watchful about whether a successful Tourism project is resulting in appropriate economic gains for the local community, and questioned the government if that is not the case.
Tourism at a spot cannot flourish without the co-operation of the local people. And if they do not get proper “dividend” from the local Tourism business, then they will not only feel isolated from it but will also get hostile to the same. And for any business initiative (Tourism-related or otherwise) no threat can be graver than the hostility of the local people.
So the issue of “revenue sharing” is not only a question of ethics, but also of sustainability.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Palace Tourism In Rajasthan
Other day I was reading in the newspaper about Liz Hurley’s plan to buy a “Haveli” in Rajasthan. And I was not surprised. The fascination of the “western world” for the old palaces of Rajasthan is well known, with the fascination itself stemming from their fascination for the seemingly fairy tales appeal of now non-existent Indian royalty. Actually this fascination for the Indian royals (of the yesteryear) is found not only in the “West’, but virtually in every other part of the world.
So I was just wondering whether we can cash in on this fascination, and thus boost tourism in Rajasthan? And the plan that I suggest is the initiation of a specialized “Palace Tourism” for foreign tourists.
Yes, I know that Palace Tourism is already there, wherein tourists are taken inside the ancient palaces and forts in Rajasthan (and also in other places like Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, etc.), and exposed to various traces and remnants (like clothes, utensils, etc.) of the memory of the royals who used to stay there.
But what I am suggesting is a bit different. I suggest the government to launch an offer wherein a foreign couple (or a group of friends, a single person, etc.) can rent a Rajasthan palace for few days. The entire ambience inside the palace will be kept exactly in the way it was during the time of the royals, with the staff dressed in attires and uniforms of that time. And, most importantly, the tourists will be given the types of attires that royals used to wear. And, the staff will be dealing with them exactly in the way the royals would be treated by their servants, like doing “Kurnish”, etc. (Of course the staff must not be forced to do something which is against their self respect sense). And the old world royal touch should be there in terms of other matters, as well. For example, instead of using a bathroom comprising modern gadgets, the tourists can enjoy a bath that the former masters of that palace would enjoy (for example, the lady staff helping the lady tourists to have a bath in a tub full of rose water, exactly in a manner the queens used to take bath).
In a nutshell, I want to say that the tourists can be made to experience exactly the life that royals used to enjoy during their reign.
I feel that such a plan will be an instant hit for the foreign tourists, who still perceive India as a land of Kings and Queens, and carry huge fascination for the latter. It will be a great way to “utilize” their fascination, and enhance tourist influx in Rajasthan. Of course such a stay will be very costly. And in fact the government should target mainly the rich American and European tourists, who have both the money and the stomach for expenses.
I do not know whether any such plan has already been incorporated. And I also do not know whether everybody will appreciate this “Marketing and Promotion” plan. I just came up with a plan that struck my mind. And I appreciate an open feedback from everybody.
So I was just wondering whether we can cash in on this fascination, and thus boost tourism in Rajasthan? And the plan that I suggest is the initiation of a specialized “Palace Tourism” for foreign tourists.
Yes, I know that Palace Tourism is already there, wherein tourists are taken inside the ancient palaces and forts in Rajasthan (and also in other places like Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, etc.), and exposed to various traces and remnants (like clothes, utensils, etc.) of the memory of the royals who used to stay there.
But what I am suggesting is a bit different. I suggest the government to launch an offer wherein a foreign couple (or a group of friends, a single person, etc.) can rent a Rajasthan palace for few days. The entire ambience inside the palace will be kept exactly in the way it was during the time of the royals, with the staff dressed in attires and uniforms of that time. And, most importantly, the tourists will be given the types of attires that royals used to wear. And, the staff will be dealing with them exactly in the way the royals would be treated by their servants, like doing “Kurnish”, etc. (Of course the staff must not be forced to do something which is against their self respect sense). And the old world royal touch should be there in terms of other matters, as well. For example, instead of using a bathroom comprising modern gadgets, the tourists can enjoy a bath that the former masters of that palace would enjoy (for example, the lady staff helping the lady tourists to have a bath in a tub full of rose water, exactly in a manner the queens used to take bath).
In a nutshell, I want to say that the tourists can be made to experience exactly the life that royals used to enjoy during their reign.
I feel that such a plan will be an instant hit for the foreign tourists, who still perceive India as a land of Kings and Queens, and carry huge fascination for the latter. It will be a great way to “utilize” their fascination, and enhance tourist influx in Rajasthan. Of course such a stay will be very costly. And in fact the government should target mainly the rich American and European tourists, who have both the money and the stomach for expenses.
I do not know whether any such plan has already been incorporated. And I also do not know whether everybody will appreciate this “Marketing and Promotion” plan. I just came up with a plan that struck my mind. And I appreciate an open feedback from everybody.
High Tourist Influx In The Corbett National Park – A Boon Or Bane?
The high tourist influx in the Corbett National Park – which has the highest tiger density in India in terms of per square km. of forest area – has resulted in a sort of face-off between the Union Environment and Forest Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh and the state government of Uttarakhand (i.e. the state where the National Park is located).
Ramesh has requested the Uttarakhand government to restrain the inflow of tourist vehicles into the Park, as he feels that it is hampering the conservation of the Park’s tiger population. In the last year the Park reportedly witnessed the visit of more than 2 lakhs of tourists, with a daily average of around 400 tourists.
Ramesh has opined that the huge inflow of tourist vehicles has caused a huge air and noise pollution. And that in turn has resulted in a significant stress for the tigers. A key point made by Ramesh is that the noise pollution resulting from vehicular movements has adversely affected the breeding of the tigers of the Park.
However, the Uttarakhand government is in no mood to accept these observations. It has strongly claimed that the tourist influx has been kept within the permissible limits, and so no fresh restriction can be issued. The state government has also highlighted the fact the livelihoods of a huge chuck of the local population is dependent on the tourists, and putting a restraint on the tourist influx will also threaten the livelihood options of those locals.
What I feel, as a layman, is that the issue must be analyzed and evaluated purely from the sustainability angle, instead of letting any political face-off coming in the way.
Tourism is undoubtedly a crucial issue, as it ushers in a huge revenue for the government, thus enriching the latter’s coffer to a great extent. However, at the same time we can not wish away the issue of conservation. In fact, we must remember that negligence towards conservation can ultimately threaten the existence of the National Park itself, thus resulting in a threat for the very tourism business for which the conservation issue was ignored.
The Uttarakhand government has said that livelihoods of a huge chuck of the local population is dependent on tourist inflow, and that is one key reason why that inflow cannot be restrained. A good point indeed. But the state government must remember that if unrestrained tourist influx robs the Park of its tiger population (as it assumedly happened in the case of Sariska), then the tourists will stop coming here. And then it is that very livelihood of the local population that will be at stake, right?
Let me just give you an example in this respect. Suppose there is a milking cow at my home, which gives a substantial quantity of milk, thus addressing all the milk related requirements of my family. Now, shall I maintain some self-restraint while milking her every morning, so that my demand is fulfilled and the cow is also not forced to overdo herself? Or shall I squeeze her for so much milk everyday, that she ultimately falls ill and becomes permanently unable to give any milk at all? You will certainly want me to go for the first option, right? Similarly, our hunger for tourism-generated revenue must not “enthuse” us to squeeze a spot so much that it eventually runs out of the very “tourist attractions” that it is known for.
So I feel that the state and the central government should jointly set up an independent committee, comprising relevant technocrats including Eco-tourism experts. Let them conduct an independent study to decide whether the tourist inflow in any National Park (and not only in the Corbett) is within the permissible limit or more than that. Let them first make a list of all those sanctuaries and national parks which are witnessing significant tourist inflows, and then make the study. They can either evaluate the sanctuaries and parks one by one, or can study all of them simultaneously by dividing themselves into various teams.
There must be a balance in our approach to tourism and conservation, wherein we should appreciate the importance of both of them. And this balance of approach should be reflected in the ground management, wherein tourism should be allowed up to the level it does not threat conservation, and not beyond it. Basically the concept that I am referring to is “Sustainable Tourism” – a buzzword in today’s world.
And it is precisely the job of the Eco-tourism experts, i.e. maintaining the right balance between tourism and conservation. So it is they who are best qualified to oversee such issues, and not the political masters.
Ramesh has requested the Uttarakhand government to restrain the inflow of tourist vehicles into the Park, as he feels that it is hampering the conservation of the Park’s tiger population. In the last year the Park reportedly witnessed the visit of more than 2 lakhs of tourists, with a daily average of around 400 tourists.
Ramesh has opined that the huge inflow of tourist vehicles has caused a huge air and noise pollution. And that in turn has resulted in a significant stress for the tigers. A key point made by Ramesh is that the noise pollution resulting from vehicular movements has adversely affected the breeding of the tigers of the Park.
However, the Uttarakhand government is in no mood to accept these observations. It has strongly claimed that the tourist influx has been kept within the permissible limits, and so no fresh restriction can be issued. The state government has also highlighted the fact the livelihoods of a huge chuck of the local population is dependent on the tourists, and putting a restraint on the tourist influx will also threaten the livelihood options of those locals.
What I feel, as a layman, is that the issue must be analyzed and evaluated purely from the sustainability angle, instead of letting any political face-off coming in the way.
Tourism is undoubtedly a crucial issue, as it ushers in a huge revenue for the government, thus enriching the latter’s coffer to a great extent. However, at the same time we can not wish away the issue of conservation. In fact, we must remember that negligence towards conservation can ultimately threaten the existence of the National Park itself, thus resulting in a threat for the very tourism business for which the conservation issue was ignored.
The Uttarakhand government has said that livelihoods of a huge chuck of the local population is dependent on tourist inflow, and that is one key reason why that inflow cannot be restrained. A good point indeed. But the state government must remember that if unrestrained tourist influx robs the Park of its tiger population (as it assumedly happened in the case of Sariska), then the tourists will stop coming here. And then it is that very livelihood of the local population that will be at stake, right?
Let me just give you an example in this respect. Suppose there is a milking cow at my home, which gives a substantial quantity of milk, thus addressing all the milk related requirements of my family. Now, shall I maintain some self-restraint while milking her every morning, so that my demand is fulfilled and the cow is also not forced to overdo herself? Or shall I squeeze her for so much milk everyday, that she ultimately falls ill and becomes permanently unable to give any milk at all? You will certainly want me to go for the first option, right? Similarly, our hunger for tourism-generated revenue must not “enthuse” us to squeeze a spot so much that it eventually runs out of the very “tourist attractions” that it is known for.
So I feel that the state and the central government should jointly set up an independent committee, comprising relevant technocrats including Eco-tourism experts. Let them conduct an independent study to decide whether the tourist inflow in any National Park (and not only in the Corbett) is within the permissible limit or more than that. Let them first make a list of all those sanctuaries and national parks which are witnessing significant tourist inflows, and then make the study. They can either evaluate the sanctuaries and parks one by one, or can study all of them simultaneously by dividing themselves into various teams.
There must be a balance in our approach to tourism and conservation, wherein we should appreciate the importance of both of them. And this balance of approach should be reflected in the ground management, wherein tourism should be allowed up to the level it does not threat conservation, and not beyond it. Basically the concept that I am referring to is “Sustainable Tourism” – a buzzword in today’s world.
And it is precisely the job of the Eco-tourism experts, i.e. maintaining the right balance between tourism and conservation. So it is they who are best qualified to oversee such issues, and not the political masters.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Dalai Lama – The Gritty Peace Lover
Dalai Lama – the gritty peace lover, for whom “Peace” is not an excuse to avoid conflict and adversity
But a powerful tool to counter his adversaries with composure and dignity.
Dalai Lama – the embodiment of the pride and indomitable spirit of the great Tibetan race
A man who is so humble, and yet carries himself with elegance and grace.
Dalai Lama – the great apostle of love, harmony, compassion and humanity
An angel in the form of human being, who is here to guide us to the heavenly path of holiness and nobility.
(It is a humble ode to the great Tibetan leader on the auspicious occasion of his 75th birthday)
But a powerful tool to counter his adversaries with composure and dignity.
Dalai Lama – the embodiment of the pride and indomitable spirit of the great Tibetan race
A man who is so humble, and yet carries himself with elegance and grace.
Dalai Lama – the great apostle of love, harmony, compassion and humanity
An angel in the form of human being, who is here to guide us to the heavenly path of holiness and nobility.
(It is a humble ode to the great Tibetan leader on the auspicious occasion of his 75th birthday)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Diluting AFSPA Will Be A Blunder
It is really alarming to see that the government of India is planning to modify (read dilute) the AFSPA or Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
Everybody accepts that there have been some instances of misuse of this power by certain bad elements in the Army. And those scoundrels should be awarded the harshest possible punishments.
But under no circumstances it is acceptable that the government will modify the Act, thereby diluting the effectiveness of the same which in turn will have a highly adverse impact on the performance of the security personnel fighting day in and day out to keep our country safe from the fangs of bloody terrorists.
Almost every day a number of government officials of various ranks and posts are misusing various powers that they enjoy by the virtue of their ranks and posts. If the government decides to stop the misuse of governmental powers by diluting the powers themselves, then it will eventually dilute the executive capacity of the government itself.
The best way to ensure that no military officer misuses AFSPA is to award strong punishments to the offenders, which will discourage any officer from going for such an act in the future. Fake encounters is an alarming issue. But that does not mean that the government will dilute the AFSPA, thereby weakening our security personnel and giving the terrorists more power to harm us.
Everybody accepts that there have been some instances of misuse of this power by certain bad elements in the Army. And those scoundrels should be awarded the harshest possible punishments.
But under no circumstances it is acceptable that the government will modify the Act, thereby diluting the effectiveness of the same which in turn will have a highly adverse impact on the performance of the security personnel fighting day in and day out to keep our country safe from the fangs of bloody terrorists.
Almost every day a number of government officials of various ranks and posts are misusing various powers that they enjoy by the virtue of their ranks and posts. If the government decides to stop the misuse of governmental powers by diluting the powers themselves, then it will eventually dilute the executive capacity of the government itself.
The best way to ensure that no military officer misuses AFSPA is to award strong punishments to the offenders, which will discourage any officer from going for such an act in the future. Fake encounters is an alarming issue. But that does not mean that the government will dilute the AFSPA, thereby weakening our security personnel and giving the terrorists more power to harm us.
India’s “Palace On Wheels” Declared To Be The World’s 4th Best Luxury Train
It was a moment of extreme pride, glory and honour for India’s rich hospitality legacy, when the country’s mind-blowing luxury train “Palace On Wheels” was declared to be the world’s 4th best luxury train by “Conde Nast”, the prominent global travel magazine.
Notably, the ranking was made not by a group of domain experts comprising only a handful of people. Rather, it was based on a voting made by the readers of the magazine. The magazine asked its readers to rank each of their favourite trains out of 100 points, and our beloved “Palace On Wheels” grabbed the prestigious 4th position by attaining 83.94 points.
And which were the first three? Well, they were the Venice Simplon-Orient Express (89.92 points), Eurostar (86.92 points) and Pride of Africa, Rovos Rail (84.25 points).
I hope everybody will agree that this Indian jewel in the casket of global luxury trains has been awarded an honour that it truly deserved.
We are really proud of you, “Palace On Wheels”. Congrats!
And a bagful of congrats to the first three rankers, as well.
Notably, the ranking was made not by a group of domain experts comprising only a handful of people. Rather, it was based on a voting made by the readers of the magazine. The magazine asked its readers to rank each of their favourite trains out of 100 points, and our beloved “Palace On Wheels” grabbed the prestigious 4th position by attaining 83.94 points.
And which were the first three? Well, they were the Venice Simplon-Orient Express (89.92 points), Eurostar (86.92 points) and Pride of Africa, Rovos Rail (84.25 points).
I hope everybody will agree that this Indian jewel in the casket of global luxury trains has been awarded an honour that it truly deserved.
We are really proud of you, “Palace On Wheels”. Congrats!
And a bagful of congrats to the first three rankers, as well.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
What Type Of Tech-Savviness Is This?
Other day I was going through a discussion on Apple i-Pad in the technology column of a top English daily. The discussion basically focused on a comparison between the Apple device and laptop, and sought to highlight certain drawbacks or inconveniences that one may have to face while using Apple i-Pad, but not while using laptop.
The column carried the comments made by some consumers having “first hand knowledge” of using Apple i-Pad. They all accepted certain inconveniences that the Apple device suffers from. However, a couple of them said that they would still go for that device, given the various features and attractions that it boasts, and which these consumers find so irresistible.
I was truly enjoying the column. Though I do not appreciate one getting too much obsessed with tech gadgets, I nevertheless appreciated the passion of those i-Pad users, who are using the gadget not out of any genuine need, but simply out of love for the gadget.
But then, while I was almost at the end of the column, I got this tremendous shock (sorry if I am overreacting). One of those consumers (who is a Web entrepreneur) said that he had already bought 4 Apple i-Pads during his last visit to the USA. One for himself, one for his 60 plus father. Fine. And the remaining two? Well, they are for his two sons. And their age? Now hold your breath. One of his sons is 5, while the other one is just 2 (and can barely read or write).
I was so shocked that I read the sentence twice, only to be sure that I read it right. And finally I was forced to digest this fact that it was indeed true.
There is no doubt that the gentleman has every right to decide what gift he will give to his kids, and we have no right to interfere in his personal matter.
But tell me, is it at all appropriate? Giving a gift of Rs. 30,000 each to kids of 5 and 2 years? Has the gentleman thought about the adverse impact that the gift will have on the boys?
First, they are getting habituated to using costly materials since their childhood, which is certainly not a healthy habit.
Worse, they are getting addicted to gadgets from this very early stage of life. They are getting this message that gadgets are part and parcel of modern human life, which will eventually make them so terribly obsessed with gadgets that they will be completely dependent on them. And it is a common knowledge that a lifestyle entailing an overt dependence on tech gadgets is not a very healthy lifestyle (or will it be so when those boys will be of my age?)
Don’t you think it would have been better if the gentleman gifted his sons something like a book of puzzles or one containing maps and pictures of the different countries of the world, or a book on plants and animals, or a book of fairy tales, or a set of indoor games (like Scrabble or Chinese Checkers), or anything of that sort that should normally be presented to kids of that age? The highly costly Apple i-Pad was the only gift that he could thought about for those toddlers? Oh God!
What type of tech savviness is this? Probably I am not modern enough, but I feel that we must learn to differentiate between tech savviness and tech mania. Being passionate about something is a healthy habit, be it music, sports, books or tech gadgets. At the same time addiction to anything is highly unwelcome, be it movies, smoking, drugs or tech gadgets. Am I right?
The column carried the comments made by some consumers having “first hand knowledge” of using Apple i-Pad. They all accepted certain inconveniences that the Apple device suffers from. However, a couple of them said that they would still go for that device, given the various features and attractions that it boasts, and which these consumers find so irresistible.
I was truly enjoying the column. Though I do not appreciate one getting too much obsessed with tech gadgets, I nevertheless appreciated the passion of those i-Pad users, who are using the gadget not out of any genuine need, but simply out of love for the gadget.
But then, while I was almost at the end of the column, I got this tremendous shock (sorry if I am overreacting). One of those consumers (who is a Web entrepreneur) said that he had already bought 4 Apple i-Pads during his last visit to the USA. One for himself, one for his 60 plus father. Fine. And the remaining two? Well, they are for his two sons. And their age? Now hold your breath. One of his sons is 5, while the other one is just 2 (and can barely read or write).
I was so shocked that I read the sentence twice, only to be sure that I read it right. And finally I was forced to digest this fact that it was indeed true.
There is no doubt that the gentleman has every right to decide what gift he will give to his kids, and we have no right to interfere in his personal matter.
But tell me, is it at all appropriate? Giving a gift of Rs. 30,000 each to kids of 5 and 2 years? Has the gentleman thought about the adverse impact that the gift will have on the boys?
First, they are getting habituated to using costly materials since their childhood, which is certainly not a healthy habit.
Worse, they are getting addicted to gadgets from this very early stage of life. They are getting this message that gadgets are part and parcel of modern human life, which will eventually make them so terribly obsessed with gadgets that they will be completely dependent on them. And it is a common knowledge that a lifestyle entailing an overt dependence on tech gadgets is not a very healthy lifestyle (or will it be so when those boys will be of my age?)
Don’t you think it would have been better if the gentleman gifted his sons something like a book of puzzles or one containing maps and pictures of the different countries of the world, or a book on plants and animals, or a book of fairy tales, or a set of indoor games (like Scrabble or Chinese Checkers), or anything of that sort that should normally be presented to kids of that age? The highly costly Apple i-Pad was the only gift that he could thought about for those toddlers? Oh God!
What type of tech savviness is this? Probably I am not modern enough, but I feel that we must learn to differentiate between tech savviness and tech mania. Being passionate about something is a healthy habit, be it music, sports, books or tech gadgets. At the same time addiction to anything is highly unwelcome, be it movies, smoking, drugs or tech gadgets. Am I right?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Factual Error In “Concise Oxford English Dictionary”
Recently I was going through the world famous “Concise Oxford English Dictionary”, 10th Edition (Revised), edited by Judy Pearsall, when I came across a factual error.
I found that in that book the word “Darjeeling” has been described as – “A high quality tea grown in the mountains of northern India”.
The fact is, the mountain where the world famous Darjeeling tea is grown is in eastern India. The exact place where the tea is grown is the mountain of Darjeeling (from where the tea has got its name). And this mountain of Darjeeling is located in the Indian state of West Bengal, in eastern India.
By the way, some people feel that Darjeeling is in North-East India. That information is also wrong.
I hope the “Concise Oxford English Dictionary” will rectify the mistake in the next edition.
I found that in that book the word “Darjeeling” has been described as – “A high quality tea grown in the mountains of northern India”.
The fact is, the mountain where the world famous Darjeeling tea is grown is in eastern India. The exact place where the tea is grown is the mountain of Darjeeling (from where the tea has got its name). And this mountain of Darjeeling is located in the Indian state of West Bengal, in eastern India.
By the way, some people feel that Darjeeling is in North-East India. That information is also wrong.
I hope the “Concise Oxford English Dictionary” will rectify the mistake in the next edition.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Verdict – A Stigma For The Indian Judiciary
7th June 2010 will be remembered as a Black Day in the history of the Indian Judiciary. The laughably paltry punishment awarded to the accused is an ultra cruel joke that the honourable Indian judiciary has come up with, rubbing salt into the 25 years old wound of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims and their kin.
I do not know who or what is responsible for this shocking legal fiasco. It may be so that the damage was actually done when a Supreme Court Bench had diluted the charge against the Union Carbide India Limited management by declaring it as a case of causing death by negligence and not as a case of culpable homicide.
It may be so that actually it was CBI’s fault, as it failed to furnish enough evidence wherein the Court could have come up with a stronger verdict.
It may be so that the actual problem lied in the absence of a strong and effective Mass Disaster Law.
Well, I do not know what is the actual reason behind the Indian Judiciary’s failure in coming up with an appropriate verdict.
The only thing I know is that I am seriously frustrated that the law of my land could not award strong punishment to an MNC which caused the massacre of such a huge number of my fellow countrymen.
I do not know who or what is responsible for this shocking legal fiasco. It may be so that the damage was actually done when a Supreme Court Bench had diluted the charge against the Union Carbide India Limited management by declaring it as a case of causing death by negligence and not as a case of culpable homicide.
It may be so that actually it was CBI’s fault, as it failed to furnish enough evidence wherein the Court could have come up with a stronger verdict.
It may be so that the actual problem lied in the absence of a strong and effective Mass Disaster Law.
Well, I do not know what is the actual reason behind the Indian Judiciary’s failure in coming up with an appropriate verdict.
The only thing I know is that I am seriously frustrated that the law of my land could not award strong punishment to an MNC which caused the massacre of such a huge number of my fellow countrymen.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wildlife Lovers Of India – Let’s Unite For The Elephant Reserve Of Hasdeo Arand In Chhattisgarh
The Raman Singh Government of Chhattisgarh has shown extreme callousness towards the maintenance of the state’s forest and wildlife reserve, while showing more interest in raking up moolah by permitting indiscriminate mining activities in the state. And one extremely irresponsible act that it has come up with is averting the notification of an elephant reserve at Hasdeo Arand even after getting necessary permission from the Central Government. Ironically, it was the Chhattisgarh Government itself that had taken the initiative for notifying the said area as an elephant reserve.
As many of us already know that increasing mining in Jharkhand and Orissa has made a huge number of elephants to flee to the forests of Sarguja, Jashpur and Korba in Chhattisgarh. Now, in 2002 the Chhattisgarh Government sent a proposal to the Central Government seeking permission for notifying over 384 sqkm in Hasdeo Arand forests as an elephant reserve.
However, in 2006 the state government came to know about a coal block of 100 sqkm that falls within the area that it had planned to get notified as the elephant reserve. The Raman Singh government soon withdrew the proposal that it had sent to the Centre, and shrunk the reserve area by 100 sqkm.
Today it has been 4 years after the Central Government has cleared the proposal for getting that area notified as an elephant reserve. But the state government has been dragging its feet on it.
This is really ridiculous. The government is welcome to fatten its kitty by permitting corporate houses to conduct mining. After all, if there is no mining then how can we get necessary objects like steel, coal, etc.?
But mining at the cost of nation’s forest and wildlife reserve is simply unacceptable.
The wildlife activists of India must unite to prevent the Raman Singh government from fiddling with the forest and wildlife reserve of Chhattisgarh.
As many of us already know that increasing mining in Jharkhand and Orissa has made a huge number of elephants to flee to the forests of Sarguja, Jashpur and Korba in Chhattisgarh. Now, in 2002 the Chhattisgarh Government sent a proposal to the Central Government seeking permission for notifying over 384 sqkm in Hasdeo Arand forests as an elephant reserve.
However, in 2006 the state government came to know about a coal block of 100 sqkm that falls within the area that it had planned to get notified as the elephant reserve. The Raman Singh government soon withdrew the proposal that it had sent to the Centre, and shrunk the reserve area by 100 sqkm.
Today it has been 4 years after the Central Government has cleared the proposal for getting that area notified as an elephant reserve. But the state government has been dragging its feet on it.
This is really ridiculous. The government is welcome to fatten its kitty by permitting corporate houses to conduct mining. After all, if there is no mining then how can we get necessary objects like steel, coal, etc.?
But mining at the cost of nation’s forest and wildlife reserve is simply unacceptable.
The wildlife activists of India must unite to prevent the Raman Singh government from fiddling with the forest and wildlife reserve of Chhattisgarh.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Global Survey Exposes India’s Pathetic Broadband Speed
Well, this is really a very embarrassing news, especially for a country which takes huge pride in its excellence in the field of Information Technology (IT).
A global survey conducted by broadband statistics company Ookla has found that India is in the 133rd position in terms of download speed, thus being in the same league with highly backward countries (including countries of sub-Saharan Africa).
So what is the average download speed in India? Well, it is just 1.32mbps. Even Pakistan is in a better condition that ours, holding the 122nd position.
However, there is one consolation. Our other neighbours, like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh are behind us. What a relief, right?
By the way, the top position has been grabbed by South Korea. And the average download speed in that country? It is 32mbps.
A global survey conducted by broadband statistics company Ookla has found that India is in the 133rd position in terms of download speed, thus being in the same league with highly backward countries (including countries of sub-Saharan Africa).
So what is the average download speed in India? Well, it is just 1.32mbps. Even Pakistan is in a better condition that ours, holding the 122nd position.
However, there is one consolation. Our other neighbours, like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh are behind us. What a relief, right?
By the way, the top position has been grabbed by South Korea. And the average download speed in that country? It is 32mbps.
Toyota Plans R&D Centre In India
The Indian job market may get a strong boost from the Japanese car maker Toyota, in the form of an R&D centre. The auto major with a world wide business empire is mulling such a centre on the Indian soil. This good news has been revealed by Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM). He has said that the proposal is at the discussion stage.
If one such centre really comes up, then it will understandably create a huge number of jobs. So let us keep our fingers crossed that the plan materializes.
By the way, the auto major will also love to set up an engine plant in India, but only after its annual sales in this country reaches 200,000 units-plus.
If one such centre really comes up, then it will understandably create a huge number of jobs. So let us keep our fingers crossed that the plan materializes.
By the way, the auto major will also love to set up an engine plant in India, but only after its annual sales in this country reaches 200,000 units-plus.
AI Grounds Pilots For Hard Landing – A Highly Unjustified Decision
The Air India authority has grounded two of its pilots for the hard landing of an Airbus A319. The two pilots were in charge of the Mumbai-Rajkot flight of 29th May, 2010, which made a landing of 1.9G (i.e. a hard landing) on the Rajkot runway. This resulted in some passengers complaining of discomfort and inconvenience. And following this, the Air India management decided to ground those pilots pending investigation.
Incidentally, this decision to ground the pilots over hard landing came just three days before Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines not to judge the quality of a landing on the basis of whether it was a hard landing or a soft one.
Personally I feel that the decision to ground those two pilots is completely unjustified. It has already been proved that the Indian airlines’ over obsession with soft landing entails strong threat to passenger safety. It is this attitude of airlines that forces pilots to go for soft landing even when they know that it is risky. In fact, as everybody knows it by now, that one possible reason behind the Mangalore air crash was the pilot’s desperation to avoid hard landing even though it seemed to be the only way out.
In any case, DGCA has now recognized the fact that the quality of landing has nothing to do with whether it is a hard landing or a soft one. Therefore, the Air India management should withdraw its decision and reinstate the pilots with immediate effect.
And one suggestion for the air passengers – Please stay away from complaining when your flight makes a hard landing. Yes, it causes inconveniences. But you must realize that if the pilot has made a hard landing, then there must have been some reason behind it.
Hard landing may entail inconvenience. But soft landing entails lack of safety. And you will certainly prefer an inconvenient landing rather than a risky one, right?
Please remember that it is your complaint on the occasion of a hard landing that is compelling the airlines to force their pilots to go for soft landing even when it is risky. So, please behave a bit responsibly.
Incidentally, this decision to ground the pilots over hard landing came just three days before Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines not to judge the quality of a landing on the basis of whether it was a hard landing or a soft one.
Personally I feel that the decision to ground those two pilots is completely unjustified. It has already been proved that the Indian airlines’ over obsession with soft landing entails strong threat to passenger safety. It is this attitude of airlines that forces pilots to go for soft landing even when they know that it is risky. In fact, as everybody knows it by now, that one possible reason behind the Mangalore air crash was the pilot’s desperation to avoid hard landing even though it seemed to be the only way out.
In any case, DGCA has now recognized the fact that the quality of landing has nothing to do with whether it is a hard landing or a soft one. Therefore, the Air India management should withdraw its decision and reinstate the pilots with immediate effect.
And one suggestion for the air passengers – Please stay away from complaining when your flight makes a hard landing. Yes, it causes inconveniences. But you must realize that if the pilot has made a hard landing, then there must have been some reason behind it.
Hard landing may entail inconvenience. But soft landing entails lack of safety. And you will certainly prefer an inconvenient landing rather than a risky one, right?
Please remember that it is your complaint on the occasion of a hard landing that is compelling the airlines to force their pilots to go for soft landing even when it is risky. So, please behave a bit responsibly.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Manipur Government’s Remarkably Strong Handling Of Muivah’s Unacceptable Demand
With a rare display of ruthlessness (something that is so rare in “democratic India”), the Manipur government has firmly resisted NSCN (IM) leader Thuingaleng Muivah’s demand to visit his native village Somdal, located in the Ukhrul district of Manipur. The Okram Ibobi Singh government of Manipur had rightly concluded that there was a possibility of serious disturbances if Mr. Muivah could manage to set foot in that Naga dominated region, and quite understandably refused to allow him to visit Somdal.
And I am genuinely happy that the Manipur government has managed to stick to its decision instead of buckling under the huge pressure that it has faced. Rather, the government is countering all those pressure tooth-and-nail, with sound determination.
Just look at the way the government is dealing with the hooligans of All Naga Students Association (Ansam). As a mark of “protest” against government’s decision not to allow Muivah to visit his native village, the Ansam activists have blocked National Highways 39 and 53 since 12th April, 2010 (though originally Ansam started the blockade to protest government’s decision to hold Autonomous District Council elections in the tribal-dominated hill districts). Quite understandably the blockade has caused serious trouble for the common people of the state, as they are suffering from a scarcity of all essential commodities (such as medicine and fuel) that enter the state through those highways.
But instead of showing any “soft approach’, the Manipur government has come down heavily on the Ansam activists. A couple of them have been arrested, though two of them were released after they promised to stay away from participating in the blockade. The tough talking Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai has also strongly asked Ansam to lift the 100 per cent illegal blockade, which has resulted in an unbearable economic crisis in the state, with only the common people being at the receiving end. Ansam is well advised to accept the state government’s invitation for talks, instead of continuing with that blockade or any other nuisance that will eventually invite troubles for itself.
Hopefully the “NRI” Naga leader has got a taste of a new India, where tolerance for hooliganism in the name of democratic rights is coming down to the zero level.
And I am genuinely happy that the Manipur government has managed to stick to its decision instead of buckling under the huge pressure that it has faced. Rather, the government is countering all those pressure tooth-and-nail, with sound determination.
Just look at the way the government is dealing with the hooligans of All Naga Students Association (Ansam). As a mark of “protest” against government’s decision not to allow Muivah to visit his native village, the Ansam activists have blocked National Highways 39 and 53 since 12th April, 2010 (though originally Ansam started the blockade to protest government’s decision to hold Autonomous District Council elections in the tribal-dominated hill districts). Quite understandably the blockade has caused serious trouble for the common people of the state, as they are suffering from a scarcity of all essential commodities (such as medicine and fuel) that enter the state through those highways.
But instead of showing any “soft approach’, the Manipur government has come down heavily on the Ansam activists. A couple of them have been arrested, though two of them were released after they promised to stay away from participating in the blockade. The tough talking Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai has also strongly asked Ansam to lift the 100 per cent illegal blockade, which has resulted in an unbearable economic crisis in the state, with only the common people being at the receiving end. Ansam is well advised to accept the state government’s invitation for talks, instead of continuing with that blockade or any other nuisance that will eventually invite troubles for itself.
Hopefully the “NRI” Naga leader has got a taste of a new India, where tolerance for hooliganism in the name of democratic rights is coming down to the zero level.
Britain Declines To Return Artifacts That It “Stole” From India
Britain has rejected India’s appeal to return various invaluable artifacts (including the famous diamond Koh-i-Noor) that were carted away from the Indian soil during Britain’s colonial rule in this country. Notably, most of these artifacts were carted away illegally.
One of those artifacts that India was unfortunate to lose was the world famous “Koh-i-Noor” diamond, which today embellishes the crown of the British monarch.
Britain has said that the British Museum Act of 1963 prevents the national museums of that country from removing items from their collections, though there are exceptions for human remains and objects lost during the Nazi era.
OK, we respect the law of their land. But I have just a humble question for the cultured and erudite Britishers - Are they doing any justice to their national prestige and image by holding back the objects that their forefathers stole from India?
I leave it to the conscience of our British friends.
One of those artifacts that India was unfortunate to lose was the world famous “Koh-i-Noor” diamond, which today embellishes the crown of the British monarch.
Britain has said that the British Museum Act of 1963 prevents the national museums of that country from removing items from their collections, though there are exceptions for human remains and objects lost during the Nazi era.
OK, we respect the law of their land. But I have just a humble question for the cultured and erudite Britishers - Are they doing any justice to their national prestige and image by holding back the objects that their forefathers stole from India?
I leave it to the conscience of our British friends.
Solar Powered AC For Leh Airport – An Appreciable Step
It was really heartening to know that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to install solar powered AC in the Leh airport in Ladakh. AAI is going to install solar panels on the roof of the new terminal of the airport, which is one of the world’s highest airfields courtesy its location at an altitude of 10,682-feet above sea level. The commendable project, which is to cost Rs. 5 crores, is likely to be completed within 2 years.
There is simply no doubt that the initiative is really an appreciable one. It is high time that everybody – ranging from organizational entities (both government and private) to individuals – focused more on renewable energy. Over dependence on conventional energy is not only causing a gradual erosion of the same, but is also causing inconveniences for us on occasions when the sources of conventional energy become temporarily inadequate. For example, the Leh airport authority has so far depended on hydro electricity for running the airport AC. But quite understandably that source becomes inadequate during winter, when the waters in that region dry up. This problem can be effectively addressed after the installation of the solar powered AC takes place.
Let’s wish AAI all the best for its Leh airport project.
There is simply no doubt that the initiative is really an appreciable one. It is high time that everybody – ranging from organizational entities (both government and private) to individuals – focused more on renewable energy. Over dependence on conventional energy is not only causing a gradual erosion of the same, but is also causing inconveniences for us on occasions when the sources of conventional energy become temporarily inadequate. For example, the Leh airport authority has so far depended on hydro electricity for running the airport AC. But quite understandably that source becomes inadequate during winter, when the waters in that region dry up. This problem can be effectively addressed after the installation of the solar powered AC takes place.
Let’s wish AAI all the best for its Leh airport project.
Congrats To The Times of India For The Dramatic World Environment Day Gesture
I really enjoyed the pleasant surprise that I got from The Times of India (TOI) of yesterday’s (5th June 2010) edition, i.e. the edition of World Environment Day. I had barely opened the paper and was quickly browsing through the news items (as I was in a hurry to leave for my office), when my attention was caught by the news (basically an announcement by the TOI authority) that the edition was completely made of recycled newsprint. In a nutshell, the paper was an excellent example of recycling and renewable energy, a highly talked about issue in today’s world.
I simply felt great. Such an innovative gesture, that too by my favourite newspaper, was something that I really loved to experience. It was undoubtedly a great way to send a strong and effective message highlighting the cruciality of renewable energy. And it was also an example of “walking the talk”, wherein my favourite newspaper itself did something that it has urged its readers to do.
And yes, I have decided to permanently keep the paper in my collection as a souvenir.
Good job, TOI. I love you.
I simply felt great. Such an innovative gesture, that too by my favourite newspaper, was something that I really loved to experience. It was undoubtedly a great way to send a strong and effective message highlighting the cruciality of renewable energy. And it was also an example of “walking the talk”, wherein my favourite newspaper itself did something that it has urged its readers to do.
And yes, I have decided to permanently keep the paper in my collection as a souvenir.
Good job, TOI. I love you.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Six Months Old Girl Married Off In Pakistan
A 6 months old (yes, 6 months, not even 6 years) girl has been married off to a 25 years old man in Pakistan. Terribly shocking, right? But it is true.
Well, the background of the story is this –
A married man named Alamzeb (a resident of the from the Reri Goth area in Karachi) abducted the daughter of his neighbour Naseer, and fled away. Reportedly, the abduction took place with the girl’s consent, as the two were in love with each other.
However, the girl’s family took the matter as a prestige issue, and started threatening the family of Alamzeb. Ultimately the matter reached such a level that the local community elders held a “Jirga” (sort of a council) to resolve the issue.
And then the “Jirga” came up with a “great” solution. What was the solution? Well, they said that the 6 months old daughter of Alamzeb should be married off to 25 years old Haq Nawaz, the brother of the girl whom Alamzeb abducted. The “Jirga” gave this ruling on the basis of “Swara”.
And what the hell is “Swara”? Well, it is a child marriage custom practiced in the tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This custom is used to resolve blood feuds among families, tribes and clans, wherein young girls are forcibly married off to the members of various other clans.
It is incidents like these which remind us that in some parts of this world the time is still stuck in the 18th century.
Source: http://news.oneindia.in/2010/05/31/6month-baby-girl-married-to-25-yr-old-man-in-pakistan-tose.html
Well, the background of the story is this –
A married man named Alamzeb (a resident of the from the Reri Goth area in Karachi) abducted the daughter of his neighbour Naseer, and fled away. Reportedly, the abduction took place with the girl’s consent, as the two were in love with each other.
However, the girl’s family took the matter as a prestige issue, and started threatening the family of Alamzeb. Ultimately the matter reached such a level that the local community elders held a “Jirga” (sort of a council) to resolve the issue.
And then the “Jirga” came up with a “great” solution. What was the solution? Well, they said that the 6 months old daughter of Alamzeb should be married off to 25 years old Haq Nawaz, the brother of the girl whom Alamzeb abducted. The “Jirga” gave this ruling on the basis of “Swara”.
And what the hell is “Swara”? Well, it is a child marriage custom practiced in the tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This custom is used to resolve blood feuds among families, tribes and clans, wherein young girls are forcibly married off to the members of various other clans.
It is incidents like these which remind us that in some parts of this world the time is still stuck in the 18th century.
Source: http://news.oneindia.in/2010/05/31/6month-baby-girl-married-to-25-yr-old-man-in-pakistan-tose.html
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Indian Civil Aviation Authority – A Reincarnation Of The “Bourbon Monarchy”?
Whether you are a History buff or not, you must have read about the Bourbon dynasty of France, right? Well, in case you cannot recall, then it was the dynasty that was dethroned after the French Revolution, managed to regain its lost throne after the fall of Napoleon, and again lost it later after another emergence of popular dissatisfaction.
It was once famously said about the Bourbon dynasty that “they have learned nothing, and have forgotten nothing”. The remark was made in reference to the Bourbon dynasty’s unresponsiveness to public mood, even after once paying the price for the same by losing their throne. When they came back to throne after Napoleon’s fall, it was expected that they had learnt from their past mistakes of showing defiance to popular feelings, and would now be more cautions in dealing with the common citizenry. But the Bourbon kings soon proved this expectation to be wrong. Their administration was found to be carrying the same characteristics of their pre-Revolution rule, reflecting the same lack of responsiveness to and respect for the public emotions and feelings. They proved that they had learned nothing from their past experience. No wonder, they did not take much time to lose their throne again, this time for ever.
While the analogy may sound to be a bit too far fetched, I nevertheless find a close resemblance between the Bourbon Dynasty and the Indian civil aviation authority.
After the tragic Mangalore air crash people had expected that the Indian civil aviation mandarins would try to identify and address the operational and technical gaps, and would display a better performance at least for few days. Oh God, how wrong we were! Barely few days have passed after the tragedy, and the Indian civil aviation authority has already started showing its callousness towards public safety.
Just yesterday three Indian planes (1 Kingfisher, 1 Jetlite and 1 Jet Airways) had a close shave, as they had been diverted from the Delhi airport (to Jaipur) thanks to the shutdown of the Delhi airport. And why was the Delhi airport shut down in the first place? Because the airport was to cater to two VIP movements - President Pratibha Patil’s flight to China and Turkmenistan president Gurbanguly Berdimunhamedov’s flight to Agra.
So what happened after the three above mentioned planes were diverted to Jaipur? The Jetlite flight landed on the Jaipur airport when it barely had the fuel to remain airborne for 3 minutes. The Kingfisher flight landed when it was left with the fuel to fly just for 10 minutes, while the Jet Airways flight was left with around 13 minutes of flying capacity at the time of landing. Just imagine what a disaster any of these flights would have faced if there were just a few minutes of delay in landing on the Jaipur airport.
And yes, apart from these three, eight other flights were diverted from the Delhi airport, while 20 other flights were forced to circle the Delhi airport for one hour. All for VIP safety.
Yes, I understand that there is an issue of protocol and basic security when it involves a VIP movement. There may have been some strong reason for temporarily shutting down the Delhi airport for “non VIP” planes. But what was the problem in informing the concerned flights beforehand, so that they could modify their route accordingly? Is there no element of co-ordination and management in the Indian civil aviation mechanism?
It is still understandable when a mishap takes place due to technical snag. But there is absolutely no mercy for operational snag, which is the result of nothing else but pure callousness.
It was once famously said about the Bourbon dynasty that “they have learned nothing, and have forgotten nothing”. The remark was made in reference to the Bourbon dynasty’s unresponsiveness to public mood, even after once paying the price for the same by losing their throne. When they came back to throne after Napoleon’s fall, it was expected that they had learnt from their past mistakes of showing defiance to popular feelings, and would now be more cautions in dealing with the common citizenry. But the Bourbon kings soon proved this expectation to be wrong. Their administration was found to be carrying the same characteristics of their pre-Revolution rule, reflecting the same lack of responsiveness to and respect for the public emotions and feelings. They proved that they had learned nothing from their past experience. No wonder, they did not take much time to lose their throne again, this time for ever.
While the analogy may sound to be a bit too far fetched, I nevertheless find a close resemblance between the Bourbon Dynasty and the Indian civil aviation authority.
After the tragic Mangalore air crash people had expected that the Indian civil aviation mandarins would try to identify and address the operational and technical gaps, and would display a better performance at least for few days. Oh God, how wrong we were! Barely few days have passed after the tragedy, and the Indian civil aviation authority has already started showing its callousness towards public safety.
Just yesterday three Indian planes (1 Kingfisher, 1 Jetlite and 1 Jet Airways) had a close shave, as they had been diverted from the Delhi airport (to Jaipur) thanks to the shutdown of the Delhi airport. And why was the Delhi airport shut down in the first place? Because the airport was to cater to two VIP movements - President Pratibha Patil’s flight to China and Turkmenistan president Gurbanguly Berdimunhamedov’s flight to Agra.
So what happened after the three above mentioned planes were diverted to Jaipur? The Jetlite flight landed on the Jaipur airport when it barely had the fuel to remain airborne for 3 minutes. The Kingfisher flight landed when it was left with the fuel to fly just for 10 minutes, while the Jet Airways flight was left with around 13 minutes of flying capacity at the time of landing. Just imagine what a disaster any of these flights would have faced if there were just a few minutes of delay in landing on the Jaipur airport.
And yes, apart from these three, eight other flights were diverted from the Delhi airport, while 20 other flights were forced to circle the Delhi airport for one hour. All for VIP safety.
Yes, I understand that there is an issue of protocol and basic security when it involves a VIP movement. There may have been some strong reason for temporarily shutting down the Delhi airport for “non VIP” planes. But what was the problem in informing the concerned flights beforehand, so that they could modify their route accordingly? Is there no element of co-ordination and management in the Indian civil aviation mechanism?
It is still understandable when a mishap takes place due to technical snag. But there is absolutely no mercy for operational snag, which is the result of nothing else but pure callousness.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Pseudo Intellectuals, Please Stop Sympathizing With The Maoists If You Have Any Shame
Dear pseudo intellectuals of India, it is high time you stopped sympathizing with the Maoist devils, provided you have at least an iota of shame. For long we have been listening to your “intellectual” interpretations of the “root causes” of Maoism – abject poverty, lack of development, discrimination, oppression, blah blah blah! In fact your so-called “conscientious” opposition to Government’s plans and programmes to counter Maoist menace (“revolution” in your language) is one of those factors that are preventing Mr. Chidambaram from going ahead with a genuinely strong step against the scoundrels who are unabashedly creating mayhem on a regular basis.
You pseudo intellectuals are so shameless that you people did not bother to utter any word of criticism even after your beloved Maoist bastards massacred 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada. Your sympathy for the so-called oppressed people turned Maoists is endless. But your hypocrisy held you back from shedding a single drop of tears for the bereaved families of those hapless security personnel, who had joined CRPF to serve the common people of India, including you people.
However, you still had the excuse that the Maoists had after all killed security personnel, i.e. the agents of “state atrocities”.
You people again tried to defend those savages when they blew up a bus full of civilians (again in Dantewada), by saying that their actual target were the Special Police Officers (SPOs) who were traveling in that bus. (Causing the death of so many innocent people for killing just a few SPOs. Wow, what an idea!)
But what is your excuse now, after the brutal and devastating attack on the innocent civilians who were traveling in the ill-fated Jnaneswari Express? Is there any excuse, even an ultra-idiotic or ultra-illogical one, which you can come up with to justify this bastardly act? What cause are these Maoist scoundrels fighting for, which entails the tears and pain of so many common people? Is it at all a fight that worths any sympathy? NO!
The Maoists have proved themselves to be a cancer for India, a despicable burden for the civilized society of this country. And you, the pseudo intellectuals of India have proved yourselves to be as contemptible as your beloved Maoist devils are, by shamelessly supporting their so called cause even after so many acts of devastation and bedlam on their part.
Have you people ever wondered what a great crime you are committing by extending moral support to those scoundrels?
You pseudo intellectuals are so shameless that you people did not bother to utter any word of criticism even after your beloved Maoist bastards massacred 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada. Your sympathy for the so-called oppressed people turned Maoists is endless. But your hypocrisy held you back from shedding a single drop of tears for the bereaved families of those hapless security personnel, who had joined CRPF to serve the common people of India, including you people.
However, you still had the excuse that the Maoists had after all killed security personnel, i.e. the agents of “state atrocities”.
You people again tried to defend those savages when they blew up a bus full of civilians (again in Dantewada), by saying that their actual target were the Special Police Officers (SPOs) who were traveling in that bus. (Causing the death of so many innocent people for killing just a few SPOs. Wow, what an idea!)
But what is your excuse now, after the brutal and devastating attack on the innocent civilians who were traveling in the ill-fated Jnaneswari Express? Is there any excuse, even an ultra-idiotic or ultra-illogical one, which you can come up with to justify this bastardly act? What cause are these Maoist scoundrels fighting for, which entails the tears and pain of so many common people? Is it at all a fight that worths any sympathy? NO!
The Maoists have proved themselves to be a cancer for India, a despicable burden for the civilized society of this country. And you, the pseudo intellectuals of India have proved yourselves to be as contemptible as your beloved Maoist devils are, by shamelessly supporting their so called cause even after so many acts of devastation and bedlam on their part.
Have you people ever wondered what a great crime you are committing by extending moral support to those scoundrels?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Madan Tamang's Assassination In Darjeeling – GJM’s Ugly Character Out In The Open
The real character of Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) – i.e. an ugly and nasty one – came out in the open with the dreadful murder of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang on 21st May 2010, in the picturesque hill town of Darjeeling in north Bengal.
GJM had already proved its ruffian character through the various acts of hooliganism that it was conducting in the name of Gorkhaland movement. It had already turned the “Queen of Hills” Darjeeling into a hell, turning this once darling of tourists into a nightmare for visitors.
But the terribly shocking assassination of Madan Tamang (who was hacked to death by suspected GJM supporters) is different from the other uncivilized activities of GJM. No, not in terms of the seriousness of the offence. The significance of Tamang’s assassination lies in the fact that Tamang’s All India Gorkha League actually belongs to the same “ilk” to which GJM belongs, i.e. both the parties are fighting for a separate Gorkhaland state. In that sense, Tamang’s party and GJM are actually supplementary to each other.
But still GJM supremo Bimal Gurung ordered his followers to kill Tamang. Why? Because he wants to keep only his GJM in the forefront of the so-called Gorkhaland movement, without letting any other party to come in the limelight. For Bimal Gurung what is more important is to establish himself as the one and only leader of the Gorkhaland movement, even if that results in the isolation of other similar groups, eventually resulting in the weakness of the Gorkhaland movement as a whole. This is because Bimal Gurung’s ultimate objective is not merely the establishment of a separate Gorkhaland state, but becoming the first Chief Minister of that state.
In fact, this is true about all the leaders of the so-called Gorkhaland movement. Whether it is Subhash Ghising (who actually started the movement in the mid 1980s) or Bimal Gurung, none of the Gorkhaland movement leaders has any headache for their Gorkha brothers and sisters. And they are certainly not trying to set up a separate state for addressing the so-called “discrimination” that the Gorkha community is facing in West Bengal. Actually all these leaders are fighting only for their own interests. Officially they are claiming that they want a separate state for the Gorkhas as only a state of their own can ensure the optimum growth and development of the Gorkha community of West Bengal. But in reality these leaders want a separate Gorkhaland so that they can have a fiefdom of their own, where they can lead the lives of demi-gods.
If at all the Gorkhaland movement becomes successful and a separate Gorkhaland state is set up, even then there will be no drastic development in the lives of the ordinary Gorkha people of Darjeeling. Did a separate Jharkhand bring any drastic change in the lives of the ordinary tribals, for whose development that state had originally been claimed?
And finally, a humble question for the educated and cultured members of the Nepali community of Darjeeling.
My dear brothers and sisters, will you people still continue to support a ruffian like Bimal Gurung? Do you people understand that voicing support for such a devilish person is actually disgraceful for yourselves? Can a hooligan like Bimal Gurung be really your leader? Just ask your own mind, and you will get the answer.
GJM had already proved its ruffian character through the various acts of hooliganism that it was conducting in the name of Gorkhaland movement. It had already turned the “Queen of Hills” Darjeeling into a hell, turning this once darling of tourists into a nightmare for visitors.
But the terribly shocking assassination of Madan Tamang (who was hacked to death by suspected GJM supporters) is different from the other uncivilized activities of GJM. No, not in terms of the seriousness of the offence. The significance of Tamang’s assassination lies in the fact that Tamang’s All India Gorkha League actually belongs to the same “ilk” to which GJM belongs, i.e. both the parties are fighting for a separate Gorkhaland state. In that sense, Tamang’s party and GJM are actually supplementary to each other.
But still GJM supremo Bimal Gurung ordered his followers to kill Tamang. Why? Because he wants to keep only his GJM in the forefront of the so-called Gorkhaland movement, without letting any other party to come in the limelight. For Bimal Gurung what is more important is to establish himself as the one and only leader of the Gorkhaland movement, even if that results in the isolation of other similar groups, eventually resulting in the weakness of the Gorkhaland movement as a whole. This is because Bimal Gurung’s ultimate objective is not merely the establishment of a separate Gorkhaland state, but becoming the first Chief Minister of that state.
In fact, this is true about all the leaders of the so-called Gorkhaland movement. Whether it is Subhash Ghising (who actually started the movement in the mid 1980s) or Bimal Gurung, none of the Gorkhaland movement leaders has any headache for their Gorkha brothers and sisters. And they are certainly not trying to set up a separate state for addressing the so-called “discrimination” that the Gorkha community is facing in West Bengal. Actually all these leaders are fighting only for their own interests. Officially they are claiming that they want a separate state for the Gorkhas as only a state of their own can ensure the optimum growth and development of the Gorkha community of West Bengal. But in reality these leaders want a separate Gorkhaland so that they can have a fiefdom of their own, where they can lead the lives of demi-gods.
If at all the Gorkhaland movement becomes successful and a separate Gorkhaland state is set up, even then there will be no drastic development in the lives of the ordinary Gorkha people of Darjeeling. Did a separate Jharkhand bring any drastic change in the lives of the ordinary tribals, for whose development that state had originally been claimed?
And finally, a humble question for the educated and cultured members of the Nepali community of Darjeeling.
My dear brothers and sisters, will you people still continue to support a ruffian like Bimal Gurung? Do you people understand that voicing support for such a devilish person is actually disgraceful for yourselves? Can a hooligan like Bimal Gurung be really your leader? Just ask your own mind, and you will get the answer.
Obama Administration’s Strategic Mistake In The North Korea Issue
I feel that the Obama administration has committed a serious strategic blunder by openly siding with South Korea in the latter’s latest tussle with North Korea. By doing this the USA has not only diluted the opportunity to strengthen its own diplomatic interests, but has also created problem for South Korea, as well.
It must be understood that South Korea’s tussle with North Korea is very much likely to turn into a full scale war. And if that happens, then North Korea might get military and diplomatic support from other communist countries, which will certainly make matters worse for South Korea. However, if somehow South Korea can convince the world that its fight is just against some actions of the North Korean government and not against the latter’s communist ideology, then the possibility of other communist countries extending help to North Korea will be lesser.
But now with the US government candidly showing its support for South Korea, the latter might be perceived by the Communist world as a stooge of the USA. And in that case they will certainly join the fight in one way or the other, as they will now perceive the fight against South Korea as a fight against the latter’s mentor the USA (i.e. the bête noire of the communist world).
The USA should have kept itself behind the curtain. It could have maintained the image of a “non interested party”, while secretly extending military, logistics and other necessary support to South Korea. The USA has personal interest in launching a strong diplomatic and military offensive against North Korea, and it is quite understandable that the former does not want to lose any relevant opportunity. However, in this case the USA had the opportunity to serve its interests through South Korea, without getting personally involved in the issue. It was precisely this opportunity that the USA did not have during its fight against Vietnam, as it did not have any ally in that region which could have acted on her behalf. But this time the USA had one such suitable ally, whom the US government could have effectively used against the common foe in that region, without getting personally involved. Obama and his mandarins could have at least waited for the first attack from the North Korean government against South Korea (like a missile attack, or bombing, or something like that). And then the US government could have come into the picture, with the world’s sympathy with South Korea. (Let us remember the Gulf War in 1990, when the US government launched an attack against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the name of liberating Kuwait from Iraqi invading army, while actually the USA was fighting for its own interest).
Unfortunately, the US government misread the situation this time, and jumped into the fight between the North and South Korea without thinking much.
Or is it so that actually it is me who is wrong? May be. After all I am not a seasoned diplomat. I am just an ordinary person who avidly follows the national and international developments.
It must be understood that South Korea’s tussle with North Korea is very much likely to turn into a full scale war. And if that happens, then North Korea might get military and diplomatic support from other communist countries, which will certainly make matters worse for South Korea. However, if somehow South Korea can convince the world that its fight is just against some actions of the North Korean government and not against the latter’s communist ideology, then the possibility of other communist countries extending help to North Korea will be lesser.
But now with the US government candidly showing its support for South Korea, the latter might be perceived by the Communist world as a stooge of the USA. And in that case they will certainly join the fight in one way or the other, as they will now perceive the fight against South Korea as a fight against the latter’s mentor the USA (i.e. the bête noire of the communist world).
The USA should have kept itself behind the curtain. It could have maintained the image of a “non interested party”, while secretly extending military, logistics and other necessary support to South Korea. The USA has personal interest in launching a strong diplomatic and military offensive against North Korea, and it is quite understandable that the former does not want to lose any relevant opportunity. However, in this case the USA had the opportunity to serve its interests through South Korea, without getting personally involved in the issue. It was precisely this opportunity that the USA did not have during its fight against Vietnam, as it did not have any ally in that region which could have acted on her behalf. But this time the USA had one such suitable ally, whom the US government could have effectively used against the common foe in that region, without getting personally involved. Obama and his mandarins could have at least waited for the first attack from the North Korean government against South Korea (like a missile attack, or bombing, or something like that). And then the US government could have come into the picture, with the world’s sympathy with South Korea. (Let us remember the Gulf War in 1990, when the US government launched an attack against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the name of liberating Kuwait from Iraqi invading army, while actually the USA was fighting for its own interest).
Unfortunately, the US government misread the situation this time, and jumped into the fight between the North and South Korea without thinking much.
Or is it so that actually it is me who is wrong? May be. After all I am not a seasoned diplomat. I am just an ordinary person who avidly follows the national and international developments.
Burqa Banning In Europe – Possibility Of A Negative Impact On Local Muslim Women
Like any forward thinking and progressive person I was also elated to know about the decision of the governments of France, Belgium and Italy to ban Burqa in their respective countries. The reason why I dislike Burqa is not only because I feel it to be an unjustified baggage forcibly imposed on my mothers and sisters from the Muslim community. I also dislike it because I sincerely doubt whether the great Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) had at all issued any diktat, in the first place, by commanding the Muslim women to wear Burqa. From whatever I have read and learned about the great Prophet’s life and philosophy, he was a pragmatic person with a huge respect for women. And honestly I find it very difficult to accept that he issued any such command.
However, while I eagerly welcome the firm steps taken by the governments of the above mentioned European countries, I have also started feeling a bit uncomfortable about the possibility of certain negative developments. Few days back I read in news that a Muslim gentleman from Italy has said that since his wife can no more wear Burqa in public, therefore now he will not allow her to go out at all. And from now onwards she will remain confined within her home.
It was this news that left me quite nervous. We the progressive people (including the progressive members of the Islamic sect) might feel very jubilant that Burqa is getting banned in certain countries. But have we thought about the possible negative impacts that the Muslim women of those countries might have to face?
I am 100 per cent sure that are some Muslims in all these countries who will never be able to accept these ban on Burqa for their wives, daughters, sisters, etc. But at the same time they will be unable to defy the ban, as it is a government decision. So what will they do? They will put a complete “ban” on the “public life” of the women in their families, forcing the latter to sever all ties with the external world and lead the life of a detainee within the four walls of their respective homes.
I feel the governments banning Burqa in their countries must think about this possible outcome, and take suitable steps beforehand to prevent any such outcome.
However, while I eagerly welcome the firm steps taken by the governments of the above mentioned European countries, I have also started feeling a bit uncomfortable about the possibility of certain negative developments. Few days back I read in news that a Muslim gentleman from Italy has said that since his wife can no more wear Burqa in public, therefore now he will not allow her to go out at all. And from now onwards she will remain confined within her home.
It was this news that left me quite nervous. We the progressive people (including the progressive members of the Islamic sect) might feel very jubilant that Burqa is getting banned in certain countries. But have we thought about the possible negative impacts that the Muslim women of those countries might have to face?
I am 100 per cent sure that are some Muslims in all these countries who will never be able to accept these ban on Burqa for their wives, daughters, sisters, etc. But at the same time they will be unable to defy the ban, as it is a government decision. So what will they do? They will put a complete “ban” on the “public life” of the women in their families, forcing the latter to sever all ties with the external world and lead the life of a detainee within the four walls of their respective homes.
I feel the governments banning Burqa in their countries must think about this possible outcome, and take suitable steps beforehand to prevent any such outcome.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Does The Mangalore Air Crash Suggest That We Should Bid Farewell To “Special Airports”?
Among many factors that are being highlighted as the ones to have triggered the tragic Mangalore air crash is the point that the Bajpe airport of Mangalore is a “special airport”.
What are “special airports”? Well, “special airports” are usually the ones which are located in hilly and mountainous regions, and also the ones which lie close to water bodies (such as rivers and seas). Landing and take-off activities on such airports are much tougher in comparison to that on other airports, with just a fraction of mistake on the part of the pilot likely to cause serious mishaps. No wonder that only experienced pilots are permitted to take off from or land on “special airports”.
The Bajpe airport was in the list of the “special airports” of India, thanks to its location on a hillock, and its runway being built on a flat stretch of land. Both ends of the runway slope downwards, with its safety area being just of 90 meters against the 300-metre norm.
The other “special airports” of India include the airports in Leh, Kozhikode (or Calicut), Port Blair, Srinagar and Agatti (Lakshadweep).
After the heartbreaking Mangalore mishap the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA should take a fresh and analytical look at the existing operational mechanisms that the Indian civil aviation sector adheres to. And one of the issues that they should very seriously look at is whether they should at all retain the use of “special airports”.
Three more issues I will request them to look at.
a.)They should decide whether they will retain the existing bar on “hard landing”. Notably, some experts have pointed out that the existing bar on hard landing might have forced the pilot to try landing in a different way, which eventually resulted in the accident. And significantly “hard landing” is a safe option.
b.)They should also ensure that pilots (and also other crews) get adequate break and rest before flying. This will understandably reduce the possibility of accidents due to pilot fatigue.
c.)Every airline must have a single, toll-free number which can be contacted by relatives and friends on the event of an accident. Every time a plane or rail accident takes place, I find TV channels flashing such “emergency contact nos”, which keep moving away before one notes them down. More importantly, is it possible for a person to sit calmly and watch the TV if he comes to know that the plane or train his relative was traveling has met with an accident? He will be excited, dumbstruck, perplexed, etc. Under such circumstances, it will be very helpful for him or his friends and other relatives to have the ready knowledge of a number where they can contact to make queries about their loved one.
What are “special airports”? Well, “special airports” are usually the ones which are located in hilly and mountainous regions, and also the ones which lie close to water bodies (such as rivers and seas). Landing and take-off activities on such airports are much tougher in comparison to that on other airports, with just a fraction of mistake on the part of the pilot likely to cause serious mishaps. No wonder that only experienced pilots are permitted to take off from or land on “special airports”.
The Bajpe airport was in the list of the “special airports” of India, thanks to its location on a hillock, and its runway being built on a flat stretch of land. Both ends of the runway slope downwards, with its safety area being just of 90 meters against the 300-metre norm.
The other “special airports” of India include the airports in Leh, Kozhikode (or Calicut), Port Blair, Srinagar and Agatti (Lakshadweep).
After the heartbreaking Mangalore mishap the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA should take a fresh and analytical look at the existing operational mechanisms that the Indian civil aviation sector adheres to. And one of the issues that they should very seriously look at is whether they should at all retain the use of “special airports”.
Three more issues I will request them to look at.
a.)They should decide whether they will retain the existing bar on “hard landing”. Notably, some experts have pointed out that the existing bar on hard landing might have forced the pilot to try landing in a different way, which eventually resulted in the accident. And significantly “hard landing” is a safe option.
b.)They should also ensure that pilots (and also other crews) get adequate break and rest before flying. This will understandably reduce the possibility of accidents due to pilot fatigue.
c.)Every airline must have a single, toll-free number which can be contacted by relatives and friends on the event of an accident. Every time a plane or rail accident takes place, I find TV channels flashing such “emergency contact nos”, which keep moving away before one notes them down. More importantly, is it possible for a person to sit calmly and watch the TV if he comes to know that the plane or train his relative was traveling has met with an accident? He will be excited, dumbstruck, perplexed, etc. Under such circumstances, it will be very helpful for him or his friends and other relatives to have the ready knowledge of a number where they can contact to make queries about their loved one.
John Shepherd-Barron, Father of ATM, Dead
John Shepherd-Barron is no more. The 84 years old Scottish breathed his last on 20th May 2010 at Inverness’s Raigmore Hospital in northern Scotland.
But who was this John Shepherd-Barron, in the first place?
Well, he was the man credited with inventing something that you and me (and millions of people across the world) use on a regular basis. In fact, it is a key constituent of the modern human civilization. And that is Automated Teller Machine or ATM.
Shepherd-Barron reportedly came up with the concept of ATM in 1965, while he was having bath. And interestingly, he got the idea of ATM from machine dispensing chocolate bars.
By the way, Shepherd-Barron had an “Indian” connection. How? Well, he was born in the small town of Shillong in North-East India.
But who was this John Shepherd-Barron, in the first place?
Well, he was the man credited with inventing something that you and me (and millions of people across the world) use on a regular basis. In fact, it is a key constituent of the modern human civilization. And that is Automated Teller Machine or ATM.
Shepherd-Barron reportedly came up with the concept of ATM in 1965, while he was having bath. And interestingly, he got the idea of ATM from machine dispensing chocolate bars.
By the way, Shepherd-Barron had an “Indian” connection. How? Well, he was born in the small town of Shillong in North-East India.
Having A Test Tube Baby At Rs. 20,000
Are you planning to have a test tube baby, but wary of the huge cost that it entails? Well, now you have the option to fulfill your dream by spending just Rs. 20,000.
A team of doctors at AIIMS has come up with a new In vitro fertilisation (IVF)technique, wherein there will be a limit on the number of egg cells to be produced. This will be accompanied by the use of a lesser number of fertility medications (such as gonadotropins). The ultimate result is a reduction in the cost of having a test tube baby.
Congrats AIIMS!
A team of doctors at AIIMS has come up with a new In vitro fertilisation (IVF)technique, wherein there will be a limit on the number of egg cells to be produced. This will be accompanied by the use of a lesser number of fertility medications (such as gonadotropins). The ultimate result is a reduction in the cost of having a test tube baby.
Congrats AIIMS!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Why Doesn’t India Have Even A Single Sindhi TV Channel?
Other day I was going through an interesting article named 'Sindhi culture is on a ventilator' in the Times of India (New Delhi edition. Date: 17th May 2010). It contained a touching discussion on the various factors that are causing the gradual erosion of the Sindhi culture. For example, the article highlighted how the “homelessness” of India’s Sindhi community (they lost their entire state to Pakistan at the time of Partition) left them “deprived of the patronage of a state government”, an issue that has understandably posed a strong existential threat to the community. The article also highlighted the reluctance of the rich members of the community in patronizing their art and culture, as they are more interested in setting up hospitals and educational institutions. The article also expressed pain over the Sindhi youngsters’ unwillingness to practice their own culture and language, which is certainly unfortunate.
However, what shocked me to no end was the information that there is not a single Sindhi language TV channel in India. Oh my God! While every other (so-called) major Indian language has at least 2 to 3 channels, then how come there is not a single channel in the Sindhi language?
I just tried to imagine a situation where there is no Bengali TV channel in India, and just that thought left my blood boiling like anything. Under such circumstances it is pretty well understandable how our Sindhi brothers and sisters feel when they find that there is not a single TV channel in their beloved language.
Is it so that because there is no State Government to lobby for the Sindhis therefore the Central Government is taking them for granted? I will request the stalwarts of the Sindhi community to immediately start lobbying with the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry for launching a Sindhi language TV channel.
I will also request my young brothers and sisters of the Sindhi community to take some initiative to protect and preserve their beautiful culture. Yes, they might ask me that who I am to bother about their culture, given the fact that I am a Bengali. Well, I have a ready answer for that. Every Indian language belongs to every Indian community. And the corrosion of an Indian language is not a loss only for the native speakers of that language, but for the Indian community as a whole. The Sindhi language has its roots in the place which witnessed the genesis of Indus Valley Civilization, of which my beautiful motherland is a product. And that I am an Indian that is enough to justify my concern for the Sindhi language.
However, what shocked me to no end was the information that there is not a single Sindhi language TV channel in India. Oh my God! While every other (so-called) major Indian language has at least 2 to 3 channels, then how come there is not a single channel in the Sindhi language?
I just tried to imagine a situation where there is no Bengali TV channel in India, and just that thought left my blood boiling like anything. Under such circumstances it is pretty well understandable how our Sindhi brothers and sisters feel when they find that there is not a single TV channel in their beloved language.
Is it so that because there is no State Government to lobby for the Sindhis therefore the Central Government is taking them for granted? I will request the stalwarts of the Sindhi community to immediately start lobbying with the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry for launching a Sindhi language TV channel.
I will also request my young brothers and sisters of the Sindhi community to take some initiative to protect and preserve their beautiful culture. Yes, they might ask me that who I am to bother about their culture, given the fact that I am a Bengali. Well, I have a ready answer for that. Every Indian language belongs to every Indian community. And the corrosion of an Indian language is not a loss only for the native speakers of that language, but for the Indian community as a whole. The Sindhi language has its roots in the place which witnessed the genesis of Indus Valley Civilization, of which my beautiful motherland is a product. And that I am an Indian that is enough to justify my concern for the Sindhi language.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 17, 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.
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.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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?
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?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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?
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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?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, May 7, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 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”.
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”.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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?”
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!
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.
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.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
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?
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?
Friday, April 23, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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.
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!
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!
Friday, April 16, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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!
The 2nd and 3rd positions have been occupied by Kingfisher Airlines and Air India, respectively.
Congrats Jet!
Monday, April 12, 2010
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.
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.
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