The 2G scam

The newspapers or the news channel may scream hoarse. The courts in India, may take whatever decision they want, nothing is going to change.For the simple reason that you cannot put the whole government in jail even if the loss to the government exchequer is proved real and not notional. When somebody takes this kind of route, they always have thought of an escape channel, else they will bring the whole government down. It will be like the Reserve Bank of India going bankrupt.The Supreme Court, at the outset should cancel all the licences granted by the department. Whatever fees have been collected from the licencees should be confiscated, along with their own and family's personal property.This in addition to all the guilty being prosecuted and punished with rigorous imprisonment A fresh transparent auction should be held under the aegis of the apex court.All the companies participating in the auction should be thoroughly investigated, before allowing them to take part All the proceeds from the auction should be used for developing rural infrastructure- housing, health, education, agriculture etc. A fund for innovative research which benefits the mankind should be created to encourage research.At each and every step the judiciary at the top should be involved. Nothing should be left to the ministers or bureaucrats to decide. They should be only responsible for the administration, in short function as clerks, of the court The only saving grace in this country is the upper echelons of the judiciary, which has always stood the test of time and despite a few rotten apples is by and large perceived to be honest by the laity.
Only time will tell, if what is happening today is taken to its logical conclusion. But justice must be expedited

Irony

A very laudable effort is initiated by 'Student Workers Against Tobacco' today on Senapati Bapat Marg, just a couple of hundred feet from where I stay. I as watching them painting gory pictures of the ill effects of smoking.

I am myself an almost reformed smoker. After my heart caved in last year, I was forced to quit my habit of smoking 3 packs a day for 45 years. I did it out of fear of death and not remorse. But after a couple of months, when I got over the fear of death, I started smoking again in a few months-but reduced the quantity. 

But this is not my story. It is about the students who were participating as a team. Of course they had sponsored tee-shirts displaying the name of the Sponsors . They were quiet a bunch- exuberant , enthusiastic and full of zeal. A media van also came and shot them, although, standing on the opposite footpath on my side of the pavement, I could not read the channel's name.

Nowadays you get sponsors galore for any noble cause. Companies are hungry and thirsty for such noble publicity. A truly laudable effort by the these young men and Kudos for the sponsors.

The ironical part of all this is that there were many among these students including girls , who were not averse to smoking, as I saw quite a few of them with cigarettes in their hands, going about their work nonchalantly . Even the media persons when shooting the students and their drawn pictures had cigarettes in their hands.

I don't hold a brief for any cigarette company as I have experienced the ill effects of smoking first hand but what can a by-stander surmise from the aforesaid incidence-Split Personalities, Dual Standards or Pseudo- ism on part of the participants or plain ignorance

The Writings

Many a times in our hurry to write, we make mistakes. Spelling mistakes ,grammatical mistakes, omission of letters etc. This mostly happens because our writing (or typing) speed is not concurrent with our thoughts. The thoughts run amok, many a times unsymmetrically, sometimes mixing issues not related with our written sentences. This I think most of the time results in what sounds silly errors in the minds of readers. If a work is to be published and printed, there are people who may correct you., but if you are posting a blog what happens?. You are the writer, editor and publisher, so who is going to correct, How will it be possible to avoid or rather eliminate mistakes. Some inventor has to start researching on how to control the speed of thoughts and how to make it concurrent with the speed of writing or typing. In short a machine which is attached to the brain, which translates thoughts into sentences eliminating the spelling and grammar glitches, so that the end product is a well cooked and well presented dish. Whether the dish is liked or loved or disliked is a different matter, but the very fact that the dish is well cooked and presented should suffice.
Will somebody start the research. If this happens there will be writers dime a dozen (not that they are paid handsomely now). But more ideas will take concrete shape.
Do the needful pronto

The Writings

Many a times in our hurry to write, we make mistakes. Spelling mistakes ,grammatical mistakes, omission of letters etc. This mostly happens because our writing (or typing) speed is not concurrent with our thoughts. The thoughts run amok, many a times unsymmetrically, sometimes mixing issues not related with our written sentences. This I think most of the time results in what sounds silly errors in the minds of readers. If a work is to be published and printed, there are people who may correct you, but if you are posting a blog what happens. You are the writer, editor and publisher, so who is going to correct, How will it be possible to avoid or rather eliminate mistakes. Some inventor has to start researching on how to control the speed of thoughts and how to make it concurrent with the speed of writing or typing. In short a machine which is attached to the brain, which translates thoughts into sentences eliminating the spelling and grammar glitches, so that the end product is a well cooked and well presented dish. Whether the dish is liked or loved or disliked is a different matter, but the very fact that the dish is well cooked and presented should suffice.
Will somebody start the research. If this happens there will be writers dime a dozen (not that they are paid handsomely now). But more ideas will take concrete shape.
Do the needful pronto

Ghatotkach

He was the son of Bhim (from Mahabharat) and Hidimba. All his life was inconsequental, till the war of Mahabharat happened. One day belonged to him. He was unbeatable on that day so much so that Karna had to use the final weapon of Brahmastra (which he had preserved to kill Arjun) to eliminate him. This was all Krishna's plan to ensure that Arjun did not die, thats the reason he asked Ghatotkach to unkeash all his power & Ghatotkach complied.
So what is the significance of this story people may ponder. There is a Ghatotkach in every simple human being, howsoever ordinary the person may be. One day in his life dawns, when he gains prominence and importance. He rises above all to salvage the situation.
This is exactly what has happened in Maharashtra politics. A person bidding his time and going about his duties in a quiet manner, suddenly acquired an important role.Many in Maharashtra too, may not know much about him and would not have known, had it not been for one Ashok Chavan, who was shown the door and in came Prithviraj Chavan. He is not a populist figure if news channels are to be believed.. Nevertheless he has a job to do and is believed to be the right person. But in Maharashtra politics or for that matter politics anywhere, a person who is a loner cannot last for long. To become accepted he has to be a demagogue . He has to adopt populist measures and be among one of them i.e. in short be corrupt and allow corruption to flourish..The man is perceived to be honest. Although honesty and politics don't jell.. Being honest is quite different from being perceived to be honest. But  time will tell. Here is wishing him success in his mission and may he not botch up the opportunity with yet another scandal

Ghatotkach

He was the son of Bhim (from Mahabharat) and Hidimba. All his life was inconsequental, till the war of Mahabharat happened. One day belonged to him. He was unbeatable on hat day so much so that Karna had to use the final weapon of Brahmastra (which he had preserved to kill Arjun) to eliminate him. This was all Krishna's plan to ensure that Arjun did not die.
So what is the significance of this story people may ponder. There is a Ghatotkach in every simple human being, howsoever ordinary the person may be. One day in his life dawns, when he gains prominence and importance. He rises above all to salvage the situation.
This is exactly what has happened in Maharashtra politics. A person bidding his time and going about his duties in a quiet manner has suddenly acquired an important role.Many in Maharashtra too may not know much aout him and would not have known had it not been for one Ashok Chavan, who was shown the door and in came Prithviraj Chavan. He is not a populist figure if news channels are to be believed, nevertheless he has a job to do and is believed to be the right person. But in Maharashtra politics or for that matter politics anywhere any person who is a loner cannot last for long. To become accepted he has to be a demagogue . He has to adopt populist measures and be among one o them i.e. in short be corrupt and allow corruption to flourish. the man is perceived to be honest. Although honesty and politics don't add up. Being honest is quite different from perceived to be honest. But lets see time will tell. Here is wishing him success in his mission and may he not botch up the opportunity with yet another scandal

Bureaucracy in India

When I mean bureaucracy, I mean the career officers viz IAS, IFS,  IPS etc. in India. In the 63 years of our Independence, no bureaucrat has ever been punished for corruption. It is a well known fact, that corruption in high places  has the origin , in the decisions taken by these people. The respective ministers may actually be inking the deals, but it is these people who are the real decision makers. Behind the scenes away from the public glare ,they go about their mission with impunity . They corner the best residential places for themselves at very nominal rates, go on foreign junkets under  some pretext or the other and are feared upon. Look at the Adash Society case where many of them have managed to get residences which were supposed to be given to others'

The News Reporters

 Some introspection needs to be done by this fraternity. It's said by people in the know that most news channels have Crime Reporters who hold a sway. Many a times they are alleged to charge  for not reporting the story. It is only the whistle blowers who do the hard work and often get eliminated. So all famous news channels like Timesnow orNDTV 24x 7 and many others should ensure that there is no blemish. There is also a need to be doing follow up stories. Many a times when the heat has cooled down, the whole thing is forgotten, whereby there is every chance of the guilty getting away

Obama

He made the right noises in India and won accolades, even a few hearts. By and large most of our elected representatives in Parliament clapped. For a change the opposition too joined in. Their behavior in the house was exemplary for a change. No noisy scenes, no rushing to the well, no oneupmanship. Seems they were spoken to earlier about being on their best behavior.Wish Obama could attend our Parliament every day

Indian Politics

Two stalwarts, both from Maharashtra, India have bitten the dust. Suresh Kalmadi of the Commonwealth Games fame and Ashok Chavan infamous for the Adarsh Society scam. Waiting for many more names to be added to it. But will that happen-its anybody's guess. In India justice to the public is often denied by all the estates. Our avarice knows no bound and we more often than not fall prey to our own greed