Wednesday, November 30, 2005

India and Indians

How many times do you think that meteorological department had given the correct weather forecasts? I am not trying to demean the work that they are involved at, yet I am trying to convey that whenever there are forecasts, vagaries are bound to be present. If weather is predicted based on some formations and patterns from regional historical data, why cannot the people also take in astrology too? Astrology is a study of position of planets at one’s birth and the predictions are arrived from the influence of these planets that are arrived from studying combinations present in historical data. Is astrology been neglected because the founding fathers are Indians? Why are we trying to accept the theories that are propounded by Europeans or Americans? Why are our traditional medical sciences like Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Unani and Siddha seeing a decline? The side effects of allopathic treatment are very conspicuous, yet our indigenous medical sciences could not replace the allopathic system. How many of our Indian allopathic doctors appreciate our medical sciences and suggest these as an alternative to allopathic system as and when possible? The whole point is that we should not neglect something just because it is old and incomprehensible. And more importantly we should not neglect something that is Indian and that belongs to India.

Abandoning cricket

After so much of discussions that went about Ganguly’s inclusion in Indian cricket team, it is time for me to opine. I am not going to talk for or against Ganguly, I am going to talk about the sport CRICKET itself. Having followed cricket keenly for more than two decades, it is time for me to propose the idea of abandoning the sport in this nation. The following are my findings that lead me to this idea:

  • Ganguly’s chapter has reopened the partisan politics in India. West Bengal was trying to identify from the Rest of India. It has led India from a nation to nations of nations. When there is TADA or POTA against the individuals, should not there be a legislation that disrupts the unity of nation?
  • There is so much of money involved in this game that politicians find another competitive arena to swindle money.
  • The player’s endorsements are embarrassingly high that sport players do not get motivated to win the prize money.
  • Apart from the endorsements there is so much of betting rackets involving the players who trivialize the spirit of competition in this sport.

The advantages that would come from abandoning this sport are:

  • There would be no BCCI and the concept of 1 vote for an individual would be restored in this democratic nation. Not anyone would have forgotten the BCCI election in which Jagmohan Dalmiya casted 4 votes.
  • Bureaucrats can have their peaceful retirement life. Raghavan or TS Krishnamurthy need not bother about bettings or elections anymore.
  • Dance girls can simply concentrate on their bar activities. Of all the problems that accrue in their bars, one crucial problem of betting can now be eliminated.
  • Zee TV can channelise their energy in other areas and they do not go to court anymore before advent of any match played in India.
  • External affairs ministry need not issue statements anymore whenever India goes to play against Pakistan.
  • To voice our moral policing politicians, children get too much addicted to this sport that they start deifying cricketers. May be whenever cricket or cricketers are shown, a marquee displaying “Watching cricket consumes lot of time which may ruin one’s career” can be avoided.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Oh Thomas L FriedMan!!

I am reading your book " The World is Flat". The book is very interesting talking of the new orders in the globalised world. It is an excellent compendium of latest technologies presented to layman. However I found some Information about India misquoted in the book. When you write of the 5th reason that flattened the world, you mentioned that " In short, India is country with virtually no natural resources that got very good at doing one thing - mining the brains of its own people by educating a relatively large slice of its elites in the sciences, engineering and medicine".

I disagree with your statement that India lacks natural resources. India is abundant in its coal resources, iron, mica, sugracane etc and etc. I could enlist several areas where India is plenty in its resources not excluding geothermal, tidal and other non conventional sources of energy.

I think this is not the first time where I met Incorrect representation about India. Way back in August 2002, in one of the editorials in New York times, I read about India averting a war with Pakistan primarily because of the American intervention who had their investments floating in India. I would like to concede to you that this is just an American way of viewing International affairs and lacks representation of Indian and Pakistani views. If India has to cowed down by American intervention it would have gone to submission when America imposed sanctions after Pokhran nuclear blasts.

The entire world knew how India coped up inspite of the sanctions. The entire world bears a testimony about the growth of India when all roaring economies of Asian tigers bursted in the last decade.

I strongly request you to consider the political appropriateness of the statements when uttered.

PS: I have emailed the above to Thomas L Friedman

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Politics - A Full Time Profession

For several decades politics has become a full time profession to all our leaders. Most of them coming from penury background had made riches in this field. It admits people from different strata. You be a bandit, a convict, selling arracks....It does not differentiate. Politics is an equal opportunity employer. The more dignified you are, lesser are your chances. Nevertheless, you need not worry about this too. This profession will transform you. Brighter are your chances if you are a hypocrite.

The curse of being sensible and powerless is to see the ruins created by these adversary politicians. The politicians who are our tall leaders too have a selfless motive of usurping people's money to their families and generations. I strongly urge the industrialists to make a foray into this profession. Even if they swindle they will do to the benefits of their industries. As a result there would be an employment, infrastructure and better growth in the concerned industries. I agree to the development with corruption than stagnation with corruption.

The one thing that I have come to realise is that you can’t stop the corruption in this field.

Drive on the Bangalore Roads

My friend and I drove on the roads of Bangalore in a Hyundai. During the drive we were discussing about the investment plans and the need of being a thrifty spender. Apart from observing the latest trends in girls apparels, I made a conscious effort to look at all the skyscrapers that have emerged within a year. There are lot many Shopping Malls that have come here. When I wondered to tell my friend that I thought people have enough money but not so much to spend on these shopping malls, my friend uttered, Dude...these shopping malls are interesting and it is not that expensive too....

Then I asked my friend, Hey...When did you fall in love?

Chennai Rains

The stagnation of water in Ambattur, Velachery and Medavakam has proved the basic flaws existing in city planning. Proper embankments for water bodies and good flood water drainage systems are the need of hour. While laying tar roads, care should be taken to allow rain water to percolate into the ground. The above said precautions should be taken in the low lying areas which are the badly affected during rains. It is high time that authorities learned not to build houses on the dried water bodies. City planners should learn the lessons from these Chennai rains else the adversities could be even more serious, the next time.