Panacea

One of my friends recently asked me “Is there any one solution to the entire problem India is facing?”

I retorted “EDUCATION”, he was shocked as he never expected me to reply so instantaneously, defying my own nature of pondering before speaking anything.

He replied “I believe education is not a solution but a tool to attain the solution”.

I asked him back “so what is the solution?”

He gave me an abstract answer. I was not convinced and I felt he too was unconvinced.

Later, I did ponder over his question. Is there any one solution to all the problem India is facing? In the sense, one idea to which every program/scheme of our various ministries can converge so that we can synergize all our efforts for better growth and more importantly sustainable social development.

After a long session of deep thinking, my answer remained same “EDUCATION”.

Quality Education can eradicate poverty. Education can provide awareness, to tackle problem of mal nutrition, can fight different kinds of mortality, and other diseases.

More importantly education can give ‘the feeble’ a voice of new age to place his ‘say’ in a better position to be heard.

Education can fight corruption as “If people willing to give perishes, people willing to take perishes”.

Education could enlighten people of their powers that constitution has conferred upon them.

Education could improve status of women, can mitigate gender inequality.

Education could open up new vistas of opportunities to the under-privileged, whence could improve their standard of living & family health.

Research oriented education can lead to innovation and other society-betterment findings, which can take India to the world.

Therefore, as India becomes land of new innovation and technology, production industry in India would prosper.

This can lead to capacity building in all sectors- importantly military, agriculture, power, electronics, infrastructure, steel etc.
Thereby we can export more complete competitive products & mitigate export- import trade imbalance.

And at home, Education leads to sustainable development.

Consequently, Education is one & only solution to the entire problem.

But then my alter ego confronted “it’s impossible to provide education to all the people, he he he, he laughed.”

I retorted “It is possible”

“Freaking! Quality education is expensive and majority of people are still poor” he said tauntingly.

I told him “they are all poor to afford quality education, but until they are educated, they will always remain poor”.
And, “Right to education is the silver lining”

He replied “Right to education is yet another right to corruption”.

I said ‘things would change, and this time people would not fail our constitution & education”.

He asked me “what change are you referring to? The government one after the other is playing the dirty game of cheap politics with their tainted cards.”

I kept quiet, did not reply, as I had nothing to say, for as he spoke the reality.

But then I told him” Education is the panacea for all problems”.

It has a ripple effect, you educate a man, and he would educate many. You educate a girl; you educate her & the entire generation to follow.

And, it’s true; this plant of education should have been planted 50 years before in our country, the second best time is now.

So, let’s understand the importance of education as the one & only solution.
And act prominently in this second best time, i.e. now.

Resolution, Revolution and Re-shuffle.

This is how world changed in the first month of the New Year.

Resolution
Is re-solution, you find solution to the worries of your life and take oath on a drunken (mostly) 31 st Dec night, to change your habits to alleviate your worries and make better your life.

So, into the end of January many have already given up the resolution and many still fighting, crawling, trying hard to move forward.

In here I would like to cite a scientific notion;It takes atleast 21 days for any habit to sink in and alteast a week more to show its results.

Revolution
Tunisian Revolution has come with such a surprise that, the entire world is stoned. The reason for such a reaction from the world community is that it was just common people, without any leader had over-thrown the monarch.

The king Ben-Ali had to run for his life, when agitators threatened to kill him. He flew away in his personal plane, interestingly, France refused shelter, and he finally found refuge in Saudi Arabia.

Its been understood that army had refused to fire at the revolutionaries, this enraged the king, he had dismissed the chief of army, but to ultimate vain.

Well, revolution in Tunisia has send shock waves through the spines of all the dictators in the neighborhood. I smell, democracy taking deep roots in Tunisia and prospect of further similar revolution in west Asia.

Re-shuffle
“Musical chair on the Moving ship” this is how a famous newspaper published the news of the latest re-shuffle of the council of ministers in UPA government.

There is no logic behind the move. Some say it was to pacify the various state congress where elections are scheduled to happen next year. Whereas, some say it was to remove the inept ministers, though not true because ministers doing well were also removed.

Some disgorge strident criticism on PM, only to prove them asinine, for the entire country knows he is just a handcuffed spectator.

It’s the congress president running the puppet show. What she needs to know is that its no point shuffling with the old cards, you need new cards to play the game in a new way.

WELL! THAT’S ENOUGH

I stared, agape, at the front page graphics of today's newspaper which illustrated yet another hike on petrol prices.

WHAT!! Double salvo hike in less than two months.

Amidst food inflation, this increase in price of petrol is definitely a bad omen for common people.

De-control is the name of the game. Well, Government felt pity for the oil companies and the allege burden of loss, that Government suddenly decided to de-control the price.

I had a belief that government was morally responsible to protect its people from the volatile international crude oil price fluctuations. These current developments tell me that I ‘m wrong.

I lament saying we are moving towards “no-governance”, if not bad governance.

“AAM AADMI” slogan will remain in the dustbin till next election.

And, worst is, this “AAM AADMI” would again vote these same people to power. It’s abysmally sad, and unfortunate that we are stuck between devil and deep sea.

With corruption, food inflation, petrol hike and rally of other scams, this country is definitely not looking forward, if solemn social and economic development is what we are seeking for. The country badly needs another revolution. Only time will say who leads and stands up to say” WELL, THAT’S ENOUGH” or may be as P.Sainath puts it, a change is possible not when sporadically individuals stand up to say that’s enough, but happens when ENOUGH PEOPLE TOGETHER STANDS UP TO SAY WELL!! THAT’S ENOUGH.

ESCAPIST

8:30 AM Saturday, 08.01.2011

Noida has been reeling under severe cold waves since few days. And, today it’s worse with dense fog, leading to Zero visibility.

I had a traumatic experience, when I made my usual walk for my office in the morning.
Crossing the road was dreadful. Thanks to that car driver who had switched on his headlights, otherwise I wouldn’t have been alive today to write this.

Well, it’s not a good starting to this year.

Firstly, company threatening to move all the people of my department to site, without any additional monetary benefits.

Secondly, my house owner gave me an ultimatum to move out of the house by the end of January. Freaking!!! He is coming back to stay in Noida. Sigh.

Thirdly, yesterday, my thought so Godfather in Reliance, my BOSS resigned. He said there is absolutely nothing left in the company, look for better grounds.

Lastly, in the last two years I haven’t gained any knowledge or value to make myself a potential employee for any company.

So, as world closes all the doors at me, I close my eyes to take a deep breath, to I pray, to keep faith in god, to give me strength & courage to keep me moving forward.

Sometimes, I wish I could detach myself from all these things and travel to a world of unknowns, & mysteries where tensions and worries are just past virtues, but then all the wishes are not fulfilled, right??.

But,I want to be an escapist.

My Karims Visit

My friend’s New Year resolution is to try all cuisines possible.

Whence & being a staunch non-vegetarian and also being in Delhi for so long , he couldn’t carry anymore of the insult of not eating at karims.

So, he slated to eat at karims near Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, after the visit to Book fair at Pragati Maidaan on the first day of the year and I adhered to his plan .

1st Jan 2011, Delhi still reeling under Cold wave, we put on our three layer protection and took off as planned. We were done with not-so-impressing (I felt last year’s was better) Book Fair by 2:30 and caught the next metro to Chandni chowk.


Well, metro rides are becoming so distressing & disgusting with the entire Delhi on metro all the time. It was suffocating ride.

But, then seeing the crowd and traffic in chandni chowk, I corrected myself as metro crowd of people was nothing to the multitude of people I saw there.
It was chaos all pervasive. We took a rickshaw to karims.

Initially I wondered how the rickshaw guy would drive through that commotion. However, what I experienced later changed my thinking altogether.

The deftness with which he drove startled me. He took the rickshaw through the “smallest gully “ I have ever seen.It was completely filled with swarms of people, small trolleys [carrying good to the shops], which were on the either sides of the lanes, bikes & mopeds all doing their circus to drive safely to the other end.

To me it looked a black hole and saw absolutely no option to get to the other end, it looked impossible. Conversely, the rickshaw guy thought "yes we can".

He took the rickshaw into this commotion and believe me, he drove through it without even halting the rickshaw even once I was dumbstruck. I looked at my friend, he looked dreaded.

Finally, we reached karims, I gave the rickshaw guy 40 bucks. As I gave him the money, an ounce of appreciation had blossomed in mind for him, for the skill he displayed, and with great awe I thanked him in my mind.

After, nearly 45 minutes of struggle to get a table, we had the highly praised karim’s delicacies.
My friend liked it, and I did not. However, my friend’s desire to eat at karims was fulfilled. So felt good about that.

The lane that comes out of karims, leads to main gate of Jama Masjid. As both of us had not visited this great mosque, we decided to have a inside tour of Masjid.

As rightly, described by all the historical and travel literature, it is a majestic structure. With reverence we toured through it.
We could see a guide-looking guy disgorging all the known English words to please a foreign group of tourists to earn his bread. Meanwhile, there was normal domestic crowd, couples, children and all sorts of people.

You could also get a glimpse of Red Fort from there. Again, I reminded my friend of our "many-times planned and failed" -Delhi Darshan. I have been here for more than 2 years & I’m yet to see Red fort, Qutab Minar & other must see places of visit of our capital. SAD, hmm... Sigh.

As we descended the large rocky steps of Jama Masjid, I could see the chaotic traffic picking up more commotion. But, this time I was not nervous, because I knew there would be some rickshawallah out there who would easily get us out.

We again hired a rickshaw, and this time it was more brutal traffic and art with which the rickshaw guy evaded everything to get us to chandni chowk metro is still prominent in my mind.

So, we reached the Metro station and again, huge swarms of people, but by now I became used to this rich profusion of people.

And, as we took a ride in the metro, back to our house, it was not the highly sought karim’s delicacies that was in my mind, but it was the adept rickshawallahs of Chadni chowk, the dynamic crowd & the streets shops selling all sorts of food and Jama Masjid that etched to my mind, like a motion picture.

That’s how my Karims trip on 1st of January this year ended; hope a long eventful year ahead.

Quantum Machine

“! @#$%^$&$%&#$&#&#%&$%&#$&$%&#%&$%&”- This was Quantum mechanics to me.


And, I never could build on any knowledge in the realm of quantum mechanics.

But then, when I read about the Science Breakthrough of the year- the quantum machine, I was catapulted to its black hole.

To a naked eye the machine, looked a very infinitesimally small hair like thing, but it’s actually a tiny metal paddle of semiconductor. This was coaxed to dance with a quantum groove.

Machine was brought down to lowest energy state possible and then quantum of energy was provided to it and it started vibrating in such a manner that its motion could be explained only by quantum mechanics.

Bizarre theory of possibility of being in two states, certainly abstruse to me.

No, this blog is not to explain quantum mechanics or specifically the quantum machine, but this blog is to pay my tribute to those brains behind this great accomplishment.

Physicist Andrew Cleland and John martinis from university of California & their colleagues are the ingenuity behind it.

So, in this New Year, I wish them all the vey best. I hope they go ahead in transforming their studies to attain greater success.
I also hope that their findings open up new vistas of research and development, for all in the scientific realm, for the betterment of science & society.

Artificial Scarcity

Onion is selling at 60 rupees per kg. Hard, believe it or not, it is a disturbing Reality and is true.

So, if it’s true, as rational being we should analyze why a sudden surge in price?

Our Moronic Agriculture Minister Mr Sharad Pawar, Put on a brave face by saying “it’s because of the un-expected rains that caused floods in onion producing areas, had hampered production”.

Ridiculous!! If you already knew this was coming why did’nt you take necessary steps to tackle the issue.This did not happen as this was not the real reason for the sudden surge, Sharad pawar was trying to fool the entire nation.

So, off goes the reasoning proclaimed by the Minister into the bin.

The fact of the matter is, the primary reason for this temporary aberration of prices is due to “Artificial Scarcity”, means it is artificially created.

This was caused because of undue hoarding of the commodity by the traders and other middle man involved and also due to illegal exports. Greed actuates these in-humane acts. But, again this is the grave reality in India and it’s the common people like us who suffer.
While we suffer, these traders benefit with huge margins.

Government has taken steps to crack down on the hoarding and to distribute inflated commodities through PDS system and state controlled stores at reasonable cost.

Well this has helped to some extent to stabilize the price, but a not for long. Because these commodities do not get distributed through PDS & other state run Stores for a long.

In short, greed, graft and clout govern our society.

Even, though reduction of supply and increase in fuel price has added to increase in price, this unseen sudden increase in prices of essential commodities, especially onion is undoubtedly is due to “Artificial Scarcity”.

Government is tackling the issue, to provide temporary relief. But the real underlying cause behind hoarding is embedded in the changing societal values and that is Greed. This animal instinct to gain everything, at the expense of fellow beings lives is all-pervasive in out society now.

CWG scam, 2-G scam, Adarsh housing scam, PF scam all re-iterate this conspicuous changing truth that we no longer value our fellow beings.

‘Humanity’ is eroding value in our society.

And, as we become more materialistic, we forget the true Culture of caring, compassion and respect.

Call of the hour is a Social Revolution or else we will be doomed under Scams, money laundering and Capitalism & more clearly Crony Capitalism.

And, the new phenomenon of “artificial scarcity” is just a harbinger of the Doomsday

Change needs to start, from you, to us and to the world. Let’s make this world a better place for living, as every life is important, so as yours.

6:36 PM, Wednesday,29th December 2010

Hmm.. I'm still in office, I’m still in Reliance When I Joined this company I had made up my mind to leave this company in one year, for I was so confident of clearing one of those management exams.

Freaking!!!.... it is going to be three years and I’m still here.

So many things have happened around me, Firstly, My Ex Project Director (PD), who made that motivational speech (when I had joined) & who looked so poised to finish that massive project in record time, himself resigned and joined another company.

Secondly, I had a transfer of department and project.

Thirdly, Most of my previous project colleagues joined other companies on better pay.

Lastly, Few of my juniors (who joined after me) are in better influential departments now. The illiterate HR to blame, they just randomly pick and drop people to anywhere. If you are lucky, you land in good departments under good boss.

I’m digressing, I realize….

And the fact of the matter is “I ‘m still in this drab place".

Initially, I wanted to prepare for Management exams, but then the noble man in me aroused. I was saddened and was empathized for under-privileged & starving people of society (This was way before reading those P.Sainath articles in Hindu) or may be because I connected with their stories better or felt something common running through me.

Suddenly, I made up mind to do something, which would help atleast some people come out of their sufferings. I understood being an IAS officer you can touch and change the lives of millions in our country.

And, decided to prepare for UPSC exam.

When you are intoxicated by the desire to achieve something, you are blind as you see only your goal & you fail to evaluate yourself whether you have sustainable qualities to attain your goals, at least an ounce of it.

And if you don’t evaluate yourself, you are bound to fall, if not fail

Well, the same thing happened with me.

I never read newspaper, never had an appetite for information gathering/ retaining. My knowledge of state/country/world affairs was as bad as Ishant Sharma’s batting or if you know shrecko (sreekanth my friend) then Its as bad as his hard thought PJ’s.

And, to make things worse, I was struggling to read content articles or books, hmm I realized my vocabulary is also bad, if not worse.

However, I pushed myself to conquer my dream and desire of transforming lives.

I joined a coaching class, chose two optional subjects, Public Administration and Sociology. I was sincere and attended all the classes, when most of students who came there felt the teachers were far from average, and their classes are too traditional and will never prepare us for the changing UPSC exam patterns- a year later I realised they were all right with their assumptions.

Hmm… I completed my coaching in around about 6 months.

I still remember my hectic days; I used to rush for my classes every day after office and then a late night journey back to my house at the other end of the city. I used to get back my 10:00.

After 6 months, slowly I started realizing that, it’s near to impossible for me to do this with a job and leaving the job was unthinkable.

But, then I carried forward. I tried putting together long studying hours, spasms of those were all fruitless. I never had a habit of studying. I always used to do my study at the last moment.

A temporary target was set, to inculcate a habit of studying and reading newspaper. I still remember reading those tough Hindu articles, it was like reading a dictionary. I got fed up referring to the dictionary for understanding every word and few days later, I gave up. Because, in the process of finding the meaning of words, I totally missed the essence of the articles.

In short, to attain primary targets, I had set up temporary targets. This slowly became my primary leading to other secondary targets. Fact of the matter was, when there are too many holes in the pot it is difficult to hold anything in it.

In short, I failed to inculcate any habits, required for the preparation of UPSC exam.

But, I was poised to give the exam.

Unfortunately, an SSB interview which coincided with my preliminary exam changed my plans. I was two minded on the issue. I went for the SSB Interview .Destiny failed me, this time in the form of Medical officer.

I did not qualify medically, knock Knees. Interestingly, I have been a sports person all my life. But you cannot tide over the laws of recruitment process, especially those of armed forces.

Dejected. Heavy blows, salvo double by UPSC and NAVY.

Back to reality, Back again in Reliance, a frustrating life, being idle was tough. It was more than a mental torture.

Worse part was, by now I had lost my passion or the inspiration to pursue my UPSC studies.

Life then looked dry, Bitter, lonely, wretched.

After 8 months from then my feelings remain the same.

My goal, from doing MBA to becoming an IAS officer all looks distant reality or just illusions.

I live alone now, don’t bother to study or prepare for any exam.

No aim, no targets, no worry, but still struggling to keep with the reality that” I live the life of a recluse”.

Only thing that hurts me now, is when, I have conversations with my parents, who thinks I’m in a first class Company at some respectable post & is earning good salary and is very satisfied. They just don’t know the reality or rather I have never let them know.

Their expectation of their son becoming a successful person pinches me more, as to me I in a deep bottomless PIT.

Life is the best teacher. One’s who acclimates to the reality faster, scores highest & reaches the acme.

How to make a "BOMB"??

Al Qaeda has come up with a Online Magazine. Interestingly, it has tips on HOW TO MAKE A BOMB …RIDICULOUS!. Are they calling for a “FINAL DESTRUCTIVE BATTLE”???

It is highly condemnable that Al Qaeda has come up with Magazine that promotes contents which support in spreading violence and hatred. By publishing ‘how to make a Bomb’ is definitely not justified from any dimension of spreading peace through information media. There might be people out there who might justify it as a act of support for the jihadist. Let me ask those people, can any religion justify killing of people, a heinous crime, a clear reflection of brutal violence in the name of justice. If all Gods preach for harmony, how can people justify violence in the name of justice and harmony? What they needs to understand is, there is nature’s theory which say’s no living being( including humans ) wants violence, blood shed and hate War. The more you try to de-stabilse the nature’s choice of harmony, with more force the nature will come down upon you and that day it will not give you any option to rectify your irrational actions committed. My earnest request to the publishers, please stop spreading violence, everyone has the right to live & every life is precious

FLABBERGASTED!!!

“

U.S. President Barack Obama’s plan to reconcile with the Taliban in Afghanistan ought to win him a second Nobel, although during the entire period between 1901 and 2009, a Peace Prize was never awarded twice to any of its 97 individual recipients. An exception of course can be made.

”

This is what one of the Article (China challenges Obama’s Taliban plan) in THE HINDU started reading like and went on to explain the new Strategy of the Obama Administration and “the” NATO forces in central Asia. I was absolutely startled and stunned, while my mind went blank with this new revelation by the Super power.

RECONCILIATION WITH TALIBAN??? Did I read it correctly? and I indeed read it correctly. This is ridiculous but logical to people in the west although while doing so they mock and satire the lives of those young nationals (including American) who laid their lives for the incessant American madness in Afghanistan over the years.

It will be a “Bizarre” if Obama goes forward with propounding the reconciliation plan. On what grounds can Obama support the move when they were justifying their military act against Taliban for the last several years? On the contrary this will overtly project to the entire world how U.S plays its card for their most selfish ways. On the furtherance, this reconciliation plan can be primarily attributed to America’s vested interest to contain China of its increasing influence in Central Asia and to thwart their aims of satisfying their energy needs from central Asia. Truly as the article explains India, Russia, and Pakistan are all jesters. The lesson India needs to understand is that today America have to contain China, and once that’s fulfilled then they will turn towards India. In short, at all times the rule is same U.S wants to remain as the Super Power, they just can’t accept any other Dominating Force. They will play the Pakistan card against India, India Card against China and like wise. The Big question is: Why does not our so called ‘Shrewd’ Politicians fail to understand this underlying fact???.

A Special Salute to M.K Bhadrakumar for coming up with such a wonderfully researched and highly sensible Article which projects the so called complicated scenario in “Central Asia” as simple as 6th standard physics so that even our Politicians can understand.