Vayu
Read the above linked article about "some" schools practising unethical religious practices. To anyone who just reads the title would think it might be about madrassas...oops your are mistaken. It is about hindu schools. That some school boy is not allowed to take the day off during Bakrid or they are not allowed to bring "certain" types of food inside campuses. Why is she not talking about the christian convents where pupils have to compulsorily attend mass or say "Our father in heaven". Why not about madrassas which teach ritualistic, medival form of islam and cultural practices.
It is our fate that morons like her have to rule us.
Mumbai Terror Attacks
This terror apart from being horrific shows clearly the inept handling of the entire situation. Rapid Action Forces were not deployed rapidly. Total failure of the Govt. and official machinary during the crisis situation shows the level of "preparedness" of the security apparatus in a major city like mumbai. Despite several terrors attacks on mumbai itself the Govt. has done little to keep its citizens safe.
There is no coordination between the central and state government. No plan and strategies to the local police. Lack of training and weaponary would be an understatement to describe the police of mumbai. I dont think it is so expensive that the govt. cannot do the following:
1. Set up Urban Antiterrorist squads for every major indian city.
2. Setup a single federal agency which oversees and commanders all the Intelligence and security related affairs - state and central.
3. Clear command and control and established line of command.
4. Better weaponry and training to this elite antiterrorist squads.
5. A central agency which collects, process and delivers all the intelligent related affairs (step 2).
6. An Israeli style retribution - punish/kill those responsible whereever they are irrespective of their citizenship and the country they live in.
Simple steps that even I can think of - one who does not have any experience in security or intelligence. Not sure why the Govt. can't think of these. Guess if people of India are interested in petty local politics and re-elect these politicians again , then they deserve only more of this.
தமிழில் blog செய்யலாம் என்று படித்தால் இந்த முயற்சி. நன்றாகவே வந்துள்ளது இதுவரை.
என்றும் அன்புடன்
அரவிந்த்
Cash for all!!! Yippee!!!
The Feds have finally
announced that they are going to give away billions of
dollars. Apart from the nagging doubt if this would actually work, some part of me feels it is not correct. Why do the people who get money deserve to get them? Because they have children, they are married? How can a capitalist country do such a socialistic policy implementation? How can an individual rewarded based on his need rather than what he/she deserves? So, who is going to pay for all these billions of
dollars , surely not the federal government. Don't understand the democrats fetish about
food stamps either.
I believe the market is correcting itself. They
don't call it cyclic for no reason. The house market was too
over hyped, irresponsible lending and greedy buying. When you make a mistake you have suffer the consequences. The same thing I hold for Bombay Stock exchange. It was was way too
over hyped. When I read that it lost some 21% of its value in a strange way I was happy. The market needs to represent the correct and actual
scenario not a mass hysteria. If fall in stock market, down turn in economy it means the system is telling us something - prudent fiscal measures, cutting federal spending, no stupid lending and common man should not be spending his next months salary now.
Cut the flab and get back to work.
Some musings
Nothing dramatic would have happened if Benazir would have become the President of Pakistan. That being said, her reign would definitely have corroded some of the power which the Pakistan's army had consolidated since 1999. Like many infamous political assassinations, her's too would remain controversial and unresolved. As I listen to the news channels and the analysis about her killing in US, I am surprised at the level of ignorance of so many well meaning journalists.
Large sections of the US media and the political spectrum in US continue to believe and back President Musharaf. Like the lone voice I heared from one of the news channels - US in general continues to support individuals rather than institutions. In the coming days, situation in Pakistan will continue to deteriate. It will never be a dramatic event - like somebody seizing the parliament or taking control of nuclear weapons (although I will not be surprised if these two does happen), but most likely, it will hang on the edge of chaos - barely sustaining as a country. This way, the fundamentalism that is festering in this country will continue to ripen. And when US realizes this, it will be too late. This scenaria has a profound impact on India and its security. I wish my country could choose it geograpy, but it so happens that when all hell breaks loose, it is India that will be most affected and that too immediately.
For first time in India, we believe we could make a difference. In another 25 years we believe we can lift millions out of poverty and finally bring a change to humanity as all. But it might just be a pipe dream if we have to fight not just poverty but also fundamentalism.
The general theory I have in life is that - Systems inherently resist change. The more pronouced and surgical the change is; the more accute the resistance will be. If fundamentalism and terrorism needs to be brought to its knees, War on terror alone is inadequate. It requires more than muscle. It requires a cunning, agile and extremely intelligent planning. It requires slow nibbling of the sources of terrorism, starving the feeders of fundamentalism - albeit slowly and invisibly. To take a very high level view of this, the money and the weapons that are being used in the terrorism most likely are generated by the US. Why does North Korea or libya are considered a concern but not an actual threat. Answer lies in the economy. It is US' oil money which lets the saudis fund the fundamentalism, it is the US who is the Godfather of Taleban (uncomfortable truth comfortably forgotten in US). Is the US to be blamed for everything - certainly not but definitely it is also part of the problem.
So long as countries like Pakistan remain easily manipulated by US, the very institutions which US stands for will never take root. Any modern day society will not be sustainable without the democratic institutions. It becomes increasingly so in an Islamic state because religion messes up still more. Islam by definitions from various sources means submission - Submission to the will of God. It is quite uncomfortable for me to accept this as a great virtue. I like to question. I want to know more. I want to understand things from different point of views. I want to question all that is sacrosanct. And in many islamic countries that would be considered blasphemey and would merit a death sentence.
Why would God want someone to die just because one questioned God or beliefs in God? It beats me but then I should not expect reason when it comes to religion.
Quote I over heard
Good judgement comes from experience, but experience comes from bad judgement.
Christian missionaries banned from Tirumala Temple
I would consider this move as a positive one. Two reasons.
1. If one would consider distributing of hindu pamplets near major churches to christians going to worship would be considered okay and in the spirit of fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution, then and only then, could this move be considered bad. Else better shut up.
2. Preaching and converting from one religion to another, from my point of view is utter nonsense and idiotic. To say that one will not be covered by the love of God if one follows a particular religion and only if god is worshiped in a particular way one can reach heaven is total bull. My point is that any religion which preaches this is evil and any God preached by such religions are Devil incarnate. So in my point of view, all such preaching people are Devil worshippers. A bit caustic, but that is how I will maintain my point of view.
