7. WALKING IN THE MORNING……………THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOGS
Well if rag pickers and morning walkers are around, neighborhood dogs cannot be far behind. Who can know this better than myself, the victim? I have been barked at. It is somehow not fair to call these dogs ‘stray dogs’. Stray dogs are one who are lost/abandoned and are not in a position to find their way back to their homes or dogs having no owners at all. With this definition in mind, there are very few stray dogs in Delhi and for that matter in India and we are not talking about them.
Neighborhood dogs in Delhi as in any other city or town or village in India belong to the locality or neighborhood they live and therefore their loyalty is for that particular locality. We Indians are a very religious race and see God in every living being. As per our religious scriptures there is birth after death. According to our Karmas (deeds) on this earth during our lifetime our fate is decided for the next birth. There are some 84,00,000 Yonies(living forms) and we may be any one of these in our next birth depending on our good or bad Karmas. Thus a saintly person may get Nirvana(freedom from the cycle of birth and death) and a non believer may take birth as a, should I say neighborhood dog? After the Pandavas had enjoyed the fruits of their conquest over the Kauravas, the day came for their final journey from this earth. Because of the pious life they had lived, they were entitled to walk directly into Heaven. Lord Indra however wanted to have one more test of their sincerity and followed them disguised as a dog. At the entrance of the Heaven, they were told that dogs were not allowed in Heaven. Yudhistra, the eldest and purist among Pandavas refused to enter Heaven without the dog that had followed them all the way from the earth. Indra appeared in his true form and blessed them for their compassion for the lowly dog. I think I have made the point clear that we love all living beings. It is too complicated and more over it is not the subject we talking about. So I will return to the subject.
As I was saying, dogs belong to the locality they live in. There is one more reason though. The residents of the locality take it upon themselves to feed these dogs. The left over is offered to these dogs and the loyalty quotient increases or decreases according to the quality of food they get from each household. Those who offer non –veg items get preferential treatment i.e. the dog sleeps in front of their house during the night. This however does not mean that their loyalty for other residents of the locality is any way less. They will chase away any intruder during the night and alert the residents by continuous barking. These dogs are God’s gift to the neighborhood.
The dogs close to the temple are more professional. They will ensure that the intruder is chased right up to the boundary of the temple. I think the sweets they regularly eat there do the trick. These poor fellows however do not know that their lives are being shortened by eating too much of sweets. One can easily recognize a dog fed on temple sweets by its receding hair. But then humans also not much cautious when it comes to sweets and become diabetic.
Chasing the intruder is moral obligation on neighborhood dogs. The intruder could be a fellow dog from other neighborhood, a rag picker or a morning walker. There is total socialism here. No difference between the rich and the poor. No difference between the humans and non-humans. It is the moral duty of the neighborhood dogs to act in unionism and not to leave the responsibility to someone in particular. Dogs of the neighborhood remain united all the times.
Another interesting trait is the clear demarcation of area. Dogs of one lane are responsible for that lane only. Responsibility of providing security to other lanes is that of the dogs of that lane. Dogs of one lane are not welcome in another lane. Dogs of other lanes are also treated as intruders and chased away.
Neighborhood dogs have the strange habit of chasing cars and scooters on the roads. If they cannot drive they at least can run side by side with the cars. Some scooterist kids as learners get scared, fall down and get hurt. This is bad.
There are anti social dogs among dogs too. They at times exceed their brief and bite the intruder particularly when he or she tries to run. Once bitten by dog makes one twice cautious. Who wants those 12 or 16 injections? For this reason the whole dog community is branded as menace and health hazard. Sometimes the Municipal Authorities employ dogcatchers to take them away. Some even suggest exporting them to some Asian countries where dog meat is not taboo. There is the scheme to sterile them to stop the uncontrolled growth. Some efforts have been made in this direction but it looks the mobility and migration factor among dogs is quite high and even dogs from neighboring states are also entering the Capital of India. So far it has not become an issue between Delhi and neighboring states but may be one day it becomes an election issue. Dogs will be happy that Governments can fall because of them.
There are some kind-hearted people who have sheltered these dogs. They provide them with food and Medicare also but then there are neighbors who object to it and complain that these dogs are a threat to their kids and guests. There are some court cases going on. Life is not easy any way.
There is no community structure in dogs’ world. Might is the right. Nor there seems to be any family bonds or ties. The mother dog nourishes the puppies for a month or two and thereafter they are left to fend for themselves. Father dog does not have any role except fathering them.
In common parlance ‘living a dog’s life’ or ‘dying like a dog’ are derogatory remarks. There are however some lucky breeds that get proper living, health care and even funeral provided by their owners. In case of neighborhood dogs, they are common property and like any other common property the taking care is of no body’s business.
Long live neighborhood dogs.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
6.WALKING IN THE MORNING…………………………….THE RAG PICKERS
They are a usual sight in the morning. They believe in the old saying “early birds catch the worms”. They are probably on the streets even earlier than the street sweeper, Arjan Singh, and morning walkers. With their super size poly bag hanging over their shoulders, they cannot be missed. Sometimes they come in groups of two or three or sometimes alone. They collect anything of value in their assessment e.g. beer and wine bottles, beer and juice cans, glass and plastic bottles, cardboarboxes, poly bags and sheets, leather items and anything they can lay their hands on. The prized catch however is any steel or iron item, the bigger and larger the better.
Rag Pickers in Delhi increased after India Pakistan War of 1971. Just as in 1947 w Muslim demanded a separate country and the country was divided into two India and Pakistan (West East) and by the then rulers, the British, in the same way, Bengali Muslim in East Pakistan demanded a separate country and Bangladesh was created with the blessings of then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi after the war of 1971 with Pakistan. The immediate provocation for war with Pakistan was the influx of some two million refugees who crossed over to India from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Many of these refugees stayed back and many more joined after that also, as India shares a very porous border with Bangladesh. These migrants are treated illegal but have somehow mingled with the social set up mainly because they speak one of our recognized languages, Bengali. Political reasons notwithstanding, the real problem is their poverty. They are engaged in all types of menial jobs like rickshaw pullers, daily wagers, domestic servants etc.
The rag pickers in a way help the Municipal authorities. In their absence, perhaps it will be upon the Local Government to dispose off this garbage. They collect all the garbage from the localities and deliver it to the scrap dealers who in turn pass it on to re-cyclists. The recycled products come back to consumers. It is a well- oiled business where the ultimate beneficiaries are the middlemen and businessmen.
The economic and social condition of these rag pickers remains pitiable. While the mornings are for rag picking, the days are for begging at the busy road crossings. The girl children are exploited and some of them land up in brothels. The grown ups’ main concern is to earn two meals worth of money.
They are entitled to no social security under various Government schemes because they are not the citizens of the country. Their country of origin, Bangladesh, does not accept them as its citizens. They were landless laborers and hence cannot submit any proof of citizenship. Attempts made by the Indian Authorities to deport them have proved futile so far. The fact is they do not want to return also. Those who have managed to obtain ration cards and voters’ cards are little more comfortable because they get food grains at subsidized rates. During election time they get some free bees. May be one day they will get citizenship also under some amnesty scheme. It looks illegal migration is universal.
They are a usual sight in the morning. They believe in the old saying “early birds catch the worms”. They are probably on the streets even earlier than the street sweeper, Arjan Singh, and morning walkers. With their super size poly bag hanging over their shoulders, they cannot be missed. Sometimes they come in groups of two or three or sometimes alone. They collect anything of value in their assessment e.g. beer and wine bottles, beer and juice cans, glass and plastic bottles, cardboarboxes, poly bags and sheets, leather items and anything they can lay their hands on. The prized catch however is any steel or iron item, the bigger and larger the better.
Rag Pickers in Delhi increased after India Pakistan War of 1971. Just as in 1947 w Muslim demanded a separate country and the country was divided into two India and Pakistan (West East) and by the then rulers, the British, in the same way, Bengali Muslim in East Pakistan demanded a separate country and Bangladesh was created with the blessings of then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi after the war of 1971 with Pakistan. The immediate provocation for war with Pakistan was the influx of some two million refugees who crossed over to India from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Many of these refugees stayed back and many more joined after that also, as India shares a very porous border with Bangladesh. These migrants are treated illegal but have somehow mingled with the social set up mainly because they speak one of our recognized languages, Bengali. Political reasons notwithstanding, the real problem is their poverty. They are engaged in all types of menial jobs like rickshaw pullers, daily wagers, domestic servants etc.
The rag pickers in a way help the Municipal authorities. In their absence, perhaps it will be upon the Local Government to dispose off this garbage. They collect all the garbage from the localities and deliver it to the scrap dealers who in turn pass it on to re-cyclists. The recycled products come back to consumers. It is a well- oiled business where the ultimate beneficiaries are the middlemen and businessmen.
The economic and social condition of these rag pickers remains pitiable. While the mornings are for rag picking, the days are for begging at the busy road crossings. The girl children are exploited and some of them land up in brothels. The grown ups’ main concern is to earn two meals worth of money.
They are entitled to no social security under various Government schemes because they are not the citizens of the country. Their country of origin, Bangladesh, does not accept them as its citizens. They were landless laborers and hence cannot submit any proof of citizenship. Attempts made by the Indian Authorities to deport them have proved futile so far. The fact is they do not want to return also. Those who have managed to obtain ration cards and voters’ cards are little more comfortable because they get food grains at subsidized rates. During election time they get some free bees. May be one day they will get citizenship also under some amnesty scheme. It looks illegal migration is universal.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
WALKING IN THE MORNING..ASHU BHATURE WALA
5. WALKING IN THE MORNING…………………….. ASHU BHATURE WALA
At the corner of the crossing, there is this popular Indian fast food joint named ‘Ashu Bhature Wala’. About two years back, it opened in the name of Apni Rasoi, a vegetarian food restaurant. The restaurant shifted to some other nearby location and the owners opened a new fast food joint named Ashu Bhature Wala. The joint has become popular for Chhole Bhature, a north Indian delicacy. Early in the morning, I see the preparations going on. The aroma of spices can be smelled from 100 meters either direction. Doctors advise to shun such deep fried food but the invite is so alluring that even senior citizens like me cannot hold back.
The workers are in their banyan and under wears are in stark contrast when they present themselves later in the morning in the Ashu Bhature Wala uniform. They must be up much early in the morning say around 4 O’clock and can be seen working right up to 12 O’clock in the night. They go to sleep only after they have done the cleaning. During the afternoons, when there is not much rush, some of them may be resting by turn.
Some of the workers are below the age of 14. Law bans employing workers below 14 years of age. It is hardly followed and scarcely implemented. The authorities turn a blind eye or rather take a practical view of the situation. Thousands of children below the age of 14 work in factories, homes and other commercial establishments all over India. They are paid less, made to work long hours and generally exploited.
This is the age when these children should be at Schools. Free uniforms, books and lunch could not keep these children in schools. Parents give priority to what they can bring in cash rather than what they learn at School. The school drop rate is alarming. Efforts so far have not been in a position to make the difference in the life of these unfortunate children. Right to Education Act is a step in the right direction.
There is need both for skilled and unskilled workers. There is no denying the fact that higher education is not every body’s cup of tea. Basic education is essential for every one. The State should evolve a system where a minimum education up to 8th grade is imparted to each and every child before he/she ventures into any job. Thereafter there should be a system of imparting further education based on aptitude. Higher education should not be thrust upon.
I hope someday Ashu Bhature Wala will be in a position to hire workers with minimum education, pay them statutory wages, provide good working conditions and ensure the growth of these workers side by side its own growth which some one may like to call ‘inclusive growth’
At the corner of the crossing, there is this popular Indian fast food joint named ‘Ashu Bhature Wala’. About two years back, it opened in the name of Apni Rasoi, a vegetarian food restaurant. The restaurant shifted to some other nearby location and the owners opened a new fast food joint named Ashu Bhature Wala. The joint has become popular for Chhole Bhature, a north Indian delicacy. Early in the morning, I see the preparations going on. The aroma of spices can be smelled from 100 meters either direction. Doctors advise to shun such deep fried food but the invite is so alluring that even senior citizens like me cannot hold back.
The workers are in their banyan and under wears are in stark contrast when they present themselves later in the morning in the Ashu Bhature Wala uniform. They must be up much early in the morning say around 4 O’clock and can be seen working right up to 12 O’clock in the night. They go to sleep only after they have done the cleaning. During the afternoons, when there is not much rush, some of them may be resting by turn.
Some of the workers are below the age of 14. Law bans employing workers below 14 years of age. It is hardly followed and scarcely implemented. The authorities turn a blind eye or rather take a practical view of the situation. Thousands of children below the age of 14 work in factories, homes and other commercial establishments all over India. They are paid less, made to work long hours and generally exploited.
This is the age when these children should be at Schools. Free uniforms, books and lunch could not keep these children in schools. Parents give priority to what they can bring in cash rather than what they learn at School. The school drop rate is alarming. Efforts so far have not been in a position to make the difference in the life of these unfortunate children. Right to Education Act is a step in the right direction.
There is need both for skilled and unskilled workers. There is no denying the fact that higher education is not every body’s cup of tea. Basic education is essential for every one. The State should evolve a system where a minimum education up to 8th grade is imparted to each and every child before he/she ventures into any job. Thereafter there should be a system of imparting further education based on aptitude. Higher education should not be thrust upon.
I hope someday Ashu Bhature Wala will be in a position to hire workers with minimum education, pay them statutory wages, provide good working conditions and ensure the growth of these workers side by side its own growth which some one may like to call ‘inclusive growth’
WALKING IN THE MORNING. THE STREET SWEEPER
4. WALKING IN THE MORNING…………………….THE STREET SWEEPER
Arjan Singh sweeps the 500-meter street in front of our complex. He is a Municipal employee. He is always on his job at 5 in the morning. By the time I go out at about 6 a. m. half of the street is clean of all the sundry garbage that includes plastic bags, pouches, leaves, papers mostly thrown by ‘we the people.’ Sweepers are expected to clean the streets before 6 a. m. so as not to inconvenience the public in general and morning walkers in particular.
Arjan singh, his mouth and nose covered by a thin clothe, a long broom in his hands is one of the handful of Municipal employees who take their job seriously. I have not seen him absent any day come winter or rains.
Employees of Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD)are infamous for the absenteeism. There have been reports of absentee employees and the figure is staggering. Some 50000 employees on the rolls of MCD in the health and horticulture departments exist on paper only They exist only in the pay register From top to bottom everybody takes his or her share from this loot. The fraud came in the notice of the Commissioner when he introduced Photo Smart Cards for all employees to record their attendance in office. There was a lot of hue and cry but he stood to his ground. He had probably sensed the malice. It was found that one employee was drawing salary for 10 to 15 people in different names. Such employee had in turn employed some proxy in his place to do the sweeping job for him and he himself was engaged in some other more profitable activity. This could not have been possible without the active support of the Inspector who was responsible to take the roll call and mark attendance of employees in his charge. The loot was possibly shared with the area councilor, the MLA and the MP. The Commissioner made it mandatory for each employee to have a photo identity Smart Card, mark his attendance at the local MCD office and his salary was sent by ECS transfer in his account in the Bank.
We were, however talking our Arjan Singh. He was definitely cut above all others. Never saw him absent. He would sweep the street, collect the garbage in his trolley and drop it the dumping site from where the MCD garbage truck would collect it.
There are about 20 vegetables and fruits vendors who line up the street in the evening. These vendors are legal in the sense that they are allowed to do their business from six in to ten in the evening. However it is totally up to the councilor to grant such permission. Since the numbers are limited, the poor vendors have no choice but to pay him his weekly ‘allowance’. The area police constable takes his cut too. Then there is the loan shark who finances these vendors for the vegetable cart costing some Rs 4000 in fixed expenses and another Rs 2000 for running the daily business. These vendors come from the rural Bihar with no money and therefore no choice but to borrow from this shark who charges interest @2.5 % per month payable every day along with loan installment. No wonder the vegetable retail prices are some three times of the wholesale prices. Arjan Singh comes into picture here for the simple reason that he has to clean the left over discarded and spoiled vegetables and fruits. It is for the vendors to clean the area before they leave but they seem to have collectively entered into an agreement with Arjan Singh to do the job for them and the remuneration is fixed in kind or cash. Arjan Singh finishes this job before he goes home in the night. This seems to be a clear and honest job and cannot be termed as taking advantage of his position in the street.
There are very few Arjan Singhs who do their job with dedication and honesty.
Arjan Singh sweeps the 500-meter street in front of our complex. He is a Municipal employee. He is always on his job at 5 in the morning. By the time I go out at about 6 a. m. half of the street is clean of all the sundry garbage that includes plastic bags, pouches, leaves, papers mostly thrown by ‘we the people.’ Sweepers are expected to clean the streets before 6 a. m. so as not to inconvenience the public in general and morning walkers in particular.
Arjan singh, his mouth and nose covered by a thin clothe, a long broom in his hands is one of the handful of Municipal employees who take their job seriously. I have not seen him absent any day come winter or rains.
Employees of Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD)are infamous for the absenteeism. There have been reports of absentee employees and the figure is staggering. Some 50000 employees on the rolls of MCD in the health and horticulture departments exist on paper only They exist only in the pay register From top to bottom everybody takes his or her share from this loot. The fraud came in the notice of the Commissioner when he introduced Photo Smart Cards for all employees to record their attendance in office. There was a lot of hue and cry but he stood to his ground. He had probably sensed the malice. It was found that one employee was drawing salary for 10 to 15 people in different names. Such employee had in turn employed some proxy in his place to do the sweeping job for him and he himself was engaged in some other more profitable activity. This could not have been possible without the active support of the Inspector who was responsible to take the roll call and mark attendance of employees in his charge. The loot was possibly shared with the area councilor, the MLA and the MP. The Commissioner made it mandatory for each employee to have a photo identity Smart Card, mark his attendance at the local MCD office and his salary was sent by ECS transfer in his account in the Bank.
We were, however talking our Arjan Singh. He was definitely cut above all others. Never saw him absent. He would sweep the street, collect the garbage in his trolley and drop it the dumping site from where the MCD garbage truck would collect it.
There are about 20 vegetables and fruits vendors who line up the street in the evening. These vendors are legal in the sense that they are allowed to do their business from six in to ten in the evening. However it is totally up to the councilor to grant such permission. Since the numbers are limited, the poor vendors have no choice but to pay him his weekly ‘allowance’. The area police constable takes his cut too. Then there is the loan shark who finances these vendors for the vegetable cart costing some Rs 4000 in fixed expenses and another Rs 2000 for running the daily business. These vendors come from the rural Bihar with no money and therefore no choice but to borrow from this shark who charges interest @2.5 % per month payable every day along with loan installment. No wonder the vegetable retail prices are some three times of the wholesale prices. Arjan Singh comes into picture here for the simple reason that he has to clean the left over discarded and spoiled vegetables and fruits. It is for the vendors to clean the area before they leave but they seem to have collectively entered into an agreement with Arjan Singh to do the job for them and the remuneration is fixed in kind or cash. Arjan Singh finishes this job before he goes home in the night. This seems to be a clear and honest job and cannot be termed as taking advantage of his position in the street.
There are very few Arjan Singhs who do their job with dedication and honesty.
WALKING IN THE MORNING. THE SECURITY GUARD
3.WALKING IN THE MORNING THE SECURITY GUARD
Shyam Bahadur, the security guard at gate number six is a Nepali. Before joining the team of security guards in our housing complex some two years ago, he did odd jobs. He was with the neighbourhood grocery store and then with the take home eatery. Many times he came to our apartment for delivering grocery or some food. He is one of those thousands of Nepali citizens who cross over the open border into India for jobs as cooks, domestic servants, delivery boys, drivers, security guards, road building laborers, Lack of employment in their country drives them to India otherwise why they would leave their beautiful mountainous villages for the hot and humid climate of India. They can be seen all over India. It is pity that people have to migrate to other countries for lack of opportunities in their own country and that too for such lowly paid jobs.
For the few months of their arrival these simple village boys of the hills in the agegroup of 15 to 20 years seem to be taken with awe when they try to adjust themselves to the ways of we city folks. They are fearful, apprehensive, docile, timid, respectful and innocent looking humans who have been thrown into the hurly burly ways of complex environment. After a few years of grinding in the city, they transform beyond recognition and become the envy of the folks back home. This motivates others to follow suit.
Syam Bahadur was also like that. He would come with bowed head, talk meekly, deliver the grocery or food, collect payment and rush back for fear of his employer scolding him for being slow and lazy. In a few months he is more confident counting the payment carefully and expecting a tip after some time became sort of his dues for which he gives subtle hints like not returning the change.His dress ha also changed from the lose shirt and lose half pants to cheap but tight jeans and trendy t-shirts. We can feel his confident steps over the stairs, humming latest Hindi filmy songs and pressing the doorbell till we open the door.
Now he is a member of the security team in our housing complex. He should be around 20 years. He looks smart in the uniform. His salute particularly during festival times is absolutely in sink with the tips he expects. He is at gate number six from six in the morning to six in the evening when other security guard comes to relieve him. He is expected to open the gate for exiting / entering cars and scooters and close them thereafter. He is also expected to ensure that all visitors register their name and address and the apartment they wish to visit. He is alert while on duty and does not forget to wish the apartment owners and occupiers. He does not talk much. He is generally respectful to all except the intruders. He is very particular that the ferrywalas and kabaris enter the complex during appointed times only.
He visits his home village once in a year for two weeks because that is the maximum
leave a security guard can avail in a year as per our Resident Welfare Association Rules. He gets a salary of Rs 3000/ a month with no medical or retirement benefits. He should be in a position to save some of it after meeting his expenses. He augments his income by washing the cars of the residents.
Of late I observe some changes in him. His hair- style has changed. His off duty clothing is well cleaned and ironed. He smokes cigarettes, no more bidies. He has a cell phone now and his fingers dancing on its key- pads or listening to music. There are all weather smiles on his lips and his face is glowing.
For his convenience he keeps the half gate open so that he need not get up from his seat to open and close it. Visitors’ register lies open on the table. He simply signals visitors towards the register for making entries. He hardly gets up from his chair to salute any body. Most of the time he is either playing games on his cell phone or talking to someone or sending SMSs. There is something good happening in his life.
Sometimes some RWA functionary scolds him to be more attentive and keep the gate close all the time but that affects him for a few hours only. He is not his usual self any more. He certainly is in love.
I try to talk to him to know the secret but he is his usual self-answering in ‘yes’ and ‘no’. I do not proceed further.
He has asked for a month’s leave this summer. He is getting married. The secret is out. God bless him.
Shyam Bahadur, the security guard at gate number six is a Nepali. Before joining the team of security guards in our housing complex some two years ago, he did odd jobs. He was with the neighbourhood grocery store and then with the take home eatery. Many times he came to our apartment for delivering grocery or some food. He is one of those thousands of Nepali citizens who cross over the open border into India for jobs as cooks, domestic servants, delivery boys, drivers, security guards, road building laborers, Lack of employment in their country drives them to India otherwise why they would leave their beautiful mountainous villages for the hot and humid climate of India. They can be seen all over India. It is pity that people have to migrate to other countries for lack of opportunities in their own country and that too for such lowly paid jobs.
For the few months of their arrival these simple village boys of the hills in the agegroup of 15 to 20 years seem to be taken with awe when they try to adjust themselves to the ways of we city folks. They are fearful, apprehensive, docile, timid, respectful and innocent looking humans who have been thrown into the hurly burly ways of complex environment. After a few years of grinding in the city, they transform beyond recognition and become the envy of the folks back home. This motivates others to follow suit.
Syam Bahadur was also like that. He would come with bowed head, talk meekly, deliver the grocery or food, collect payment and rush back for fear of his employer scolding him for being slow and lazy. In a few months he is more confident counting the payment carefully and expecting a tip after some time became sort of his dues for which he gives subtle hints like not returning the change.His dress ha also changed from the lose shirt and lose half pants to cheap but tight jeans and trendy t-shirts. We can feel his confident steps over the stairs, humming latest Hindi filmy songs and pressing the doorbell till we open the door.
Now he is a member of the security team in our housing complex. He should be around 20 years. He looks smart in the uniform. His salute particularly during festival times is absolutely in sink with the tips he expects. He is at gate number six from six in the morning to six in the evening when other security guard comes to relieve him. He is expected to open the gate for exiting / entering cars and scooters and close them thereafter. He is also expected to ensure that all visitors register their name and address and the apartment they wish to visit. He is alert while on duty and does not forget to wish the apartment owners and occupiers. He does not talk much. He is generally respectful to all except the intruders. He is very particular that the ferrywalas and kabaris enter the complex during appointed times only.
He visits his home village once in a year for two weeks because that is the maximum
leave a security guard can avail in a year as per our Resident Welfare Association Rules. He gets a salary of Rs 3000/ a month with no medical or retirement benefits. He should be in a position to save some of it after meeting his expenses. He augments his income by washing the cars of the residents.
Of late I observe some changes in him. His hair- style has changed. His off duty clothing is well cleaned and ironed. He smokes cigarettes, no more bidies. He has a cell phone now and his fingers dancing on its key- pads or listening to music. There are all weather smiles on his lips and his face is glowing.
For his convenience he keeps the half gate open so that he need not get up from his seat to open and close it. Visitors’ register lies open on the table. He simply signals visitors towards the register for making entries. He hardly gets up from his chair to salute any body. Most of the time he is either playing games on his cell phone or talking to someone or sending SMSs. There is something good happening in his life.
Sometimes some RWA functionary scolds him to be more attentive and keep the gate close all the time but that affects him for a few hours only. He is not his usual self any more. He certainly is in love.
I try to talk to him to know the secret but he is his usual self-answering in ‘yes’ and ‘no’. I do not proceed further.
He has asked for a month’s leave this summer. He is getting married. The secret is out. God bless him.
WALKING IN THE MORNING ..THE TIGER
2: WALKING IN THE MORNING: THE TIGER
He is at the foot of the stair- case of our apartment block from 9 p.m. to 7 a. m. During the day he keeps himself busy in the pursuits of living and loving. Ours is a four-story block with two apartments on each floor. We live on the second floor. I believe in the old saying of “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” and therefore I am the first one to move out of my apartment for my daily routine i. e. morning walk. Thus I do not get to see Tiger in the evening but I am the first one to see him sleeping at the foot of the stair - case in the morning.
I call him by the name ‘Tiger’ given by me. I am not sure if anyone else knows our secret. At least I have not told anyone and I am sure he cannot do it except of course within his own community. He instantly recognizes me the moment I call him by the given name and seems to like it.
Our day starts with my coming down the stairs and he greeting me with his habitual grrrrrrrr, grrrrrr, grrrrrrr. This is the only way he knows of assuring the apartment owners that he is performing his duties as a loyal friend. It is his job to show some attitude when he senses someone crossing the marked area. He is particular at showing his loyalty by barking once or twice during the night also. It is also his duty to be equally friendly once he realizes that the intruder is no one but a friend like yours faithfully and therefore with a few woooons, he goes back to sleep.
Another selfless and job he does is rather annoying. I am not sure that he does it but then who else? We apartment owners keep our kitchen garbage outside our main doors early in the morning so that the garbage picker may pick the same without disturbing us. After my departure for my morning walks and he having been already disturbed, he takes upon himself to examine each garbage bag lying outside our doors. He rips them apart spreading the contents all around for thorough check up. At times he gets some meat or chicken bones and that is the only remuneration he gets for his time and efforts. Keen observers can say with guarantee what was cooking in each apartment. By the time I return from my morning walks, he is gone. Some people do not appreciate this and have tried to whisk him away but like a lost and found case he is back at the foot of the stairs in the evening.
I do not see Tiger these days. The garbage bags are also intact. Discrete enquiries have yielded no trace of him. For the last 6-7 years he has been at this spot every day and now he is not there. It is possible he has found greener pastures. It is possible he has met his mate and has migrated. It is possible he has been captured by the Municipal stray dog -catchers. It is also possible he is no more. Whatever, he keeps on lingering on in my memory. The spot under the staircase is empty. Grrrrrrrs and wooooooons are missing. There are many stray dogs in the locality but no one has occupied his spot. Tiger never asked for any favors. He fended for himself. He wandered for company. Come night and he was back at his spot.
If he is alive, I am sure he will be back at his spot someday.
He is at the foot of the stair- case of our apartment block from 9 p.m. to 7 a. m. During the day he keeps himself busy in the pursuits of living and loving. Ours is a four-story block with two apartments on each floor. We live on the second floor. I believe in the old saying of “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” and therefore I am the first one to move out of my apartment for my daily routine i. e. morning walk. Thus I do not get to see Tiger in the evening but I am the first one to see him sleeping at the foot of the stair - case in the morning.
I call him by the name ‘Tiger’ given by me. I am not sure if anyone else knows our secret. At least I have not told anyone and I am sure he cannot do it except of course within his own community. He instantly recognizes me the moment I call him by the given name and seems to like it.
Our day starts with my coming down the stairs and he greeting me with his habitual grrrrrrrr, grrrrrr, grrrrrrr. This is the only way he knows of assuring the apartment owners that he is performing his duties as a loyal friend. It is his job to show some attitude when he senses someone crossing the marked area. He is particular at showing his loyalty by barking once or twice during the night also. It is also his duty to be equally friendly once he realizes that the intruder is no one but a friend like yours faithfully and therefore with a few woooons, he goes back to sleep.
Another selfless and job he does is rather annoying. I am not sure that he does it but then who else? We apartment owners keep our kitchen garbage outside our main doors early in the morning so that the garbage picker may pick the same without disturbing us. After my departure for my morning walks and he having been already disturbed, he takes upon himself to examine each garbage bag lying outside our doors. He rips them apart spreading the contents all around for thorough check up. At times he gets some meat or chicken bones and that is the only remuneration he gets for his time and efforts. Keen observers can say with guarantee what was cooking in each apartment. By the time I return from my morning walks, he is gone. Some people do not appreciate this and have tried to whisk him away but like a lost and found case he is back at the foot of the stairs in the evening.
I do not see Tiger these days. The garbage bags are also intact. Discrete enquiries have yielded no trace of him. For the last 6-7 years he has been at this spot every day and now he is not there. It is possible he has found greener pastures. It is possible he has met his mate and has migrated. It is possible he has been captured by the Municipal stray dog -catchers. It is also possible he is no more. Whatever, he keeps on lingering on in my memory. The spot under the staircase is empty. Grrrrrrrs and wooooooons are missing. There are many stray dogs in the locality but no one has occupied his spot. Tiger never asked for any favors. He fended for himself. He wandered for company. Come night and he was back at his spot.
If he is alive, I am sure he will be back at his spot someday.
WALKING IN THE MORNING..INTRODUCTION
1. WALKING IN THE MORNING: INTRODUCTION
I am ready for my morning walk at 6.00 a. m. every day of the week, month and year. Only chilling cold, heavy fog or heavy rains may force me to stay indoors but such mornings are not many in the calendar. I was not a regular morning walker some 20 years back. There were so many excuses for not getting up early in the morning and go for a walk. There were late nights. There were early work schedules. There were official tours to different cities. In fact there were all possible alibis.
The morning routine changed more by force than by choice. A MI and doctors’ advise to change the life style put me onto the roads in the mornings. I say roads because at some places on my touring days I had no choice but to complete this daily ritual on the roads close to the hotel I was staying with, as there was no Park nearby. Sometimes the ritual was completed in the room itself. Fortunately close to the place of our residence there were Parks around. I am an avid morning walker now. I get up at 5.30 in the morning and after freshening up ready to breathe in fresh air.
With the passage of time this ritual became a habit and then nature. Today I can say this habit has done me a lot of good. Not only have I survived the post MRI trauma but also it has given me confidence which is most important. I would not say that only morning walk has done it, as there have been regular medical check ups, medicines, healthy foods, family support and cooperation of office colleagues. Nor would I say that I am perfect embodiment of a changed man because I still indulge in some forbidden foods and drinks. I would say I am more disciplined now then some 20 years back. At 69 today, I am entitled to some liberties and I enjoy them. I try to ensure is that no one is inconvenienced by me or my morning walks.
During the course of my morning walks, there are some observations worth sharing and recording lest I forget them or may be I will love to go through them some times in future and amuse myself on my literary skills ?
Here we go.
I am ready for my morning walk at 6.00 a. m. every day of the week, month and year. Only chilling cold, heavy fog or heavy rains may force me to stay indoors but such mornings are not many in the calendar. I was not a regular morning walker some 20 years back. There were so many excuses for not getting up early in the morning and go for a walk. There were late nights. There were early work schedules. There were official tours to different cities. In fact there were all possible alibis.
The morning routine changed more by force than by choice. A MI and doctors’ advise to change the life style put me onto the roads in the mornings. I say roads because at some places on my touring days I had no choice but to complete this daily ritual on the roads close to the hotel I was staying with, as there was no Park nearby. Sometimes the ritual was completed in the room itself. Fortunately close to the place of our residence there were Parks around. I am an avid morning walker now. I get up at 5.30 in the morning and after freshening up ready to breathe in fresh air.
With the passage of time this ritual became a habit and then nature. Today I can say this habit has done me a lot of good. Not only have I survived the post MRI trauma but also it has given me confidence which is most important. I would not say that only morning walk has done it, as there have been regular medical check ups, medicines, healthy foods, family support and cooperation of office colleagues. Nor would I say that I am perfect embodiment of a changed man because I still indulge in some forbidden foods and drinks. I would say I am more disciplined now then some 20 years back. At 69 today, I am entitled to some liberties and I enjoy them. I try to ensure is that no one is inconvenienced by me or my morning walks.
During the course of my morning walks, there are some observations worth sharing and recording lest I forget them or may be I will love to go through them some times in future and amuse myself on my literary skills ?
Here we go.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
'KHUSHI' THE LUCKY GOAT
“He is just 21 months old but already a ‘superstar.’ Khushi as his owner Jeetender Singh calls him , is by far the costliest goat selling in Delhi on the eve of Bakr-Eid. According to singh, Khushi has a buyer willing to pay a staggering Rs 21 lakh for him. Singh, however is holding out for Rs 51 lakh.
What makes Khushi so special? It’s the natural pattern in white on the black goat’s body that resembles the number 786 in Arabic –considered sacred by Muslims across the world. That is not all , there is another marking that looks like the crescent moon, which again is a sacred symbol for Muslims. The owner claims the goat was born with the markings.
.
Singh . a dairy farmer from Rajasthan, had named the goat Khushi , little knowing what happiness the goat could bring him. Khushi was six months old when he decided to sell it to a Muslim butcher. He was on the verge of killing it when he noticed the number 786 . Then he saw the holy moon, on the other side of the goat's back.He refused to kill the anima land left. Since then Singh has been bringing up the goat with utmost care.
Last year he got a offer of Rs 5.15 lakhs. This year he has got an offer of Rs 21 lakh. He will negotiate and sell it.” Times of India , Delhi.
The above news item has almost created a stir. Who could be the buyer? Would he kill it this year or keep a sacred gift from Allah. How Singh has been keeping such a precious goat ? Did he hire some security?.
Faith is a very curious aspect of human life. Here is a case of God bringing the goat in Singh’s family and parting it to a devote Muslim. Both are happy. Singh for the money he got and the buyer the gift he could offer.
What makes Khushi so special? It’s the natural pattern in white on the black goat’s body that resembles the number 786 in Arabic –considered sacred by Muslims across the world. That is not all , there is another marking that looks like the crescent moon, which again is a sacred symbol for Muslims. The owner claims the goat was born with the markings.
.
Singh . a dairy farmer from Rajasthan, had named the goat Khushi , little knowing what happiness the goat could bring him. Khushi was six months old when he decided to sell it to a Muslim butcher. He was on the verge of killing it when he noticed the number 786 . Then he saw the holy moon, on the other side of the goat's back.He refused to kill the anima land left. Since then Singh has been bringing up the goat with utmost care.
Last year he got a offer of Rs 5.15 lakhs. This year he has got an offer of Rs 21 lakh. He will negotiate and sell it.” Times of India , Delhi.
The above news item has almost created a stir. Who could be the buyer? Would he kill it this year or keep a sacred gift from Allah. How Singh has been keeping such a precious goat ? Did he hire some security?.
Faith is a very curious aspect of human life. Here is a case of God bringing the goat in Singh’s family and parting it to a devote Muslim. Both are happy. Singh for the money he got and the buyer the gift he could offer.
KEEP DREAMING
KEEP DREAMING
It was all the more difficult when one has to go to a new school, just like today .His parents had moved to a new town. He was taken out from his school, the only school he knew and liked. Not only the school but the friends he had made, the teachers, the playground, the beautiful surroundings……….
He did not feel going to new school, in a strange new town. He just hated everything. But he had no choice as well. First day in the school was on expected lines. The school is no good, the teachers were no good, and the fellow classmates were no good. Even the playground and the toy room were no good either .He knew, nothing will be good. Some of his classmates were plain stupid.
And the day passed. More days passed. He could never know when he made new friends, started feeling fondness for his class teacher. Strange! The new school looked better than the old school. Even the new town was far more to his liking… until one day.
He was now in his 5ht grade. Very soon, at the end of the term, he will be promoted to 6th grade and become a part of the High school student group. He will no more be called a student of the junior section
High school was serious business. What he liked most was the grace, respect and authority the Principal commanded. Whenever, he had the chance to see, listen or talk to him, he would feel overwhelmed. His parents would often ask him what he would like to be when he grows up as an adult. He was never so sure but, now, he knew what he wanted to be.
On each page of his books, notebooks, even on the walls of his room, he wrote the letter ‘P’. Books were his best friends.
After completing his graduation, he trained as a teacher and started teaching in the same school where he was once a High school student.After a few years , on the basis of his merits and hard work and his popularity among the students and teachers, the school management decided to appoint him as the PRINCIPAL of the school!
Dreams do come true! So dream and dream big!
It was all the more difficult when one has to go to a new school, just like today .His parents had moved to a new town. He was taken out from his school, the only school he knew and liked. Not only the school but the friends he had made, the teachers, the playground, the beautiful surroundings……….
He did not feel going to new school, in a strange new town. He just hated everything. But he had no choice as well. First day in the school was on expected lines. The school is no good, the teachers were no good, and the fellow classmates were no good. Even the playground and the toy room were no good either .He knew, nothing will be good. Some of his classmates were plain stupid.
And the day passed. More days passed. He could never know when he made new friends, started feeling fondness for his class teacher. Strange! The new school looked better than the old school. Even the new town was far more to his liking… until one day.
He was now in his 5ht grade. Very soon, at the end of the term, he will be promoted to 6th grade and become a part of the High school student group. He will no more be called a student of the junior section
High school was serious business. What he liked most was the grace, respect and authority the Principal commanded. Whenever, he had the chance to see, listen or talk to him, he would feel overwhelmed. His parents would often ask him what he would like to be when he grows up as an adult. He was never so sure but, now, he knew what he wanted to be.
On each page of his books, notebooks, even on the walls of his room, he wrote the letter ‘P’. Books were his best friends.
After completing his graduation, he trained as a teacher and started teaching in the same school where he was once a High school student.After a few years , on the basis of his merits and hard work and his popularity among the students and teachers, the school management decided to appoint him as the PRINCIPAL of the school!
Dreams do come true! So dream and dream big!
MAYAWATI: WILL SHE OR WILL SHE NOT
MAYAWATI…WILL SHE OR WILL SHE NOT
Ms Mayawati , Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh , the most populous state in India is news again. It looks Mayawati courts controversies and openly likes them. She was garlanded with a 60 kgs garland made of fresh Rs .1000 Indian currencies notes. The Income Tax Department estimates the use of over 500 bundles of notes each with 100 notes and weighing 120 grams. The total value of the garland comes to Rs 5,00,00, 00, 000 (500X 100X 100X1000). She was criticized by politicians, media and general public and as in a confrontation mode she got herself garlanded by a very colorful garland made up of all denominations of Indian currency valuing Rs 21,00,000. Behanji ( as she is affectionately called by her party men)permitting, her party men will hence forth garland her with currency notes only. Several political leaders have got themselves weighed in gold, silver, coins in the past and all such collections have reportedly gone to party funds. There seems to be nothing improper here if it was not so n the past.
Earlier she was in news for erecting huge statues of herself and her mentor Mr. Kansi Ram, (the Founder of Bahujan Samaj Party) in parks specially earmarked for this purpose. One can see hundreds of statues of herself and Kansi Ram with her Party symbol, elephant, in Lucknow the state capital and Noida (an Industrial hub) close to Delhi, the capital of India. Other political parties too have got roads and bridges, institutions, towns, hospitals, airports etc after the names of their past or present leaders. Here also, Mayawati is only doing the obvious.
Her love for diamonds, ladies bags, salwar suits, palatial houses, is also well known. Nothing strange as that is what the wealth for.
She rules the party with iron hands, so does Jayalaitha of AIDMK, Mamta Bannerjee of TRIMUL CONGRESS, and Sonia Gandhi of Congress.
A scheduled cast (cobbler) by birth, born in a poor family goes to become a qualified lawyer, works as a teacher, is spotted by Mr. Kansi Ram and brought within the inner circle of BSP. Within no time, not only she controls the mentor but through him the party too.Kansi Ram in his own lifetime hands over the party reigns in her hands and in his last days becomes totally dependant on her, to the extent that his close family members are not permitted to meet him .
To understand her, we will have to go back to the times when persons belonging to schedule casts like Cobblers, scavengers, smiths, watermen, et el (Mr. M. K. Gandhi called them Harijans i. e. God’s own children in his endevour to eliminate untouchability) were considered untouchables by the upper cast Brahmins, Vaishyas, Khatriyas.
In my childhood, I have seen these people getting punished for drawing water from the village water wells or taps. In school their children had to sit in a separate line a little far from the upper cast children. Whenever cattle died in the village, they were called to drag it and dump outside the limits of the village and no remuneration was ever paid. There was no question of inviting them to any village function. Even during Ramlila Plays, they were to sit separately. They were supposed to give right of way to upper cast. They were supposed to pay respect and bow to even children of upper cast people. They were not supposed to touch while accepting food or any other item from the upper cast.
When I came to the town for my further studies, I saw these Bhangies(scavengers) cleaning the dry latrines and carrying the waste over their heads for which they got pittance. Unsociability was less prevalent in the cities.
Sixty-seven years down the line, a lot has changed. Thanks to the democratic set up of the country, every political party has tried to woo this vote bank. This little change is due to the necessity of gaining political power and not because of any change of heart. Unsociability is now criminal offence. There is reservation for them in Parliament and state Assemblies, Government jobs, Education and various other fields. There are influential leaders, pleaders, officials and educationists from these casts. It is sight to see upper caste people lining up for the Darshan(audience) of Behanji.
The hypocrisy does not end here. It is only for the economically and politically powerful people of these casts who gain credence in the hands of the upper caste people. It looks money is a great leveler.
Conditions in the villages are far from satisfactory. Traditionally, lower cast people were denied entry in the temples, wells, and houses. The same is still true.
Viewed in this background, there is a huge possibility that Mayawati is on Vendetta. She and her family members seem to have suffered in the hands of upper cast people. We heard about Raj Hat, Triya Hat and Bal Hat (Obstinate King, woman, child) meaning if the King or woman or child bents upon asking or something, there is no limit to what they would not do.
Mayawati has proved that she can win power, she can amass wealth, she can force the upper cast to bow before her, she can disobey the courts, and she can hire and fire any official. In short she can do anything she wants. The dalits, the downtrodden, the cursed, the marginalized, the lowest of the low casts … all see themselves in her. They believe one day their own lot will change as that of Mayawati and one day they too will have power, wealth and whatever.
Will this happen? Will Mayawati be ready to drop political opportunism in favor of the upliftment of the erstwhile untouchables? Time will only tell.
H. P. Lakhera
Delhi, March 20, 2010
Ms Mayawati , Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh , the most populous state in India is news again. It looks Mayawati courts controversies and openly likes them. She was garlanded with a 60 kgs garland made of fresh Rs .1000 Indian currencies notes. The Income Tax Department estimates the use of over 500 bundles of notes each with 100 notes and weighing 120 grams. The total value of the garland comes to Rs 5,00,00, 00, 000 (500X 100X 100X1000). She was criticized by politicians, media and general public and as in a confrontation mode she got herself garlanded by a very colorful garland made up of all denominations of Indian currency valuing Rs 21,00,000. Behanji ( as she is affectionately called by her party men)permitting, her party men will hence forth garland her with currency notes only. Several political leaders have got themselves weighed in gold, silver, coins in the past and all such collections have reportedly gone to party funds. There seems to be nothing improper here if it was not so n the past.
Earlier she was in news for erecting huge statues of herself and her mentor Mr. Kansi Ram, (the Founder of Bahujan Samaj Party) in parks specially earmarked for this purpose. One can see hundreds of statues of herself and Kansi Ram with her Party symbol, elephant, in Lucknow the state capital and Noida (an Industrial hub) close to Delhi, the capital of India. Other political parties too have got roads and bridges, institutions, towns, hospitals, airports etc after the names of their past or present leaders. Here also, Mayawati is only doing the obvious.
Her love for diamonds, ladies bags, salwar suits, palatial houses, is also well known. Nothing strange as that is what the wealth for.
She rules the party with iron hands, so does Jayalaitha of AIDMK, Mamta Bannerjee of TRIMUL CONGRESS, and Sonia Gandhi of Congress.
A scheduled cast (cobbler) by birth, born in a poor family goes to become a qualified lawyer, works as a teacher, is spotted by Mr. Kansi Ram and brought within the inner circle of BSP. Within no time, not only she controls the mentor but through him the party too.Kansi Ram in his own lifetime hands over the party reigns in her hands and in his last days becomes totally dependant on her, to the extent that his close family members are not permitted to meet him .
To understand her, we will have to go back to the times when persons belonging to schedule casts like Cobblers, scavengers, smiths, watermen, et el (Mr. M. K. Gandhi called them Harijans i. e. God’s own children in his endevour to eliminate untouchability) were considered untouchables by the upper cast Brahmins, Vaishyas, Khatriyas.
In my childhood, I have seen these people getting punished for drawing water from the village water wells or taps. In school their children had to sit in a separate line a little far from the upper cast children. Whenever cattle died in the village, they were called to drag it and dump outside the limits of the village and no remuneration was ever paid. There was no question of inviting them to any village function. Even during Ramlila Plays, they were to sit separately. They were supposed to give right of way to upper cast. They were supposed to pay respect and bow to even children of upper cast people. They were not supposed to touch while accepting food or any other item from the upper cast.
When I came to the town for my further studies, I saw these Bhangies(scavengers) cleaning the dry latrines and carrying the waste over their heads for which they got pittance. Unsociability was less prevalent in the cities.
Sixty-seven years down the line, a lot has changed. Thanks to the democratic set up of the country, every political party has tried to woo this vote bank. This little change is due to the necessity of gaining political power and not because of any change of heart. Unsociability is now criminal offence. There is reservation for them in Parliament and state Assemblies, Government jobs, Education and various other fields. There are influential leaders, pleaders, officials and educationists from these casts. It is sight to see upper caste people lining up for the Darshan(audience) of Behanji.
The hypocrisy does not end here. It is only for the economically and politically powerful people of these casts who gain credence in the hands of the upper caste people. It looks money is a great leveler.
Conditions in the villages are far from satisfactory. Traditionally, lower cast people were denied entry in the temples, wells, and houses. The same is still true.
Viewed in this background, there is a huge possibility that Mayawati is on Vendetta. She and her family members seem to have suffered in the hands of upper cast people. We heard about Raj Hat, Triya Hat and Bal Hat (Obstinate King, woman, child) meaning if the King or woman or child bents upon asking or something, there is no limit to what they would not do.
Mayawati has proved that she can win power, she can amass wealth, she can force the upper cast to bow before her, she can disobey the courts, and she can hire and fire any official. In short she can do anything she wants. The dalits, the downtrodden, the cursed, the marginalized, the lowest of the low casts … all see themselves in her. They believe one day their own lot will change as that of Mayawati and one day they too will have power, wealth and whatever.
Will this happen? Will Mayawati be ready to drop political opportunism in favor of the upliftment of the erstwhile untouchables? Time will only tell.
H. P. Lakhera
Delhi, March 20, 2010
POTRAYAL OF VOILENCE ON NEWS CHANNELS
POTRAYAL OF VOILENCE ON NEWS CHANNELS
Electronic media is getting flake for many wrong counts and it is itself to blame for this bad publicity. The so-called ‘Breaking News’ is nothing but fancy idea of the newscaster aiming at increasing the TRP of the channel. “Exclusive on this channel” also means nothing but self-deception.
The electronic media is flooded with News Channels. There are National Channels, Regional Channels and there are language channels. On a rough estimate there are over 300 News Channels in India. There is a mad -mad world outside ready to pounce on you in every trade and business. Media is also a business and it cannot isolate itself from the tough ways of business world. The only difference is that it tries to create a façade around itself in the guise of public good.
There are channels reporting on crimes as if the incident happened before the eyes of the reporter. They ‘reconstruct’ the happenings, which even an eyewitness cannot do. Details of weapons used, modes operandi and motive are explained in such manner that may put the official investigators to utter shame. Let there be a murder, rape or suicide and reporters of all news channels will throng the area making it difficult for the law enforcing agencies to do their job. Live telecast will be shown for the whole day and few more days till something new comes up. Public memories being short, past incidents lose the brightness and thrill within no time.
These incidents are reconstructed and portrayed in such ghastly manner and telecast into the drawing rooms of unsuspecting families. Since nothing excites more that the spicy news, children become the easy victims. There is already hell of a lot of violence on the Internet and now we have this on the telly also. It is difficult to say how much it is responsible for the crimes in the streets as not only electronic media but also even the films are propagating the myth of violence as a justification for social justice.
It is feared that the live telecast of the terrorist attack on Mumbai, India on 26.11.2008 and the police action by the various News Channels gave a better operational advantage to the handlers of the terrorists sitting in Pakistan to guide their foot solders on the ground. The News Channels were telecasting live the movements of the Task Force, the Commandos, bit by bit. No wonder it took almost 36 hours to bring the situation under control and capture one terrorist alive.
All this is done in the name of freedom of speech and expression. Anything against and it is termed as gagging the press and the media. They are free to print and telecast any news without naming the source and they cannot be brought o books for wrong reporting and worst still for defamation. They can do character assassination at will and lose nothing but earn a lot by way of increased TRPs.
It is pathetic to watch a reporter asking a mother of the slain boy “ Mam, how do you feel” or a drawning man “would you like to say something”. I would think there is total lack of trained reporters with an understanding of human feelings.
Time was when news was presented as ‘news’ and not as ‘views’ of the reporters.
Views of the News Paper and its Management were expressed in the Editorial columns. The electronic media has gone many steps further. They not only express the views but also try to put words in the mouth of the people they interview.
Take for example the reporting on the close door meetings of political leaders. The leaders are still in meeting and the reporter outside is explaining the talks going on inside as if he has the script in his hands or as if he physically present inside listening to the talks going on. This is termed as ‘ breaking news’ ‘only on this channel’ ‘exclusive’ and what not.
We all need a free Press and Media for truth to come out and this cannot be denied. Without a free Press and Media we will be ignorant. Present day society owes a lot to the vigilant media but at the same time is the victim of their follies.
The answer therefore is self-regulation and a code of conduct by the press and media, of the press and media and for the press and media.
Electronic media is getting flake for many wrong counts and it is itself to blame for this bad publicity. The so-called ‘Breaking News’ is nothing but fancy idea of the newscaster aiming at increasing the TRP of the channel. “Exclusive on this channel” also means nothing but self-deception.
The electronic media is flooded with News Channels. There are National Channels, Regional Channels and there are language channels. On a rough estimate there are over 300 News Channels in India. There is a mad -mad world outside ready to pounce on you in every trade and business. Media is also a business and it cannot isolate itself from the tough ways of business world. The only difference is that it tries to create a façade around itself in the guise of public good.
There are channels reporting on crimes as if the incident happened before the eyes of the reporter. They ‘reconstruct’ the happenings, which even an eyewitness cannot do. Details of weapons used, modes operandi and motive are explained in such manner that may put the official investigators to utter shame. Let there be a murder, rape or suicide and reporters of all news channels will throng the area making it difficult for the law enforcing agencies to do their job. Live telecast will be shown for the whole day and few more days till something new comes up. Public memories being short, past incidents lose the brightness and thrill within no time.
These incidents are reconstructed and portrayed in such ghastly manner and telecast into the drawing rooms of unsuspecting families. Since nothing excites more that the spicy news, children become the easy victims. There is already hell of a lot of violence on the Internet and now we have this on the telly also. It is difficult to say how much it is responsible for the crimes in the streets as not only electronic media but also even the films are propagating the myth of violence as a justification for social justice.
It is feared that the live telecast of the terrorist attack on Mumbai, India on 26.11.2008 and the police action by the various News Channels gave a better operational advantage to the handlers of the terrorists sitting in Pakistan to guide their foot solders on the ground. The News Channels were telecasting live the movements of the Task Force, the Commandos, bit by bit. No wonder it took almost 36 hours to bring the situation under control and capture one terrorist alive.
All this is done in the name of freedom of speech and expression. Anything against and it is termed as gagging the press and the media. They are free to print and telecast any news without naming the source and they cannot be brought o books for wrong reporting and worst still for defamation. They can do character assassination at will and lose nothing but earn a lot by way of increased TRPs.
It is pathetic to watch a reporter asking a mother of the slain boy “ Mam, how do you feel” or a drawning man “would you like to say something”. I would think there is total lack of trained reporters with an understanding of human feelings.
Time was when news was presented as ‘news’ and not as ‘views’ of the reporters.
Views of the News Paper and its Management were expressed in the Editorial columns. The electronic media has gone many steps further. They not only express the views but also try to put words in the mouth of the people they interview.
Take for example the reporting on the close door meetings of political leaders. The leaders are still in meeting and the reporter outside is explaining the talks going on inside as if he has the script in his hands or as if he physically present inside listening to the talks going on. This is termed as ‘ breaking news’ ‘only on this channel’ ‘exclusive’ and what not.
We all need a free Press and Media for truth to come out and this cannot be denied. Without a free Press and Media we will be ignorant. Present day society owes a lot to the vigilant media but at the same time is the victim of their follies.
The answer therefore is self-regulation and a code of conduct by the press and media, of the press and media and for the press and media.
VISIT TO A TEA FACTORY
VISIT TO A TEA FACTORY
Most of us drink cups of tea everyday but not many of us know how tea is processed in a tea factory before it reaches us in a tin or a pack. During my recent visit to the “God’s own country” Kerala in south India, I had the opportunity of visiting various tea gardens in the hills of Munnar and Thekkady , I could not resist the temptation of knowing first hand all about tea and the only way to do this was to visit a Tea Factory. Most of the tea factories in this part of the country arrange for paid visits and we visited one such factory of The Tropical Plantations Limited at their Periyar Connemara Estate. There were lot of visitors like us, some from as far as Germany and France.
The guide, a very amiable person knowing English and French in equal measure took us to the auditorium and gave a presentation about the Company in general and Tea Processing in particular. There are different processes of tea making. This factory follows CTC (Crushing, tearing and Curling) process. The other is leaf twisting process. The salient features are:-
1. Plant life could be more than 300 years.
2. About 4300 plants are planted per acre.
3. Harvesting is done by cutting /plucking or both. Harvesting is done for a few weeks in a year. Fresh leaves are only harvested. The older the plant, the better is the tea. Old leaves are not plucked and used for tea making. The harvested leaves are then taken to the factory for processing.
4. The process starts with withering (moisture evaporation about 20%), shredding, crushing, fermentation, ball breaking, drying, cleaning, grading (grains and dust), winnowing, final cleaning and packing. The rates vary according to the grades.
5. The recovery rate is just 24 % i.e. if 100 kg of leave reach the factory for processing only 24 kg is final product.
6. The correct way to prepare tea is to first boil the water, put 2.5 grams of tea for a cup, wait for 5 minute and add sugar and milk to taste.
I do not claim to have learnt all about tea manufacturing but these are the basics. It is a pleasure to walk through the tea gardens, the green spread all over.
We also visited coffee plantations, rubber plantations, spice gardens, and must admit that the hills, forests, rivers, lakes, canals, back waters, beaches and last but not the least the people of Kerala are all enchanting. No wonder they call “God’s Own Country”
Hari Lakhera Delhi, Feb 5, 20
Most of us drink cups of tea everyday but not many of us know how tea is processed in a tea factory before it reaches us in a tin or a pack. During my recent visit to the “God’s own country” Kerala in south India, I had the opportunity of visiting various tea gardens in the hills of Munnar and Thekkady , I could not resist the temptation of knowing first hand all about tea and the only way to do this was to visit a Tea Factory. Most of the tea factories in this part of the country arrange for paid visits and we visited one such factory of The Tropical Plantations Limited at their Periyar Connemara Estate. There were lot of visitors like us, some from as far as Germany and France.
The guide, a very amiable person knowing English and French in equal measure took us to the auditorium and gave a presentation about the Company in general and Tea Processing in particular. There are different processes of tea making. This factory follows CTC (Crushing, tearing and Curling) process. The other is leaf twisting process. The salient features are:-
1. Plant life could be more than 300 years.
2. About 4300 plants are planted per acre.
3. Harvesting is done by cutting /plucking or both. Harvesting is done for a few weeks in a year. Fresh leaves are only harvested. The older the plant, the better is the tea. Old leaves are not plucked and used for tea making. The harvested leaves are then taken to the factory for processing.
4. The process starts with withering (moisture evaporation about 20%), shredding, crushing, fermentation, ball breaking, drying, cleaning, grading (grains and dust), winnowing, final cleaning and packing. The rates vary according to the grades.
5. The recovery rate is just 24 % i.e. if 100 kg of leave reach the factory for processing only 24 kg is final product.
6. The correct way to prepare tea is to first boil the water, put 2.5 grams of tea for a cup, wait for 5 minute and add sugar and milk to taste.
I do not claim to have learnt all about tea manufacturing but these are the basics. It is a pleasure to walk through the tea gardens, the green spread all over.
We also visited coffee plantations, rubber plantations, spice gardens, and must admit that the hills, forests, rivers, lakes, canals, back waters, beaches and last but not the least the people of Kerala are all enchanting. No wonder they call “God’s Own Country”
Hari Lakhera Delhi, Feb 5, 20
WHERE DO GREAT PEOPLE COME FROM
WHERE DO GREAT PEOPLE COME FROM
It is said that some people are born great and on some greatness is thrust upon. Without going into the merits and demerits of this saying, I would like to state that some people are destined to be great. We all have been fortunate enough to have opportunities big or small but we let them pass. If at all we took advantage of the opportunities, that was for our personal good and not for the good of the humanity at large. I will proceed with some examples and then summarise how some people are destined to be great. By this I do not mean to imply that they were picked up by the Almighty. God gave us birth and with this the pains, the conflicts and finally death. Between birth and death, we all go through some pains and conflicts. The whole journey is the sum total of the good things we did or could not do.
1. Hypocrate;
There are so many stories about Hipocrate, the great Greek Physician and many of them ture. There is no denying the fact that Hypocratic Oath has influenced the very concept of professional ethics for doctors. All doctors swear by this oath at the passing out convocation. It is said that Hipocrate’s father, Heraclides, himself a physician, suddenly fell ill and collapsed in the street in the middle of the night while returning from a theatre. Hypocrate, a teenager at that time was clueless. He ran to the nearest physician he knew and implored him to help him. This physician not willing to come out of the comfort of his house asked Hypocrate to go elsewhere. Fortunately, his father, meantime, regained his cosciousness and all was well. This however left a very strong impression in his mind and he vowed to attend to all such calls immediately when he himself becomes a physician. As a result, we have Hypocratic oath.
2.Sir Issac Newton;
Newton was not a bright student. He was called “back bencher” as he always sat on the last bench in the class. Sitting in his garden one day, he saw an apple fall down from the tree in front of him. There was nothing new about it but Newton wondered why the apple did not go up and why it came down on the ground. Was there some attraction on the ground that things that are thrown up come down? The Law of Gravity was born. Issac Newton became the renowned scientist as the world know him today.
3.Gautam Budha.
Young Prince Sidharth is taken on a conducted tour of the capital . On way for the first time in his life he saw aged people. He was told all have to be old and aged one day. Then he saw a group of people crying and following some thing being carried by four people on their soulders . He was told some one had died and those people following were family or friends and that we all have to die one day. Young Sidharth is overwhelmed by thought of the inevitable….. the sickness, old age, and finally death. He renounced the world in search of Nirvana. Years of search for the truth and the final realisation came in his life. The enlightened one was called Budha.
4.Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi
Born in Gujrat, India, Bar at Law from England, moved to South Africa for Legal Practice …. Just a common man’s journey! He is thrown out from a First Class compartment , though with a valid ticket, on the platform of some obscure town in South Africa as the fellow white traveler could not tolerate a colored man traveling with a white man! Gandhi had seen and heard about racial discrimination but was perhaps for the first time the victim. This was the begining of the long fight for equality which ended with the Independence of his own country in 1947 from the British Rule.
Hisory is abound with such stories .What is it that a tiny spark spreads a big fire? Day in and day out we come across many such happenings around us and we simply we walk by. Are therefore some people destined to change the course of history for the good or bad. I think so. They good ones were different because:
*All great people had very humble beginning. They were focused, resolute and persevering in their efforts.
*They had very little to gain from their struggle and every thing to lose.
*Their struggle was for the humanity at large and nothing to do with cast, creed, color or nationality.
*They had no enemosity or hatred for the persons or group they were fighting against.
*They were not attached with the result of their struggle and they were not afraid of failures.
*For them nothing was bigger than the cause not even their family or friends.
*Their conviction was so great that people joined them of their own.
*They could carry with all criticism and had the capacity to endure hardships.
Humanity will always be indebted to these many great souls. They came from all casts, creeds, and nationalities and enriched the whole world. Some of them like Budha became living God in their life time and are worshiped like God. God therefore is within us , among us.
It is said that some people are born great and on some greatness is thrust upon. Without going into the merits and demerits of this saying, I would like to state that some people are destined to be great. We all have been fortunate enough to have opportunities big or small but we let them pass. If at all we took advantage of the opportunities, that was for our personal good and not for the good of the humanity at large. I will proceed with some examples and then summarise how some people are destined to be great. By this I do not mean to imply that they were picked up by the Almighty. God gave us birth and with this the pains, the conflicts and finally death. Between birth and death, we all go through some pains and conflicts. The whole journey is the sum total of the good things we did or could not do.
1. Hypocrate;
There are so many stories about Hipocrate, the great Greek Physician and many of them ture. There is no denying the fact that Hypocratic Oath has influenced the very concept of professional ethics for doctors. All doctors swear by this oath at the passing out convocation. It is said that Hipocrate’s father, Heraclides, himself a physician, suddenly fell ill and collapsed in the street in the middle of the night while returning from a theatre. Hypocrate, a teenager at that time was clueless. He ran to the nearest physician he knew and implored him to help him. This physician not willing to come out of the comfort of his house asked Hypocrate to go elsewhere. Fortunately, his father, meantime, regained his cosciousness and all was well. This however left a very strong impression in his mind and he vowed to attend to all such calls immediately when he himself becomes a physician. As a result, we have Hypocratic oath.
2.Sir Issac Newton;
Newton was not a bright student. He was called “back bencher” as he always sat on the last bench in the class. Sitting in his garden one day, he saw an apple fall down from the tree in front of him. There was nothing new about it but Newton wondered why the apple did not go up and why it came down on the ground. Was there some attraction on the ground that things that are thrown up come down? The Law of Gravity was born. Issac Newton became the renowned scientist as the world know him today.
3.Gautam Budha.
Young Prince Sidharth is taken on a conducted tour of the capital . On way for the first time in his life he saw aged people. He was told all have to be old and aged one day. Then he saw a group of people crying and following some thing being carried by four people on their soulders . He was told some one had died and those people following were family or friends and that we all have to die one day. Young Sidharth is overwhelmed by thought of the inevitable….. the sickness, old age, and finally death. He renounced the world in search of Nirvana. Years of search for the truth and the final realisation came in his life. The enlightened one was called Budha.
4.Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi
Born in Gujrat, India, Bar at Law from England, moved to South Africa for Legal Practice …. Just a common man’s journey! He is thrown out from a First Class compartment , though with a valid ticket, on the platform of some obscure town in South Africa as the fellow white traveler could not tolerate a colored man traveling with a white man! Gandhi had seen and heard about racial discrimination but was perhaps for the first time the victim. This was the begining of the long fight for equality which ended with the Independence of his own country in 1947 from the British Rule.
Hisory is abound with such stories .What is it that a tiny spark spreads a big fire? Day in and day out we come across many such happenings around us and we simply we walk by. Are therefore some people destined to change the course of history for the good or bad. I think so. They good ones were different because:
*All great people had very humble beginning. They were focused, resolute and persevering in their efforts.
*They had very little to gain from their struggle and every thing to lose.
*Their struggle was for the humanity at large and nothing to do with cast, creed, color or nationality.
*They had no enemosity or hatred for the persons or group they were fighting against.
*They were not attached with the result of their struggle and they were not afraid of failures.
*For them nothing was bigger than the cause not even their family or friends.
*Their conviction was so great that people joined them of their own.
*They could carry with all criticism and had the capacity to endure hardships.
Humanity will always be indebted to these many great souls. They came from all casts, creeds, and nationalities and enriched the whole world. Some of them like Budha became living God in their life time and are worshiped like God. God therefore is within us , among us.
Monday, May 17, 2010
HONESTY A DIFFICULT PATH TO WALK
HONESTY… A DIFFICULT PATH TO WALK
Honesty is defined as “state or quality of being honest (free from fraud, upright, just, sincere, candid, virtuous) integrity, candor, truth.” While describing some one or ourselves as honest we forget that it is rather impossible to be truly honest.
One of my friend, a Chartered Accountant, successful a that, once told me that he keeps some cash in the open drawers or on kitchen self which is not only handy while paying certain bills or asking the servant to get something from the market but also for testing the integrity of the servant. His theory is, given a chance we are all dishonest. It may be difficult for a person to break open a locker but it will be quite easy for him to pinch some money or jewellery lying unguarded. Honest people do not take advantage of situations whatever may be the gains.
The issue is the perpetual fight between mind and soul. Inner self forbids doing what is not good, mind looks into the practical aspect of life. In most cases mind wins. Perhaps present day materialistic life justifies such issues. May be these are not the issues at all.
Let us start from the beginning of our adult hood as the childhood can be spared for reasons of lack of experience or understanding of various aspects of honest life. Grabbing out of turn or unjustified benefits be it not standing in the Queue or backdoor entries for our personal or official gains, being part of some fraud, reaching office late or leaving early on false pretexts, remaining politically correct in the face of injustice to a fellow worker, pinching office stationary, submitting inflated tour bills, accepting or expecting gifts from suppliers, bribing the system for speeding up our official work in order to gain a few points of performance awards. There can be hundreds of examples of our working life when we did not really look honest.
Outside our working life, situation is no better. We do not follow the traffic rules, do not t pay our taxes and become a part of the corrupt system. The glaring example is the avoidance of stamp duty by undervaluing the property purchased. It is well known that the builders ask for 50% cash. Many a time receipt is not taken for purchases to avoid sales tax. Every time the excuse is others too are doing it and if we do not fall in line we will not survive.
Is then remaining honest in present day society really impossible. Should we therefore change the definition of honesty? Should bribery be legalized? Should some premium be charged legally on out of turn allotment of tickets, passports, and many other such things in the same way as Tatkal Railway Ticket or Passport or cooking gas connection?
Is it rather true that we are dishonest because we are human? I do not think animals have the concept of honesty. They have only one rule, might is right. Since physical might be able to have started street violence we invented financial or intellectual might to score over others. With the process of time people with financial or intellectual might got their tools sharpened and became more and more successful.
It looks honesty is for preaching others and not for self- practicing. It seems true because in spite of centuries of preaching society is struggling with fraud, untruths, and injustice. It is something like a notice board in front a juice center proclaiming “drinking strictly prohibited” but you can find people mixing their drinks with the juice supplied by the center right in front of the shop and enjoying in full glare of all standing around. The notice board is more of an invitation to buy juice to mix with drinks. By describing what is considered dishonest and stay away from such practices, the opposite seems to be happening. People are learning more tricks to be smart.
Honesty is defined as “state or quality of being honest (free from fraud, upright, just, sincere, candid, virtuous) integrity, candor, truth.” While describing some one or ourselves as honest we forget that it is rather impossible to be truly honest.
One of my friend, a Chartered Accountant, successful a that, once told me that he keeps some cash in the open drawers or on kitchen self which is not only handy while paying certain bills or asking the servant to get something from the market but also for testing the integrity of the servant. His theory is, given a chance we are all dishonest. It may be difficult for a person to break open a locker but it will be quite easy for him to pinch some money or jewellery lying unguarded. Honest people do not take advantage of situations whatever may be the gains.
The issue is the perpetual fight between mind and soul. Inner self forbids doing what is not good, mind looks into the practical aspect of life. In most cases mind wins. Perhaps present day materialistic life justifies such issues. May be these are not the issues at all.
Let us start from the beginning of our adult hood as the childhood can be spared for reasons of lack of experience or understanding of various aspects of honest life. Grabbing out of turn or unjustified benefits be it not standing in the Queue or backdoor entries for our personal or official gains, being part of some fraud, reaching office late or leaving early on false pretexts, remaining politically correct in the face of injustice to a fellow worker, pinching office stationary, submitting inflated tour bills, accepting or expecting gifts from suppliers, bribing the system for speeding up our official work in order to gain a few points of performance awards. There can be hundreds of examples of our working life when we did not really look honest.
Outside our working life, situation is no better. We do not follow the traffic rules, do not t pay our taxes and become a part of the corrupt system. The glaring example is the avoidance of stamp duty by undervaluing the property purchased. It is well known that the builders ask for 50% cash. Many a time receipt is not taken for purchases to avoid sales tax. Every time the excuse is others too are doing it and if we do not fall in line we will not survive.
Is then remaining honest in present day society really impossible. Should we therefore change the definition of honesty? Should bribery be legalized? Should some premium be charged legally on out of turn allotment of tickets, passports, and many other such things in the same way as Tatkal Railway Ticket or Passport or cooking gas connection?
Is it rather true that we are dishonest because we are human? I do not think animals have the concept of honesty. They have only one rule, might is right. Since physical might be able to have started street violence we invented financial or intellectual might to score over others. With the process of time people with financial or intellectual might got their tools sharpened and became more and more successful.
It looks honesty is for preaching others and not for self- practicing. It seems true because in spite of centuries of preaching society is struggling with fraud, untruths, and injustice. It is something like a notice board in front a juice center proclaiming “drinking strictly prohibited” but you can find people mixing their drinks with the juice supplied by the center right in front of the shop and enjoying in full glare of all standing around. The notice board is more of an invitation to buy juice to mix with drinks. By describing what is considered dishonest and stay away from such practices, the opposite seems to be happening. People are learning more tricks to be smart.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR AJMAL KASAB
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR AJMAL KASAB
Ajmal Kasab, the Pakistani terrorist and the lone culprit captured by the Indian Task Force on the fateful night of Terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, on 26.11.2008
has been sentenced to death by the trial court on various counts including the killing of 86 innocent people. Death sentence is given in India in the rarest of rare cases and what could be the rarest of rare case than the attack on India and killing its citizens.
Every time a death sentence in pronounced by a court, a serious debate starts to justify or otherwise the need of death penalty. It is argued that 95 countries have banned death penalty and 35 countries are on the way to do so. Presently over 60 countries have the provision of death penalty.
It has been argued that death sentence is unconstitutional as the constitution guarantees the fundamental right to live. At the same time, it is also true that if death sentence is in the statute books, it is legal. So many arguments have been in circulation both for and against death sentence ever since the civil society realized that eye for an eye or tit for tat is not the solution to reducing such heinous crimes as this type of punishment has not proved as a deterrent.
Moralists may argue that God has given life and He alone can take it away. Humans have no right to take life of anybody whatsoever may be the reason.
Philosophically, all the criminals need hospitalization as they are mentally sick and all the people reporting sick should be put in Jails as most of time they fake their illness.
Arguably punishment of any sort for any crime big or small is not deterrent. Crimes do happen in spite of or because of the punishment. The question therefore is how to balance the life of the accused and the victim. In the eyes of the victim the accused should be given example ray punishment so that no one dare to do so in future. The punishment may not reduce the pain or loss of the victim but it will give him the consolation that justice has been done and the accused, hopefully, will realize his mistake.
On the other hand the accused has his own reason for committing the crime. He might have killed in self-defense or to save his or his family’s honor (honor killing) or to take some revenge or for economic reasons, or simply by accident or as in the case of AjmalKasab , a brain washed highly motivated member of a terror gang. There can many reasons for people committing murders in cold blood.
In the early years of human history, might was right. People with might ruled over other people. With the evolution of human civilization, the need for legal justice system might have also evolved. This went through various phases of change before it came in its present form. It is therefore the considered opinion of our great social reformers that crime should be punished in direct proportion to the degree of crime.
In this background the concept of capital Punishment does not appear to be out of place particularly when the murder has been committed in well-planned manner with the sole intention of taking the life or lives of people. Ajmal Kasab’s case falls within this category and he should be hanged. True he was only a tool in the hands of his handlers in Pakistan but that does not reduce his crime.
H. P. Lakhera
May 9. 2010
Ajmal Kasab, the Pakistani terrorist and the lone culprit captured by the Indian Task Force on the fateful night of Terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, on 26.11.2008
has been sentenced to death by the trial court on various counts including the killing of 86 innocent people. Death sentence is given in India in the rarest of rare cases and what could be the rarest of rare case than the attack on India and killing its citizens.
Every time a death sentence in pronounced by a court, a serious debate starts to justify or otherwise the need of death penalty. It is argued that 95 countries have banned death penalty and 35 countries are on the way to do so. Presently over 60 countries have the provision of death penalty.
It has been argued that death sentence is unconstitutional as the constitution guarantees the fundamental right to live. At the same time, it is also true that if death sentence is in the statute books, it is legal. So many arguments have been in circulation both for and against death sentence ever since the civil society realized that eye for an eye or tit for tat is not the solution to reducing such heinous crimes as this type of punishment has not proved as a deterrent.
Moralists may argue that God has given life and He alone can take it away. Humans have no right to take life of anybody whatsoever may be the reason.
Philosophically, all the criminals need hospitalization as they are mentally sick and all the people reporting sick should be put in Jails as most of time they fake their illness.
Arguably punishment of any sort for any crime big or small is not deterrent. Crimes do happen in spite of or because of the punishment. The question therefore is how to balance the life of the accused and the victim. In the eyes of the victim the accused should be given example ray punishment so that no one dare to do so in future. The punishment may not reduce the pain or loss of the victim but it will give him the consolation that justice has been done and the accused, hopefully, will realize his mistake.
On the other hand the accused has his own reason for committing the crime. He might have killed in self-defense or to save his or his family’s honor (honor killing) or to take some revenge or for economic reasons, or simply by accident or as in the case of AjmalKasab , a brain washed highly motivated member of a terror gang. There can many reasons for people committing murders in cold blood.
In the early years of human history, might was right. People with might ruled over other people. With the evolution of human civilization, the need for legal justice system might have also evolved. This went through various phases of change before it came in its present form. It is therefore the considered opinion of our great social reformers that crime should be punished in direct proportion to the degree of crime.
In this background the concept of capital Punishment does not appear to be out of place particularly when the murder has been committed in well-planned manner with the sole intention of taking the life or lives of people. Ajmal Kasab’s case falls within this category and he should be hanged. True he was only a tool in the hands of his handlers in Pakistan but that does not reduce his crime.
H. P. Lakhera
May 9. 2010
FLYING HORSES....STORY
FLYING HORSES
My name is Roshan. My Mom calls me Ro and so do my friends. I am okay with this. In fact, I sort of like it. Montu and Pintu are my best friends. We are almost of same age. We are in different schools but in the same Grade. We gel very well together. Quite often, we are allowed ‘sleep over’ nights on weekends and this time it is at my place. We do a lot of catching up during these nights.
There are good many things to be shared about the school, mates, teachers, new books, games and so on. After dinner and ice creams, we watch some favorite movie. We try to excel each other in getting the latest entertaining DVD from the store. I have picked up “Flying Horses” for this night.
A few words about my best friends will not be out of place here. They have their dreams. Montu wants to be a Hollywood star some day. He is always up-to-date about leading Hollywood stars. I wish he would be equally up-to-date about his homework too. Many a times I have heard his parents asking him to finish his home work before he is served dinner. It is however to his credit that he always gets good grades in all the subjects. I guess he has a good grasping power and he can retain what he reads.
Pintu on the other hand is very hardworking and articulate. He also gets good grades. He dreams to graduate as a lawyer from one of the best Law Schools in the world. Not that
he wants to make a lot of money but because he wants to help people who cannot afford costly legal fees.
I would not like to say about my dreams. I am not shy of telling but to be honest, I have none. I want to be best in whatever I do. What if dreams do not come true? I think we are still too young to decide. Our Head Master says our dreams may change as we grow. We are a family of doctors, engineers and bankers. I think I will keep the options open. My grandpa assures me that his retirement fund will be managed by me should I decide to become a investment banker.
A few words about my sister Ruhi also otherwise she will feel bad that I have not included her in my story. She is a nice girl, irritating at times but overall tolerable. She ties a Rakhi (a sacred thread) on my hand every year on Raksha Bandhan. I have to give her a nice present and promise that I will protect her forever. I do not understand this. You have to give a gift and also protect. She should give me a gift for protecting her. Well a custom is custom. I would anyway protect her, as she is my sister
We comfortably settle on the sofa set and mount the DVD for play. “Flying Horses” is a story of a warrior King who travels to distant lands to expand his Kingdom. His wins all the wars. His strength lies in his fast, and intelligent Flying Horses in his army. His mounted army is a force to reckon with. No body dares to challenge his army. We three are glued to the TV, watching in awe the fast and furious actions of the flying horses and the solders mounted on them.
I get highly involved in such movies as if it is my own story. I guess it happens to others also but they do not admit. My friends often make a joke at my expanse but just ignore. Of course the identity with the Hero sticks as long as the movie is not boring.
I am gesticulating, guiding the hero, warning about the enemies coming fro behind. Not that the hero is listening but then as I said above all it is my personal encounter. It is my duty to help him. His win is mine. His happiness is mine. His sorrows are mine. (My friends, I know will add his queen is mine.) I am not thinking about a queen for the moment. In any case I just ignore the taunting of my BEAST friends.
The climax scene is in progress. Our Hero and his solders are fighting the last battle………………………….and what? The lights are off! There is darkness in the room .We can not even see each other. It’s possibly is mid night. Everybody else is asleep. We do a little whispering and decide not to disturb any body rather wait for the lights to return.
The TV screen is glowing, horses galloping out of the TV screen, we all mount them. They take us to distant lands. We were leading a huge mounted army, fought many battles, and won all of them. Then they take us on a Victory Ride over the hills, down the valleys, across the white clouds.
My Mom was shaking my friends and me.
We opened our eyes and could not believe that it was already
9 A M, time for breakfast. We had slept waiting for the
Power to return. I did not tell about my dream to anybody.
They will not understand. I am sure my friends also had
Similar dreams but they too will not say anything or might
Have forgotten.
WHAT A DREAM!!!
My name is Roshan. My Mom calls me Ro and so do my friends. I am okay with this. In fact, I sort of like it. Montu and Pintu are my best friends. We are almost of same age. We are in different schools but in the same Grade. We gel very well together. Quite often, we are allowed ‘sleep over’ nights on weekends and this time it is at my place. We do a lot of catching up during these nights.
There are good many things to be shared about the school, mates, teachers, new books, games and so on. After dinner and ice creams, we watch some favorite movie. We try to excel each other in getting the latest entertaining DVD from the store. I have picked up “Flying Horses” for this night.
A few words about my best friends will not be out of place here. They have their dreams. Montu wants to be a Hollywood star some day. He is always up-to-date about leading Hollywood stars. I wish he would be equally up-to-date about his homework too. Many a times I have heard his parents asking him to finish his home work before he is served dinner. It is however to his credit that he always gets good grades in all the subjects. I guess he has a good grasping power and he can retain what he reads.
Pintu on the other hand is very hardworking and articulate. He also gets good grades. He dreams to graduate as a lawyer from one of the best Law Schools in the world. Not that
he wants to make a lot of money but because he wants to help people who cannot afford costly legal fees.
I would not like to say about my dreams. I am not shy of telling but to be honest, I have none. I want to be best in whatever I do. What if dreams do not come true? I think we are still too young to decide. Our Head Master says our dreams may change as we grow. We are a family of doctors, engineers and bankers. I think I will keep the options open. My grandpa assures me that his retirement fund will be managed by me should I decide to become a investment banker.
A few words about my sister Ruhi also otherwise she will feel bad that I have not included her in my story. She is a nice girl, irritating at times but overall tolerable. She ties a Rakhi (a sacred thread) on my hand every year on Raksha Bandhan. I have to give her a nice present and promise that I will protect her forever. I do not understand this. You have to give a gift and also protect. She should give me a gift for protecting her. Well a custom is custom. I would anyway protect her, as she is my sister
We comfortably settle on the sofa set and mount the DVD for play. “Flying Horses” is a story of a warrior King who travels to distant lands to expand his Kingdom. His wins all the wars. His strength lies in his fast, and intelligent Flying Horses in his army. His mounted army is a force to reckon with. No body dares to challenge his army. We three are glued to the TV, watching in awe the fast and furious actions of the flying horses and the solders mounted on them.
I get highly involved in such movies as if it is my own story. I guess it happens to others also but they do not admit. My friends often make a joke at my expanse but just ignore. Of course the identity with the Hero sticks as long as the movie is not boring.
I am gesticulating, guiding the hero, warning about the enemies coming fro behind. Not that the hero is listening but then as I said above all it is my personal encounter. It is my duty to help him. His win is mine. His happiness is mine. His sorrows are mine. (My friends, I know will add his queen is mine.) I am not thinking about a queen for the moment. In any case I just ignore the taunting of my BEAST friends.
The climax scene is in progress. Our Hero and his solders are fighting the last battle………………………….and what? The lights are off! There is darkness in the room .We can not even see each other. It’s possibly is mid night. Everybody else is asleep. We do a little whispering and decide not to disturb any body rather wait for the lights to return.
The TV screen is glowing, horses galloping out of the TV screen, we all mount them. They take us to distant lands. We were leading a huge mounted army, fought many battles, and won all of them. Then they take us on a Victory Ride over the hills, down the valleys, across the white clouds.
My Mom was shaking my friends and me.
We opened our eyes and could not believe that it was already
9 A M, time for breakfast. We had slept waiting for the
Power to return. I did not tell about my dream to anybody.
They will not understand. I am sure my friends also had
Similar dreams but they too will not say anything or might
Have forgotten.
WHAT A DREAM!!!
BLUE BELL....STORY
BLUE BELL
JUHI IS CUTE AND KIND HEARTED GIRL. SHE IS EMOTIONAL AND IS VERY FOUND OF STORIES, WHICH SPEAK OF FAIRIES, STARS, FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES, BIRDS AND SO ON.
ON ONE STARRY NIGHT, SITTING IN GARDEN, SH WAS WATCHING THE BEAUTIFUL STARS WITH HER BROTHER.
THEY WERE SO ENGROSSED IN THEIR TALKS ABOUT STARS AND PLANETS THAT NO ONE SAW WHEN THE BLUE BELL FELL IN JUHI’S LAP. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO WAS Its RING TONE.
THEY WENT INSIDE, AS IT WAS TIME TO GO TO BED, BLUE BELL STILL IN THE SMALL PALMS OF JUHI. SOON THEY WERE IN DEEP SLEEP.
‘HI, JUHI, GOT THE BLUE BELL’ FAIRY WITH WHITE ROBES ASKED.
‘YEH, BUT WHO THREW IT’ ASKED JUHI.
‘, OF COURSE’ REPLIED THE FAIRY.
‘WHAT FOR’ ASKED HUHI
‘RING THE BELL AND I WILL BE WITH YOU’ SAID THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED.
SO, NEXT DAY SHE WAS FEELING SAD THAT SHE COULD NOT TALK MORE WITH THE FAIRY AND KNOW ABOUT HER. AS IF TO TEST WHAT THE FAIRY HAD SAID, SHE RANG THE BELL. NO REPLY. SHE RANG AGAIN. STILL, NO REPLY. SHE ALMOST LOST HOPE, BUT THEN AND THEN ONLY THERE WAS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY, HER CLOSEST FRIEND WAS AT THE DOOR. THEY PLAYED THE WHOLE DAY AND ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT. BUT JUHI WAS QUITE MAD AT THE FAIRY.
AFTER DINNER WHEN SHE WENT TO BED SHE PROMISED HERSELF NEVER TO FORGIVE THE FAIRY FOR NOT RESPONDING TO THE BELL AS PROMISED. THINKING ALL ABOUT IT SHE SLEPT.
‘HI JUHI, HAD A GOOD TIME WITH YOUR FRIEND?’SHE HEARD.
‘YES, BUT YOU LIED TO ME. I RANG THE BELL BUT YOU DID NOT COME. HOW CAN I TRUST YOU.’ SAID JUHI.
‘NOW, NOW, I WAS THERE. SEE, I CANNOT COME MYSELFBUT I ALWAYS SEND SOMEBODY WHEN YOU WILL CALL ME, SO I SENT YOUR BEST FRIEND’ PROMISED THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED.
DAYS PASSED INTO MONTHS. SHOOL HAD OPENED. JUHI WAS BUSY IN THE SCHOOL WITH HER FRIENDS, IN HER BOOKS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. SHE HAD KEPT THE BLUE BELL IN HER SCHOOL BAG BUT ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT IT, UNTIL ONE DAY.
SHE WAS RETURNING FROM THE SCHOOL ON HER BYKE ASUSUAL. SHE MET AN ACCIDENT AND FOUND HERSELF IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A BROKEN ARM. AFTER A FEW DAYS SHE WAS DISCHRGED AND HER PARENTS OOK HER HOME.
‘HI, JUHI, OKAY NOW. SORRY COULD NOT DISTURB YOU IN THE HOSPITAL AS I KNEW YOU NEEDED COMPLETE REST’ IT WAS THE FAIRY.
‘BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW’ DID NOT RING THE BELL’ SHE ASKED.
‘IT FELL ON THE GROUND FROM YOUR BAD AND I COULD LISTEN THE RING AND KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. I IMMEDIATELY ARRANGED FOR A PASSERBY, WHO TOOK TO THE HOSPITAL, INFORM YOUR PARENTS, SAID THE FAIRY.
‘ OH, I SEE. SO IT WAS YOU. MY PARENTS WERE VERY THANKFUL OF THAT LADY. I AM REALLY THANKFUL TO YOU. PLEASE DO NOT MIND MY OUTBURST.’SAID JUHI.
‘ NEVER MIND, I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU’ SAID THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED’
JUHI ALWAYS KEEPS THE BELL WITH HER.
.
JUHI IS CUTE AND KIND HEARTED GIRL. SHE IS EMOTIONAL AND IS VERY FOUND OF STORIES, WHICH SPEAK OF FAIRIES, STARS, FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES, BIRDS AND SO ON.
ON ONE STARRY NIGHT, SITTING IN GARDEN, SH WAS WATCHING THE BEAUTIFUL STARS WITH HER BROTHER.
THEY WERE SO ENGROSSED IN THEIR TALKS ABOUT STARS AND PLANETS THAT NO ONE SAW WHEN THE BLUE BELL FELL IN JUHI’S LAP. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO WAS Its RING TONE.
THEY WENT INSIDE, AS IT WAS TIME TO GO TO BED, BLUE BELL STILL IN THE SMALL PALMS OF JUHI. SOON THEY WERE IN DEEP SLEEP.
‘HI, JUHI, GOT THE BLUE BELL’ FAIRY WITH WHITE ROBES ASKED.
‘YEH, BUT WHO THREW IT’ ASKED JUHI.
‘, OF COURSE’ REPLIED THE FAIRY.
‘WHAT FOR’ ASKED HUHI
‘RING THE BELL AND I WILL BE WITH YOU’ SAID THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED.
SO, NEXT DAY SHE WAS FEELING SAD THAT SHE COULD NOT TALK MORE WITH THE FAIRY AND KNOW ABOUT HER. AS IF TO TEST WHAT THE FAIRY HAD SAID, SHE RANG THE BELL. NO REPLY. SHE RANG AGAIN. STILL, NO REPLY. SHE ALMOST LOST HOPE, BUT THEN AND THEN ONLY THERE WAS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY, HER CLOSEST FRIEND WAS AT THE DOOR. THEY PLAYED THE WHOLE DAY AND ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT. BUT JUHI WAS QUITE MAD AT THE FAIRY.
AFTER DINNER WHEN SHE WENT TO BED SHE PROMISED HERSELF NEVER TO FORGIVE THE FAIRY FOR NOT RESPONDING TO THE BELL AS PROMISED. THINKING ALL ABOUT IT SHE SLEPT.
‘HI JUHI, HAD A GOOD TIME WITH YOUR FRIEND?’SHE HEARD.
‘YES, BUT YOU LIED TO ME. I RANG THE BELL BUT YOU DID NOT COME. HOW CAN I TRUST YOU.’ SAID JUHI.
‘NOW, NOW, I WAS THERE. SEE, I CANNOT COME MYSELFBUT I ALWAYS SEND SOMEBODY WHEN YOU WILL CALL ME, SO I SENT YOUR BEST FRIEND’ PROMISED THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED.
DAYS PASSED INTO MONTHS. SHOOL HAD OPENED. JUHI WAS BUSY IN THE SCHOOL WITH HER FRIENDS, IN HER BOOKS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. SHE HAD KEPT THE BLUE BELL IN HER SCHOOL BAG BUT ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT IT, UNTIL ONE DAY.
SHE WAS RETURNING FROM THE SCHOOL ON HER BYKE ASUSUAL. SHE MET AN ACCIDENT AND FOUND HERSELF IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A BROKEN ARM. AFTER A FEW DAYS SHE WAS DISCHRGED AND HER PARENTS OOK HER HOME.
‘HI, JUHI, OKAY NOW. SORRY COULD NOT DISTURB YOU IN THE HOSPITAL AS I KNEW YOU NEEDED COMPLETE REST’ IT WAS THE FAIRY.
‘BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW’ DID NOT RING THE BELL’ SHE ASKED.
‘IT FELL ON THE GROUND FROM YOUR BAD AND I COULD LISTEN THE RING AND KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. I IMMEDIATELY ARRANGED FOR A PASSERBY, WHO TOOK TO THE HOSPITAL, INFORM YOUR PARENTS, SAID THE FAIRY.
‘ OH, I SEE. SO IT WAS YOU. MY PARENTS WERE VERY THANKFUL OF THAT LADY. I AM REALLY THANKFUL TO YOU. PLEASE DO NOT MIND MY OUTBURST.’SAID JUHI.
‘ NEVER MIND, I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU’ SAID THE FAIRY AND DISAPPEARED’
JUHI ALWAYS KEEPS THE BELL WITH HER.
.
EXPERIENCE THY NAME IS LIFE
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT, AS WE GROW UP, NATURE ROBS US OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT YOUNGSTERS ARE ALWAYS GIGGLING ABOUT.
IF YOU HANG ON THE PAST, YOU DIE A LITTLE EVERY DAY.
WITHOUT LOVE, WITHOUT ANGER, WITHOUT SORROW, LIFE IS JUST TICKING AWAY. IT HAS NO MEANING.
BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND WITH NO REASON.
IF YOU HANG ON THE PAST, YOU DIE A LITTLE EVERY DAY.
WITHOUT LOVE, WITHOUT ANGER, WITHOUT SORROW, LIFE IS JUST TICKING AWAY. IT HAS NO MEANING.
BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND WITH NO REASON.
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