Got sumthin' to brag about....?

About a month back, I was just roaming around on the streets of Hyderabad when I saw some tricolors lying on the street...collected them and put 'em in my bag...standing by was a group of 2 -3 youngsters giggling...I asked to myself...was that the COMMON MAN laughing...I don't know but I just hoped my responsible actions acted positively on them....now that's something to brag about..Moving on....
What really bothers me a great deal these days is the ever increasing violence in our country be it Malegaon,Assam, Gujarat and even Delhi! and the frequency of it has been astounding..and what bothers me even more is lukewarm response of the leadership at the highest level to this fiasco...and the accusation of unworthy saints like Pragya,VHP leaders,senior army personnel(Malegaon blasts) and now the tacit political approval of the same by BJP leaders is like adding insult to injury and leaves us with only one screaming question...what in GOD'S NAME are these people doing.???..Planting bombs to kill innocent INDIAN civilians and how does camera-shy MANMOHAN Singh or sweaty palms SHIVRAJ Patil respond to this...setting up meetings to give a set of guidelines for every situation or issuing regret statements just in time,which they can brag about during elections!!!...One thing I would like to clarify after mentioning Prime Minister's name is that he's not totally at fault because most of the serial blasts had been planned out of Pakistan's frustration over INDIA's makeover at the world level which(PAKISTAN) by-the-way is out of ideas how to deal with the imploding extremist organisations (which it has fed and incubated over the years), of course, because of its war on terror with the US. BUT it does point out at serious Intelligence lapse ..Sitting in the bus I got this vague idea of how easy it had become to gerrymander this secular country on the very grounds which differentiate us from PAKISTAN(and because of which SHEIKH ABDULLAH,the charismatic Kashmiri leader wanted JAMMU & KASHMIR to be a part of INDIA)...and if you ponder over it for a while,I bet you and I won't differ..but as I discussed earlier in my " INDIA: A SECULAR STATE" blog,the reasons are not hard to find...WHAT WE NEED IS CHANGE...as US PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA rightly pointed out to and won ...Its not that we don't know the reasons...the real fact is that we are the common man and the common man is gullible...he won't go beyond what can be seen and when he does CORRUPTION goes down(Price Waterhouse Coopers - due to Right to Information Act ).BUT the CHANGE in mentality, in sentiments,in education and all ways in which it can be...is to inspire the common man and it always took a leader to inspire which unfortunately are extremely numbered in today's times...Leaders like BARACK OBAMA have that power..these are charismatic leaders like YASSER ARAFAT, DALAI LAMA,MAHATMA GANDHI...VLADIMIR PUTIN,HUGO CHAVEZ...if you are searching for fresh examples...now that would be something to brag about...not the figures of how many muslims slain and the numbers in response......Well educated/well read LEADERS and NOT puppets are a must...Leaders with positive energy can change a lot as we have seen in the past and "history always teaches us,it is we who never learn from it"...ALSO, I would love to see the INDIAN MEDIA come up with some positive picture and not just the grim ones so that common man gets cloyed with NATIONALISM AND SECULARISM and start taking PRIDE in being INDIAN.

I've walked the distance, I paid my dues and

tried to have a go at what I thought I knew was real, heldno appeal

I've been to places, I've seen the tidings,

I bought a book of rules for every coin that I could steal

And so I came to gaze upon the stars, when they were yet unborn

And consequently, tear at my old scars, and the mask I had outworn

So when I'm crying alone

Yeah, when I'm cold as a dying stone

Grow me a garden of roses

Paint me the colors of sky and rain

Teach me to speak with their voices

Show me the way and I'll try again

I've heard the rumors, started fires, I sowed a sordid lot of

plays for keeps for what I need, behold

the demons that I freed

I've tried my best at wearing the hard hat,

but healing doesn't seem to happen when you hide away theseed

And so I came across the medicine man, and he showed me what I'd forlorn

For if I'm stayed it happens by my own hand,

and my own voice full of scorn

So when I'm crying alone

Yeah, when I'm cold as a dying stone

Grow me a garden of roses

Paint me the colors of sky and rain

Teach me to speak with their voices

Show me the way and I'll try again

Without you I'm nothing at all

And life has the face of a morbid game

With you nothing seems impossible

It all seems to fit the frame

So when I'm crying alone

Yeah, when I'm cold as a dying stone

Grow me a garden of roses

Paint me the colors of sky and rain

Teach me to speak with their voices

Show me the way and I'll try again

A New World Order?

There's been a lot of talk about the recession of U.S. economy of late...and that of a new Political scenario worldwide...To what extent do the two hold their ground in reality is debatable but that it is happening...is not.A weakening U.S. dollar and strengthening of other currencies pegged against it is seen, as the garangutan consumer faces challenges from across the globe...globalisation and hence cheaper and economical means being the reason...Alongside stands its Sub-Prime mortgage crisis which potentially broke down bull's back in all economies of scale..an example is the engulfment of Bears Stearns by JP Morgan Chase...former being a strong player and a strong contender in good times sold at a meagre 240 mn$...General Motors which showed more profits than Exxon, the oil major, in the 80's(!) suffered huge monetary blows and lost the no. 1 spot to Japanese major Toyota recently...Moving Eastwards the Euro is Strong but they face a major energy crisis and who's come to the rescue??the former Communists, Russia of course....With huge Gas reserves and a promising gas pipeline linking Europe...no guesses over who's going to call the shots in future...and the Russians are getting active again, politically,more importantly..threatening U.S. of recognising Ossetia and another state if Kosovo meets Western acceptance and also gave huge blows to US after talk of setting up missile set ups on the backdoor of the emerging mammoth...and the Roulbe's growing strong too....leave INDIA out and add the dragon to the scenario and you get the new big picture...Russia and China setting up SCO(Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) and the Russia centric CSTO(tends to be NATO of the east with time)...With a booming Economy and an active political set up (minus the collision course stubbornness of the US), China has the potential to make it to the top..Russia has evrything already,thanks to Putin and his successor Medvedev...having said that, the Europeans are now struggling on 2 weak legs -- one of energy crisis and the other of breaking up of new countries (non- togetherness, as one can put it) and is slowly standing up to it...Africa stands in its AIDS, crime, civil war and poverty driven BUT energy rich resources(luring US and China etc. as future suppliers, with latter having better stands ,politically)...But my take would be...don't count the Americans out ...they still have hidden cards in the form of Fed Bank's control of Dollar and a strong CIA...just a matter of an year when the govt. changes...so may the political see-saw...but amidst all this speculation...one thing's for sure...US economy is much weaker than it was a decade or two ago...and the east is now stronger than ever before..and there's a shift in all senses( power,economic, political etc.)..and the shift is VISIBLE...so don't shake ur head if trading starts in Euro but the Russians rule the roost (or in Rouble itself!)..or the Chinese dictate the east by their financial muscle and low tone voice...Wait and watch .....Phoenix is back from ashes...

bc-op-ed--the extremes of Abject boredom

i write this bc article on a day that i want to do it but no 1s around..tap is dripping in the bathroom...internet and ethernet display is blinking...fan is moving slowly making little creechy sound AND SUDDENLY...SOMEONE KNOCKS THE DOOR...damn it dat wz just my imagination....i hope u can feel the boredom..its 1f those days dat life runs like a luna on full speed when u want a pulsar ...whatever the case be..its been many hours since aiv seen a human face..and now aim fearing if aim the last man on earth...no point in continuing writing but aiv promised myself aid stop writing wen this tap stops dripping...but my gut feeling tells me it wont happen this evening...its dripping....dripping....damn...this is the most boring thing aiv ever written alter ego is telling me...but anyways i have apromise 2 keep...so u r stuck i guess..hmm. putin,bush,..what bout em..they'd b enjoying meals...and damn this dripping tap...dropping bombs sumwhere..at least they'd active 2day...may be i should go out and look at stars or girls 4 time pass..its better than waiting 4 a knock...sum sound outside the door has pacified my fears of the last man on earth thing....some1 rang the bell...wait...damn...41 Rs is maintenance bill of your house...wud sum1 get this tap fixed so that my life can move forward...okk...i break the promise..YES,i am goin 2 turn the tap off and the fan..go out and meet with other earthlings...what are u doin here...go and do some work...dont bore me further...shoo......

Pakistan's Politics: Indelible scar on the face of Democracy

Showing in a Political Theatre in your neighboring country , the decelerating political scenario that threatens to recede the recuperating country and fetter it back,tightlly but in veil, into abyss of Army rule,yet again. The Pakistan aawam never saw a stable democracy and its politics has been a smorgasboard of Martial laws,Legal Framework Orders,Referndums & Constitutional amendments to vest the interests of opportunistic Leaders.Looking back in time its politics woefully smugs juggling of Constitution & the Judiciary with force.

Malik Feroz Khan Noon, the last in the line of Prime Ministers under the first President Iskander Mirza & leader of the Republican group in the National Assembly, came to power by forging an alliance with five different political groups, Awami League, National Awami Party, Krishak Sramik Party, National Congress and the Scheduled Caste Federation.The Noon Cabinet was fortunate to have the support of the Bengali and Punjabi group of politicians, reaching an accord between them for the first time.

President Iskander Mirza was distressed by the alliance of Suhrawardy(Awami League) and Noon. He not only felt a serious threat to his office but also perceived that he had lost his grip over the politicians.At midnight between October 7 and 8, 1958, the President of Pakistan abrogated the Constitution and imposed Martial Law(under General Ayub Khan) ,bringing an end to the term of Noon, which lasted for less than a year.Events after that saw General Yahya Khan who on March 29, 1970, through an Ordinance, presented an interim Constitution, the Legal Framework Order.After stepping down of Ayub Khan,Army Chief Yahya Khan held Pakistan's first elections in December 1970.

The Awami League, under Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, swept 160/162 seats allocated to East Pakistan. However, the party failed to get even a single seat from any province of the Western Wing while Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the single largest party from Punjab and Sindh and managed to win 81 National Assembly seats, all from the Western wing.Both of them failed to reach an agreement regarding Head of State and use of army & paramilitary forces in East Pakistan led to a lost War with India in winter of 1971 and capturing of 90,000 soldiers(followed by The Simla Agreement,1972). Z.A.Bhutto became the first Democratically elected Prime minister.Coming years saw the rise of General Zia-ul-Haq(who allegedy got Z.A. Bhutto hanged). His death in 1988 lead to a pardigm shift to Democracy under Pakistan's first Woman leader Benzir Bhutto('88,'93) & a see-saw of power with Nawaz Sharif('90,'97)followed.Nawaz Sharif's 2nd tenure emboldened Pakistan's stand as a Nuclear power in May,1998. It was under the leadership of these two that the Terrorist acts against India were given Green signal.

After declaration of emergency,the day Pakistan carried out nuclear tests,Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif proposed amendments to The Constitution.The 15th Amendment allegedly made him more Powerful which led to his confrotation with Military following the resignation of General Jehangir Karamat on October 7, 1998 who was replaced by General Pervez Musharraf. The Kargil Operation further intensified the already weathered relations between the two which ultimately led to a bloodless coup by General Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999 and what followed is anything but a Democratic process.In June 2001, the Kamal Ataturk 's follower took charge of Pakistan officially becoming the President on June 20, 2001.Post 9/11 saw his rise as an avid fighter against the so called WAR ON TERROR on the International scenario.In order to legitimize and legalize his rule, General Pervez Busharraf held a referendum on April 30, 2002 thereby elected as President of Pakistan for duration of five years in agreement with MMA(Muttahida-Majlis-e-Amal) & avoided the question of leaving the Army uniform by Dec,2004 , time & again (as under the agreement).LFO, 2002 empowered the President to sack the prime minister, dissolve parliament and also recognize him as both head of the army and head of the state.Musharraf got the vote of confidence from both the Parliament & Four Provincial assemblies Musharraf got the right to hold office till 2007 .

Now, his two terms are over and quite thoughtfully under the pressuire from its "tight" Western ally (as Bush puts it) has agreed to take his Uniform off.Now the fact is that B(Musharraf minus uniform can contest 2 more terms( as a civilian) in the proposed 1st week of January.

The recall of Benazir Bhutto & formation of National Reconciliation Alliance(NRO) made Pakistani aawam scratch there heads in earlier one or 2 months with PPP leader Bhutto giving hints of a sophomoric agreement & Musharraf's plans of dropping all charges against her but that surely has evaporated.Recall of Nawaz Sharif by Justice Iftikaar Choudhary was the last nail in Musharraf's coffin(declaring his deportation as contempt of court) and sent him mounting off to declare EMERGENCY (or Martial Law,whatever it may be).It will be interesting to see what follows as Musharraf continues to hold the offices of Chief of Army Staff, and Chief of the Staff Committee.

Being an avid reader, Musharraf is well versed in Military History, his favorite subject but I guess he will stay long enough in Pakistan's politics to change it for good.

Field Marshall Ayub Khan: The Starter

General Yahya Khan :Held elections but mishandled East Pakistan situation leading to Separation

The Past & the Future:Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-Chequered Fate ; Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with PakPresident Z.A.Bhutto's daughter Benazir Bhutto at Simla.

General Zia-ul-Haq:Portraying despotism

Pakistan:A Nuclear Power,May 1998
(Site of explosions)

Careful,this one's for you: Bloodless coup followed

MY INDIA!!!!

INDIA -- A Secular State?

In this section I will address issues which may be contentious and our dormant sub-conscious asks us daily but we tend to ignore them(I do not intend to hurt public sentiments in any ways)

Is INDIA really secular??ask urself!

What is meaning of secular--"not subject to or bound by religious rule" as OED says.Now read between the words.Not subject or bound????.Where does MY INDIA stand on such a rostrum?Where is MY INDIA heading this forth from this precarious situation??

I see blasts once a week..in different and surprisingly ...even in dormant STATES

Lets go in retrospect,at times when there was one INDIA and no modern day dirty politics was there.How did our ancestors live together in such cultural diversity??A politician or a fundamentalist would argue "Divisions in the society has been prevalent since times immemorial "

statement is correct and straight...But let me put a story in front of you...

Once a person who was penchant towards weed ...sent a letter to a saint addressing

"Dear Sir,

Hello,I want to ask you a basic question.WHY DID GOD CREATE WEED & BOOZE If HE WANTED ALL HIS PEOPLE TO BE SACRED AND FREE OF BAD HABITS?"

pretty simple and straight question and both you and me would pander to it and endorse it whole-heartdly because we want to drink and do smack...a proclivity because of Media hype and natural inclination to try new things I suppose...

THE ANSWER FROM SAINT " YOU FOOL, GOD HAS CREATED FLOWERS AND BEES,GRAIN AND MILLIONS OF FRUITS,VEGETABLES,SWEETS...EVER THOUGHT OF THAT..YOUR MIND HAS BEEN TAINTED BY YOUR FILTHY DESIRES..THATS WHY YOU CAN'T SEE THE EVIDENT GOOD AND FOCUS ON EVIL FORCES "

Truly fits in the current situation...like LOCK & KEY....

I vaguely remember words from THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE "The mind sees what it wants to see".Herein lies the problem and the solution.

Now this Mr. Politician or Fundamentalist has one problem..he doesn't have job..but he's good at influencing people..So what he does is he makes a list....

A) WHICH COMMUNITY IS MINOR AND WHICH IS MAJOR??

B) How many people are in the total number whose MIND CAN SEE WHAT I WANT THEM TO....for my own benefit ..of course(HOT TOPIC IN PARTY MEETINGS)

C) How many people are there who were hurt physically,emotionally or in monetary sense by earlier such incidents which I am going to provoke?

The list is ready...and now these people implement action plans with full vigor by either waiting for such contentious issues to heat up or smarter one like ADVANI would create such situations by delivering provocative statements trenchantly packed to spark public sentiments of either communities(whicheve direction is beneficial).Active people know the facts and figures,the motive behind two-sided statements but the passive ones pander to it & are drawn by pluralistic forces to conspire in such acts against humanity.

Politics always had & will continue to have an active role to play in such incidents(be it in Punjab or in case of Ram mandir/Babri masjid,Godhra/Gujarat) as their sole aim is to get POWER & a GOOD JOB which is difficult to get through hard-work.Thus they gerrymander human thoughts & mind for their own benefit, leave the society and the common man in sorry state unless it helps them in anyways.Otherwise NO COMMENTS,Party is seriously considering what to do etc...etc...

At the end of it all,we'll have to ponder over seriously(as we have to carry forward this mindset to our future generations) that what is more important...Religion or Humanity..One must not challenge religion as it gives you great strength but it too preaches HUMANITY as the one & only solution..I think the latter should get more preference as to dilute contamination from a solution you need to mix the desired solution (secular society) with a suitable buffer(of humanity) to dilute the contamination(fundamentalist,neocon & pluralistic forces) so that it becomes negligible.(I would be stupid to say that old wounds should not hurt or they do not...but learning from accidents only can make you safe in future...am I wrong???)Only then a SECULAR state will emerge which will need proper care and thoughtful direction from time-to-time or else "all things are heading towards entropy"

chek it out ,man...

check out this cool option at www.history.com , the official website of history channel.you can check out special incident happened in history to this day or your birthday..really cool try it