मन अपनी ही धुन से चलता
पल पल ह्रदय अग्नि मैं जलता
देख देख कर हाहाकार ..
क्रंदन करती करुण पुकार ..
जीने की अभिलाषा से भी
तीव्र लालसा थी मरने की ..
प्रण प्राणों का कण कण अपना
न्योछावर तुझपर करने की ..
उस योगी ने जन्मदायनी को
यूँ कह दे दिया दिलासा ..
माँ तुझसे भी बड़ी आज है
मुझसे भारत माँ की आशा ..
धीर वीर था और दृढ व्रती
वो नियमो का पालक था ..
बोता था बन्दूक खेत मैं
जब नन्हा सा बालक था ..
छोड़ दिया घर -बार सभी कुछ ..
निकल पड़ा था राहों पर ..
आग निकल उसकी वाणी से
धधक उठी चौराहों पर
चूम लिया उसने यूँ फंदा
पहना हो जो हार प्रिये से
मरकर ऐसा अमर हो गया
क्या मिलता संसार जिए से ..
जब लेते है साँस हवा मैं
तब तब याद तुम्हें करते हैं ..
"भगत सिंह" तुम अमर रहोगे..
तुम से वीर कहाँ मरते हैं …
जब जब भी शोषण के खिलाफ
उठेंगे किंचिद, कोई हाथ ..
तब तब गूंजेगा मन्त्र फिर वही..
इन्कलाब जिंदाबाद..
इन्कलाब जिंदाबाद..
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Who is a Naxalite?
Yes, I am in shock. I am not able to come out of yesterday’s incident where a bunch of goons kidnapped 4 Bihar policemen & killed one brave man today. I am not able to understand who is a Naxalite or a Maoist or these so called who are fighting for equality/justice. They claim they are not bad citizen turning to crime; they are good citizen fighting for justice and equality. They talk about bringing revolution, changing life of poor and suppressed.
But what are they doing? Killing innocent people, not allowing development work and trying to get power at any cost. Killing innocents will never bring any revolution. They are doing all this from support of China and ISI. Even Kanu Sanyal had publicly declared on several occasions that he was receiving some kind of support from the Chinese government.
The Naxalites have a force of approximately 15,000 cadres spread across 160 districts in the states of Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. They operate primarily in the lawless, dense forested areas of India’s interior, with some estimates saying Naxalites control approximately 10.03 million hectares (about 25 million acres) of forests nationwide. They also have an active campaign to recruit students and other youths to help spread their left-wing extremism into India’s towns and cities. Can’t they own the development work in those areas instead of killing government officials? Can’t these 15000 cadres bring change they want to see in their society? Can’t these revolutionaries educate local people to elect a government who work for them? Obviously they can but they will never do so because it will hamper their own desire for power. These maoist are no different from our corrupt politicians who only know how to suck blood of a common man. They are just looking for political power to implement their own agenda.
It is also a shame on our political system. Indian politicians may be the most corrupt and shameless of all countries. Even in some of the poorest African nations, the condition of the people is better than those in the hinterland in many naxal affected states. The biggest problem aggravating naxalism is the mining mafia which wants to control most of the forest areas and they displace the poorest of the poor from their last shelter....why the state governments failed to bring development into far flung areas in their states in more than 60 years after our independence. Failure of the political system to deliver even basic requirements is the root cause for all these problems if not naxals, so other form of rebellion would have occurred in these areas.
Though India has several paramilitary organizations whose sole focus is combating Naxalites, security personnel are in poor condition to tackle the menace. Many junior and midlevel police officers are severely demoralized and frustrated by overly confident senior officials and policymakers who cannot cut through India’s bureaucracy and coordinate across state lines against the Naxalites. This lack of coordination also largely results from law-and-order issues falling under exclusive control of the state governments.
Politicians should study how a state like Kerala which had a strong naxal movement in the 60's & 70's almost wiped off the problem.Even in remote forest areas, one can see a dispensary, a school and other basis services which cater to the needs of the people.No wonder, Kerala achieved full literacy and most people can read and write and this enables them to know of their rights and demand it and a vibrant media keeps a watchful eye on even small problems and forces the government to act.
Killing innocent people will never ever bring any change. Make politicians accountable by educating janta
Jai Hind Jai Bharat.
But what are they doing? Killing innocent people, not allowing development work and trying to get power at any cost. Killing innocents will never bring any revolution. They are doing all this from support of China and ISI. Even Kanu Sanyal had publicly declared on several occasions that he was receiving some kind of support from the Chinese government.
The Naxalites have a force of approximately 15,000 cadres spread across 160 districts in the states of Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. They operate primarily in the lawless, dense forested areas of India’s interior, with some estimates saying Naxalites control approximately 10.03 million hectares (about 25 million acres) of forests nationwide. They also have an active campaign to recruit students and other youths to help spread their left-wing extremism into India’s towns and cities. Can’t they own the development work in those areas instead of killing government officials? Can’t these 15000 cadres bring change they want to see in their society? Can’t these revolutionaries educate local people to elect a government who work for them? Obviously they can but they will never do so because it will hamper their own desire for power. These maoist are no different from our corrupt politicians who only know how to suck blood of a common man. They are just looking for political power to implement their own agenda.
It is also a shame on our political system. Indian politicians may be the most corrupt and shameless of all countries. Even in some of the poorest African nations, the condition of the people is better than those in the hinterland in many naxal affected states. The biggest problem aggravating naxalism is the mining mafia which wants to control most of the forest areas and they displace the poorest of the poor from their last shelter....why the state governments failed to bring development into far flung areas in their states in more than 60 years after our independence. Failure of the political system to deliver even basic requirements is the root cause for all these problems if not naxals, so other form of rebellion would have occurred in these areas.
Though India has several paramilitary organizations whose sole focus is combating Naxalites, security personnel are in poor condition to tackle the menace. Many junior and midlevel police officers are severely demoralized and frustrated by overly confident senior officials and policymakers who cannot cut through India’s bureaucracy and coordinate across state lines against the Naxalites. This lack of coordination also largely results from law-and-order issues falling under exclusive control of the state governments.
Politicians should study how a state like Kerala which had a strong naxal movement in the 60's & 70's almost wiped off the problem.Even in remote forest areas, one can see a dispensary, a school and other basis services which cater to the needs of the people.No wonder, Kerala achieved full literacy and most people can read and write and this enables them to know of their rights and demand it and a vibrant media keeps a watchful eye on even small problems and forces the government to act.
Killing innocent people will never ever bring any change. Make politicians accountable by educating janta
Jai Hind Jai Bharat.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Teflon Mr Pawar
The "breaking news'' on TV was flashing Sharad Pawar's appointment as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) when my wife came and whacked me on the head with the shopping bag. As I almost fell off the chair, she screamed, "French beans Rs 100 a kg, green peas at Rs 160 a kg, dal Rs 100 a kg. Does he now expect us to eat cricket balls?'' she vented her frustration at India's agriculture minister, whose wide grin seemed somehow larger on the 37-inch LCD.
Surely, Pawarsaheb understands the travails of the common man, I assured her. After all, hasn't he already approached the Prime Minister to relieve him of some of his ministerial duties now that he has more weighty issues to worry about -- like world cricket. The Maratha leader with a strong political base in the farming community knows a thing or two about crop patterns and food-grain prices. And as a farmer himself, Pawar ‘worships’ land (and not necessarily the agricultural kind).
The Mr Teflon of Indian politics has had a long and often controversial association with matters pertaining to real estate. Those who tried to stick charges against him found the going tough. Like the former deputy commissioner of Mumbai's municipal corporation, G R Khairnar, who soon found himself suspended after leveling serious charges of corruption against Pawar, who was then Maharashtra's powerful chief minister in the mid-1990s. (The truckload of evidence that Khairnar had promised to produce never came, although the allegations saw the Congress government lose power in the state.)
If Pawar's current tenure as Union agriculture minister has left the Congress squirming (the alleged wheat scam that took place under his tutelage and rising foodgrain prices), his earlier avatar as Maharashtra's chief minister in the late 1980s witnessed a humungous 'land dereservation scam' in Mumbai. As many as 285 plots earmarked for various public amenities like parks, gardens, schools, hospitals and markets were dereserved by the Pawar government, leading to a major public uproar and charges of nepotism against the chief minister. The plots were to be parcelled off to builders for commercial exploitation. This was perhaps Pawar's first major brush with Mumbai's lucrative real estate and land deals. But more were to follow. When he was defence minister in the Narasihma Rao government, there was an audacious move to exploit the sprawling cantonment land in Pune for commercial purposes. Fortunately, it was nixed after the Army strongly opposed it.
Within Mumbai's building industry and in the corridors of power, Pawarsaheb's proximity to some developers and mega-projects is something that is widely spoken of. Among the most talked about connections is that with Lavasa, touted as India's most ambitious lake city complex up near Pune. Pawar's son-in-law, Sadanand Sule, had at one point in time held redeemable preference shares of Lavasa Corporation. Subsequently, the Sules got out of the project, but tongues still continued to wag despite strong denials about the family's involvement.
However, the latest revelation exposed Pawar's direct link with the Pune-based City Corporation -- his family hold a 16% stake in the construction company controlled by his close aide Aniruddha Deshpande. Interestingly, in 2007 the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, of which Pawar's NCP is a junior partner, came up with an innovative Special Township Policy. Not surprisingly, the first project to be approved by the government was the 400-acre Amanora Park township in Pune, which is promoted by none other than City Corporation. In Mumbai, the 5,500 acres of eco-sensitive salt pan lands are already seen having a huge real estate development potential despite vociferous protests by environmentalists. And guess who heads the group of ministers examining the unlocking of salt pan lands for commercial exploitation! The Teflon Mr Pawar himself.
By : Nauzer K Bharucha, 07 July 2010, 10:35 AM IST
Nauzer K Bharucha is a senior assistant editor at The Times of India in Mumbai and has been with the Times Group for close to two decades. He has been a hardcore reporter with a ringside view of the functioning of the government and its various agencies. He has exposed a number of scams mainly involving public land and award of multi-crore civic projects. He currently covers the real estate beat, issues pertaining to urban development and environment.
Surely, Pawarsaheb understands the travails of the common man, I assured her. After all, hasn't he already approached the Prime Minister to relieve him of some of his ministerial duties now that he has more weighty issues to worry about -- like world cricket. The Maratha leader with a strong political base in the farming community knows a thing or two about crop patterns and food-grain prices. And as a farmer himself, Pawar ‘worships’ land (and not necessarily the agricultural kind).
The Mr Teflon of Indian politics has had a long and often controversial association with matters pertaining to real estate. Those who tried to stick charges against him found the going tough. Like the former deputy commissioner of Mumbai's municipal corporation, G R Khairnar, who soon found himself suspended after leveling serious charges of corruption against Pawar, who was then Maharashtra's powerful chief minister in the mid-1990s. (The truckload of evidence that Khairnar had promised to produce never came, although the allegations saw the Congress government lose power in the state.)
If Pawar's current tenure as Union agriculture minister has left the Congress squirming (the alleged wheat scam that took place under his tutelage and rising foodgrain prices), his earlier avatar as Maharashtra's chief minister in the late 1980s witnessed a humungous 'land dereservation scam' in Mumbai. As many as 285 plots earmarked for various public amenities like parks, gardens, schools, hospitals and markets were dereserved by the Pawar government, leading to a major public uproar and charges of nepotism against the chief minister. The plots were to be parcelled off to builders for commercial exploitation. This was perhaps Pawar's first major brush with Mumbai's lucrative real estate and land deals. But more were to follow. When he was defence minister in the Narasihma Rao government, there was an audacious move to exploit the sprawling cantonment land in Pune for commercial purposes. Fortunately, it was nixed after the Army strongly opposed it.
Within Mumbai's building industry and in the corridors of power, Pawarsaheb's proximity to some developers and mega-projects is something that is widely spoken of. Among the most talked about connections is that with Lavasa, touted as India's most ambitious lake city complex up near Pune. Pawar's son-in-law, Sadanand Sule, had at one point in time held redeemable preference shares of Lavasa Corporation. Subsequently, the Sules got out of the project, but tongues still continued to wag despite strong denials about the family's involvement.
However, the latest revelation exposed Pawar's direct link with the Pune-based City Corporation -- his family hold a 16% stake in the construction company controlled by his close aide Aniruddha Deshpande. Interestingly, in 2007 the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, of which Pawar's NCP is a junior partner, came up with an innovative Special Township Policy. Not surprisingly, the first project to be approved by the government was the 400-acre Amanora Park township in Pune, which is promoted by none other than City Corporation. In Mumbai, the 5,500 acres of eco-sensitive salt pan lands are already seen having a huge real estate development potential despite vociferous protests by environmentalists. And guess who heads the group of ministers examining the unlocking of salt pan lands for commercial exploitation! The Teflon Mr Pawar himself.
By : Nauzer K Bharucha, 07 July 2010, 10:35 AM IST
Nauzer K Bharucha is a senior assistant editor at The Times of India in Mumbai and has been with the Times Group for close to two decades. He has been a hardcore reporter with a ringside view of the functioning of the government and its various agencies. He has exposed a number of scams mainly involving public land and award of multi-crore civic projects. He currently covers the real estate beat, issues pertaining to urban development and environment.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Two India
We live in two India side by side. For citizens of first India, Economy is growing at 8% p.a., Sensex is touching sky high, Multiplexes and posh offices are sprawling everywhere and roads are being flooded with cars. For citizens of second India, things are still very much the same even after 60 years of independence. Making both ends meet still remains a challenge for them. They don't know if their future will ever change.
The first India is making progress in leaps and bounds in the global economy, especially with the outsourcing boom. The second India still lacks access to basic facilities and education. The first India is ebullient with optimism and hope, looking towards the future. The second India doesn't know what the future will be like.
The children of the first India are reaping the benefits of education. They go to English Medium Schools and then to colleges to become graduates, engineers, doctors, MBAs etc. The children of the second India have never seen the doors of school. They are more busy in working as child laborers for their survival.
The youth of the first India is a confident person knowing he/she has to make a mark in his/her career. Work Hard, Party Harder has become a common tag-line for him/her. The youth of second India is a person not sure of how he can move ahead in life. Since his parents couldn't send him to school, he has to rely on earning through subservient means. He might be having an aptitude of an IITian but which goes untapped working as a daily wage earner.
The question that lies ahead is will the "First India" and the "Second India" are always going to be apart??
Or may be sometimes in future we can say that we live in "One India". Where every child has an opportunity to go to school and get education. Where everyone has an opportunity to succeed in life. Where the poor are not trapped in vicious cycle of poverty; the children not going to school since their parents are not able to earn enough and this might repeat for the next generation and so on.
But just dreaming that things will get better won't bring any change. Waiting and hoping that trickle-down economy will work on its own won't help. SOMEONE has to bring the change and rather a bit quickly. We all have seen the efficiency of Government plans and policies. As citizens of India, especially we the youth have an excellent opportunity to change things around us. Each one of us can bring the change at least in some way.
We all have a CHOICE. Whether to ignore our surroundings and just to focus on our own progress or to come forward and making a difference in the life of at least one underprivileged individual along with our own progress. Whether to blame the system and the government or taking charge of the situation.
We have a CHOICE. Whether we want to live in an India which ranks 127 in Human Development Index among 177 countries. (The human development index (HDI) focuses on three measurable dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life, being educated and having a decent standard of living. Thus it combines measures of life expectancy, school enrollment, literacy and income to allow a broader view of a country’s development than does income alone.) Source: http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_IND.html). Or whether we want to see a much more developed India from where it is standing right now.
The question is whether we shrug off all this saying it is not our responsibility as an Individual or whether we come forward to do whatever we can in our capacity wherever we may be.
Talk to me if you think i am talking sense and you are really interested in making some change in your surroundings.
The first India is making progress in leaps and bounds in the global economy, especially with the outsourcing boom. The second India still lacks access to basic facilities and education. The first India is ebullient with optimism and hope, looking towards the future. The second India doesn't know what the future will be like.
The children of the first India are reaping the benefits of education. They go to English Medium Schools and then to colleges to become graduates, engineers, doctors, MBAs etc. The children of the second India have never seen the doors of school. They are more busy in working as child laborers for their survival.
The youth of the first India is a confident person knowing he/she has to make a mark in his/her career. Work Hard, Party Harder has become a common tag-line for him/her. The youth of second India is a person not sure of how he can move ahead in life. Since his parents couldn't send him to school, he has to rely on earning through subservient means. He might be having an aptitude of an IITian but which goes untapped working as a daily wage earner.
The question that lies ahead is will the "First India" and the "Second India" are always going to be apart??
Or may be sometimes in future we can say that we live in "One India". Where every child has an opportunity to go to school and get education. Where everyone has an opportunity to succeed in life. Where the poor are not trapped in vicious cycle of poverty; the children not going to school since their parents are not able to earn enough and this might repeat for the next generation and so on.
But just dreaming that things will get better won't bring any change. Waiting and hoping that trickle-down economy will work on its own won't help. SOMEONE has to bring the change and rather a bit quickly. We all have seen the efficiency of Government plans and policies. As citizens of India, especially we the youth have an excellent opportunity to change things around us. Each one of us can bring the change at least in some way.
We all have a CHOICE. Whether to ignore our surroundings and just to focus on our own progress or to come forward and making a difference in the life of at least one underprivileged individual along with our own progress. Whether to blame the system and the government or taking charge of the situation.
We have a CHOICE. Whether we want to live in an India which ranks 127 in Human Development Index among 177 countries. (The human development index (HDI) focuses on three measurable dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life, being educated and having a decent standard of living. Thus it combines measures of life expectancy, school enrollment, literacy and income to allow a broader view of a country’s development than does income alone.) Source: http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_IND.html). Or whether we want to see a much more developed India from where it is standing right now.
The question is whether we shrug off all this saying it is not our responsibility as an Individual or whether we come forward to do whatever we can in our capacity wherever we may be.
Talk to me if you think i am talking sense and you are really interested in making some change in your surroundings.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Who is going to pay for Bhopal Gas victims?
After GoM recommendations, I was thinking how government is going to generate such a huge amount of funds for Bhopal Gas victims. The recommendations, according to reports, are: Compensation to the tune of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed in this crime; Rs 5 lakh for those crippled for life; and Rs 3 lakh for people with partial disability. On the issue of cleaning up tones of toxic waste buried at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the GoM is believed to have recommended that the Madhya Pradesh government would do the dirty job with financial help from the Centre. And on the issue of Warren Anderson, the group has decided to make a "valiant attempt" to get the criminal-in-chief extradited from US to India.
I feel, the judgment was shameful and now GoM recommendations are seriously shocking. The Government of India is planning to spend Rs.1500 crore for compensation to Bhopal victims. How they are going to raise this money? The answer is simple; this money will be taken from - the Indian taxpayer’s pocket. Government is simply robbing one common man to compensate another common man.
GoM has given a clean chit to Dow Chemicals. They don’t have to pay any money to the victims of the world’s worst ever industrial accident, which happened because the Union Carbide dumped outdated technology in the heart of Bhopal, paid no attention to its maintenance, ignored warnings about gas leakage, cut funds and staff at the cost of safety and gave itself a clean chit even as bodies of poor Indians were piling up at the cremations grounds and graveyards of Bhopal in December 1984.
I am not able to find answers for following question and would appreciate if anyone can help me in finding answer for any of my question:
What is the cost of life of a poor common Indian men?
Why Madhya Pradesh government would do the dirty job with financial help from the Centre? As per polluter pay principle , recognized by both US and India, the party responsible for producing pollution is responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment.
Why common Indian men would pay for the crime done by an American corporation?
GoM commendation completely violates polluter pay principle. The Union Carbide Corporation and Dow Chemicals have been freed of all the liability. The financial burden has been dumped on the poor Indian taxpayer.
Bhopal case is not just about compensation and money. Its also about justice. This is a slap on the face of all those people who have been fighting for justice for Bhopal for the past 26 years. It’s an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives in this crime. It’s also an insult to those poor people who have knocked at the doors of the government, judiciary and big corporations in order to get justice. It’s a challenge to those who still believe in the idea of India despite the travesty of justice in this country everyday.
I don’t want to pay to Bhopal victims from my pocket. I refuse to accept the government's squandering of public money as private funds.
Note: Some of the data is taken from the web. The views expressed here are mine alone with no intensions to hurt anyone. Feel free to share your views.
I feel, the judgment was shameful and now GoM recommendations are seriously shocking. The Government of India is planning to spend Rs.1500 crore for compensation to Bhopal victims. How they are going to raise this money? The answer is simple; this money will be taken from - the Indian taxpayer’s pocket. Government is simply robbing one common man to compensate another common man.
GoM has given a clean chit to Dow Chemicals. They don’t have to pay any money to the victims of the world’s worst ever industrial accident, which happened because the Union Carbide dumped outdated technology in the heart of Bhopal, paid no attention to its maintenance, ignored warnings about gas leakage, cut funds and staff at the cost of safety and gave itself a clean chit even as bodies of poor Indians were piling up at the cremations grounds and graveyards of Bhopal in December 1984.
I am not able to find answers for following question and would appreciate if anyone can help me in finding answer for any of my question:
What is the cost of life of a poor common Indian men?
Why Madhya Pradesh government would do the dirty job with financial help from the Centre? As per polluter pay principle , recognized by both US and India, the party responsible for producing pollution is responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment.
Why common Indian men would pay for the crime done by an American corporation?
GoM commendation completely violates polluter pay principle. The Union Carbide Corporation and Dow Chemicals have been freed of all the liability. The financial burden has been dumped on the poor Indian taxpayer.
Bhopal case is not just about compensation and money. Its also about justice. This is a slap on the face of all those people who have been fighting for justice for Bhopal for the past 26 years. It’s an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives in this crime. It’s also an insult to those poor people who have knocked at the doors of the government, judiciary and big corporations in order to get justice. It’s a challenge to those who still believe in the idea of India despite the travesty of justice in this country everyday.
I don’t want to pay to Bhopal victims from my pocket. I refuse to accept the government's squandering of public money as private funds.
Note: Some of the data is taken from the web. The views expressed here are mine alone with no intensions to hurt anyone. Feel free to share your views.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
One more attempt
Dear All,
One more time i am trying to write a blog. I hope some of you might remember my earlier blog powerdestination. Again i am attempting to pen down my thoughts , my feelings & my experiences. I'd like to be honest in this and this blog and the views I express here is mine alone and is not intentional to hurt anyone. I'll love to hear your reviews over it. I'm not good at writing but still attempting :).........So keep visiting and keep commenting.
The journey will begin soon......
One more time i am trying to write a blog. I hope some of you might remember my earlier blog powerdestination. Again i am attempting to pen down my thoughts , my feelings & my experiences. I'd like to be honest in this and this blog and the views I express here is mine alone and is not intentional to hurt anyone. I'll love to hear your reviews over it. I'm not good at writing but still attempting :).........So keep visiting and keep commenting.
The journey will begin soon......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
