USI ??

India is the seventh largest nation in the world in terms of area and second largest in terms of population,comprising of 28 states. Each one having its distinct culture- traditions, rituals and language etc.Among these diversities, the feeling of nationhood is being effaced. With regionalism, religionalism, linguism and casteism being conspicuously prevalent in the nation, national integrity is highly implausible.
A large part of South India( especially Karanataka and Tamil nadu) is unfamiliar with our mother tongue, Hindi.Conversation between a north and a South Indian is highly unfeasible which further leads to obscuration of each others’cultures on a quid pro quo basis. Without a common language which is understood by the whole country (common binding language) ,the notion of ‘integrity’ seems too far-fetched.
Secondly, a feeling among few sections to part away from the country is a major logjam in the process of ‘National Integration’.For example, a clout of Sikhs demanding sovereignty under a new state of ‘Khalistan’, with Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF) , United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) as their counterparts in the northern and eastern provinces.
What is more distressing is that our leaders,( supposedly ‘the saviours of nation’ ) never think in terms of nation as a whole. In the crave for power , they forget nationalism and boisterously attempt to prove the superiority of the culture,language,tradititons etc of their ‘ vote bank’ in particular.
These are few among numerous factors which pose a threat to national integration .
On the contrary is United States of America USA , the third largest country consisting of 50 states.
Can our motherland ever be ‘United States of India(USI)’? I have some trepidations!!

WHEN GUJARAT CRIED!!.....continued

WHEN GUJARAT CRIED!!

Shoba De's Opinion about Pratibha Patil

CV of Pratibha Patil , UPAs presidential candidate - http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2007/jun07/r2007061405.pdf

The presidential election is beginning to come out of my ears. Like a lot of people, I’ve reached a stage when I feel like screaming, “Just get on with it — but spare us the tamasha.” The latest embarrassment to derail the anointment of Pratibha Patil involves her comments on the purdah. If the lady doesn’t know her history, one wonders whether her knowledge of geography is stronger. Would she be able to defend our borders as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces? Someone aptly described her nomination as a ‘monumental joke’ being played on the nation by Sonia Gandhi. It’s likely to turn into a joke that backfires if the lady does in fact waltz into the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Though, going by the lack of enthusiasm even within Congress party ranks (and her purdah faux pas), she may just make it easier for the pro-Kalam or pro-Shekhawat lobby to rush past her in the final run-up.
The real tragedy in this debacle is not Pratibha Patil per se — poor thing, she is once again playing a familiar role of handmaiden to the Gandhis. It is the abject denigration of the post itself. From the sublime to the ridiculous, to the downright shabby, the pathetic wheeling and dealing, horse trading and lobbying that have scarred this election, this is nothing short of an insult to the high office. Kahan Radhakrishnan aur kahan Pratibhatai! Besides, nobody cares, nor is anyone convinced with the overnight ‘image makeover’ attempts to position and sell her as the ultimate Bharatiya Naari — a shining symbol of women’s empowerment. What a bogus claim. And as phony and suspect as the nomination itself.
Let’s face it, Pratibha Patil has been pulled out of her mothballed existence and shoved into the spotlight for one reason alone — she is the most accommodating and pliant of the uninspiring bunch that make up the list. She will ensure the safety of the seats of her political masters if it ever comes to that. Lacklustre? Of course. But loyal and obedient — prized attributes given the sensitivity (and fragility) of the numbers game. What if...? Yes, indeed, what if a situation does arise when a crucial presidential vote would decide the fate of the government? Will Pratibhtai have the credentials to take an independent, non-partisan stand? Will she dare to snub Sonia Gandhi and rise above party politics? Put the country first?
It is meaningless to argue the lady deserves a shot at it, or to be asked why we are writing her off without giving her a fair chance. My point is: can we afford such a luxury? If we are being asked to extend our generosity and “give her a chance”, why not be still more large-hearted and give Bhairon Singh Shekhawat the same chance?
Sorry, this isn’t about either petty nit-picking or witch-hunting. The truth is, most Indians don’t know who Pratibha Patil is. And what they have come to know, post-nomination, has left them cold. I wish I could get excited over a former table tennis champion or someone who organised kho-kho and kabbadi matches during her college days. There is nothing impressive or remarkable about any of her touted ‘achievements’. But the problem is, any voiced criticism against the lady is seen as a strike against women.
Come on, let’s leave phony sisterhood and solidarity out of this. It angers me each time a feminist angle is introduced into the debate. A true feminist will never endorse the wrong woman, for that itself goes against the tenets of empowerment. Unfortunately, gender has been superimposed in this case, and an attempt is being made to damn any woman who does not automatically sing hosannahs to Pratibhatai. I resent this sort of manipulation. Call me anti-women, if you wish, I feel like telling these newly-minted champions of stree shakti, but I will not join the chorus singing Tai’s praises.
Where was she all these years? Has anyone heard a peep out of her during numerous debates dealing with atrocities against women? What has she done that is pro-women? Has she raised her voice even once? Not that I know of. So, can we please leave gender out of this, for it communicates the wrong message. Patil’s accident of birth as a female is being flaunted as a badge of honour. God help us. By that definition, any and every woman of India qualifies for the prestigious post.
Let’s be upfront about this. Pratibha Patil simply does not have what it takes to be the President of India. As for all that rubbish regarding her simplicity, spare me the baloney. As if a khadi sari is the ultimate or only description of simplicity! Khadi happens to be one of the most high maintenance fabrics in the country. Ladies who make khadi their big statement invest a lot of money in it. Sonia’s saris are homespun too. But are they cheap? Half the women in India wouldn’t be able to afford these designer khadi one-offs. So, let’s not delude ourselves. Forget about her lack of a Page 3 presence, that’s the least of her problems. Can she make it to Page 1, without most of her countrymen asking, “Who’s she?” It’s time we grew up and stopped playing immature games of tokenism, symbolism, etc. The important thing is to rise above any and every kind of ism, from feminism to regionalism. Just because I am a woman and a Maharashtrian, should I support Pratibhatai? No way.
If Pratibha Patil does make it to Rashtrapati Bhavan, how will it benefit the women of India? Will it lead to fewer thrashings, beatings, torture, murders? Give me a break. This 73-year-old lady deserves to spend her retirement years with more dignity than as a puppet of her long-term patrons. Zail Singh had his jhaddoo. What will Pratibhatai use? Her pallav?

Astrology: Fallacy or Truth

'What will happen next?'- Is there any precise answer to this question.
Well, my answer would definitely have been " how should I know", but a few people claim to know an appropriate answer to this question.
You can see 'erudite few' on the television everyday. They say " 2009 july ke baad se aapke ghar mein bahut lakshmi aayegi"-for those who don't understand hindi, it means " you will be blessed monetarily after july 2009"
"apke carrier mein zindagi bhar utar chadav lage rahenge" and etc etc.-"there will be ups and downs in your carrier throughout the life"
You just have to tell your birthdate and place of birth to know your future .

Does it seem logical- Does movement of celestial bodies really affect the direction of our life?
If future can be predetermined, why can't wars be averted? why does a man need to work provided he knows what is he going to be ? -These questions suggest that one can know 'what next' but nonetheless,can't change it.
Isn't it contradictory? -as it negates the dynamic nature of mankind!!

'Horoscopes','Palmistry' etc, all seem ludicrous to me.

And , what about you?

Aftermath of Chemical Weapons!!

You must have heard of children born with innate defects in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

But most of you must not have heard of "Agent Orange".

What is it? -Agent Orange was the chemical used by America in Vietnam war.
Why was it used? - The main motive was to defoliate the dense forests so that Americans could spot out any hiding foe.
Any after effects ?
Watch it-






















Flabbergasted ??
Yes , this is how 'Agent Orange' inflicts damage upon human body.


Watch a few more photographs!

Such children are still born in Vietnam.

Chemical, Biological and Nuclear weapons are the most lethal. They cause generation and generations to suffer.

America mustn't have envisaged such deadly consequences of using a herbicide.There are even more horrendous weapons of mass destruction than 'Agent Orange'.

CIVIL ENGGS.

“WE DON’T NEED CIVIL ENGINEERS: ANY ONE CAN DO THEIR WORK NOW!!”. This is a typical Indian mentality.
Now see the outcomes-
“A residential building topples in Surat”
“Roof above a vegetable market falls down claiming about 10 lives and rendering nearly 200 injured in Chandigarh”
“Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway was badly damaged in the deluge”
“About 2.5 million people in Mumbai thrives in dilapidated buildings”
“Miniscule percentage of dwellings in major cities of India are earthquake resistant”
“Frequent traffic jams on the national highways and on the local roads of metropolitans”
“etc,etc”
There are innumerous examples which can be quoted over here.
Engineered structures are the need of time . With the growth of economy, reliable infrastructures are inevitable.
“Imagine an IT engineer intrigued into a sophisticated problem, making the best possible use of his “ little grey cells” , and what next ??, its an earthquake ,evacuate the building as soon as possible or else ,,everyone knows!!”. Well , this is a very crude example ,but a layman-this is how he perceives!!



Hence,three cheers for civil engineers throughout the globe
Hip Hip Hurray!
Hip Hip Hurray!
Hip Hip Hurray!

IS ART DYING IN INDIA?

An exhibition by final year Fine Arts students at the Maharaja Sayaji University, Vadodara (one among the highly acclaimed universities in Gujarat) was going on. An uninvited BJP politician barges into the campus and allegedly claims one of the craft as “obscene”. The student is put behind bars on grounds of- public display of image that is ‘supposedly’ lewd.
MY PERSPECTIVE:
A politician (an euphemism for crook) , ‘infiltrates’ into the premises of the university and audaciously, disapproves of the display as ‘vulgar’. What does he know about art? Barring ,that it is spelled as ‘A’,’R’,’T’ or it is quite possible that he doesn’t even know that!!!
Who is he to impose his volition upon the junta ? . There were elegant artists , proficient art teachers present in the exhibition, why didn’t they object , and why would they?
And to aggravate the grievances of the student, no one from the faculty or companions come out in full support of the ‘accused’ .
Why not? Well , everyone knows why not !!, Who would dare to go against the fearsome Hindu activists.
They ,call themselves ‘the protectors of Hinduism”
I would request the very saviours of Hindu religion to visit the temple of Khajuraho and read about “Lord Krishna’s leela”.

Agree or Disagree??

Media

IS MEDIA TRULY PLAYING ITS ROLE ??
“A ghost who loiters around each night in a graveyard for biscuit and a cup of tea”
“A priest sucks his fingers and gets out milk. He says some ‘devi ma’ has awarded him this capability”
“A saint who can cure your illness by uttering a few fane words”
“ A police official caught red –handed taking bribe”
Switch on your idiot box and log on to a news channel , it is in high probability that you will see one of these captions flashing on the television screen.
Why aren’t more sensitive ,sophisticated issues such as the strife between Israel and Palestine , utter oppression of Iraqis and Afghans by US military force telecast?
There is blatant imitation of West in almost every aspect of life is most conspicuous. Watch BBC or CNN, you would never get to hear such buffoonery. Why can’t our media show what is shown in west, when blatant imitation of west in almost every other aspects of life is most conspicuous?
A plausible answer to these questions is that even the “precious” media has been engulfed in the tentacles of capitalism. Very few television users know about the TRP(‘TELEVISION RATING POINTS’). This is a process to determine the popularity of a channel by counting the number of users watching the channel at a particular instant of time.
The more renowned a channel is ,the more number of advertisements it get.
Hence , in the race for fame and popularity , the Indian mass is befooled.





Post your views and opinions as you are one among those befooled !!!!!!!!!