Gandhi dreamed of Ram Rajya, got Scam Rajya

When Bapuji envisioned freedom for the country he hoped the empowerment would remove the social ills produced by centuries of monarchy, feudalism and colonialism. However, when the white man handed the spectre to the brown man nothing really changed.

It is difficult beat someone in his home turf. When corruption underwent 100 per cent indigenisation it became even more entrenched.

Such has become the state of affairs that more than the Right to Information Act, a comprehensive national list of bribes to be paid at each level of local, state and Central government would be more useful to the citizens.

The government says it would rather let foodgrains rot than give it poor so that the country's WTO-compliant image before the West stays intact. Repeated queries and directives from courts on social justice are given quiet burial in the labyrinths of red tape.

So what are the chances of your success in taking on corruption. The following are the possible scenarios:
1) Your requests are stone-walled by bureaucracy
2) Attempts to complain to higher authorities end up like complaining to Hitler about human rights abuse
3) You get locked up under one of those numerous security and terrorism laws for inciting unrest or conspiracy to wage war against the country
4) You are framed in false cases ranging from high treason to staring at someone for too long. Your family members are harassed.
5) You petition the courts and spend the rest of your life and energy in courtroom against top lawyers in the country.
6) You get killed in accident, during robbery attempt or will be gunned down by cops who launched an operation to bust the terror module you were running.

If only the country had the will to crack down on corruption....

Roaring dragon, freaked out tiger

The recent incident of China denying visa to a senior Army official, who commanded forces in J&K, because of the "disputed" nature of the territory smacks of arrogance of a bully.
India has always been meek in its response to political, economical and military rebuke by the giant neighbour.

China has beaten India in every department be it sports, economy, standard of living, defence and social spending. This is despite we having a 'vibrant democracy' for the last 6 decades.

India decided to let go of the socialistic economy and adopt open market policy under the stewardship of Manmohan Singh in the 90s. However, what was and is missing is political will power and the courage to execute policies to serve national interests.

Even today we find the policies in every sector being framed to suit the interests of a few leading private players in that sector.
In mid 1950s and early 60s, when People's Liberation Army was occupying vast swathes of Indian territory, a pussy-whipped Nehru kept ignoring the advice of field officials and held on to his lofty ideals where he expected the Soviet friends to deter a Chinese invasion.

As usual, the idealist's ideas went for a toss and India was put through a humiliating military defeat. China dictated terms of peace and territory from a position of strength and the tiger was reduced to a whimpering kitten.

India learned its military lesson and upgraded weapons and increased the number of troops. However, the country's leadership again failed to match China in the massive infrastructure in place.

Chinese continue to claim Arunachal Pradesh as their territory and keep insulting India by denying visa to people from the region. Those who travel to China get their visa stapled to passport and not stamped on the passport itself.

India, always on the idealistic high pedestal, keep "summoning the Chinese envoy and registering protest".

When an economically resurgent India began exploring overseas business options, the Chinese have beaten us in all continents in every field of business.
C
hina has been arming a belligerent Pakistan and supplying them with expertise and equipment to build a nuclear bomb — true exponents of Tsun Tsu.

On the economic front, China has been the hub of production of spurious goods with 'Made in India' label so as to discredit India in foreign markets. In UN, China has been blocking India's entry to the Security Council using every possible resource.

So where are we lacking?
1. Lack of a powerful political leadership which is ready to put national interest as a top priority
2 Mismanagement of national resources and allowing private players to reap its benefits
3 Outdated foreign policy approaches
4 Lack of infrastructure and long-term vision and development objectives
5 Excess bureaucratic flab bogging down growth and innovation in every sector
6 Overbearing corruption, which ensures sabotage of national interests
7 Inability to aggressively pursue national interests and take out enemies of the state

Unless we pull ourselves out of this quagmire, stop shadow boxing and face the real issues, we will be reduced to the status of a mutt living off the crumbs that fall of the grand Chinese buffet.

Does Mumbai need its tiger family?

The rise of Bal Thackeray and Shiv Sena in Bombay (oops... Mumbai) marked a turning point for a city that was built on the sweat of migrant population from all over the country.

Bombay, once the most favoured destination for those who wanted to realise the Indian Dream, acquired a character that was alien to it.

An average Mumbaikar, whose life goes on at hectic pace on crowded local trains, wouldn't notice any difference. However, the venom on ‘Them against us’ propaganda unleashed by the Sena has had its effect on the psyche of the city.

A state — which has given birth to great freedom fighters, social reformers, revolutionaries, legal luminaries and industrialists — has given in to the diktats of a few parochial bigots who hold the people to ransom for their whims and fancies.

It has come to a state of affairs where the 'local' mob bosses dictate the way of life that is 'culturally acceptable' and the dos and don'ts for those who want to live in peace among the Marathi manoos.

It goes to disgusting lows where the elected government tries to outdo these goons in placating the mob mentality by championing their cause.

The recent tirade of Dr Raj Thackeray — contagious diseases specialist — on how migrants are responsible for the spread of Malaria defies every logic; actually even beats his uncle Balasaheb.

I don't know if Dr Raj is aware of a certain insect called mosquito — he can do a Google search during is breaks between migrant-bashing sessions — which is a nationalist in its approach.

And of course we have outfits which are self-employed defenders of Maharashtra culture and its heroes. The attack on a foreign author for 'unacceptable' references to Shivaji shows how fragile and insecure these thugs in their ideology (do they have one other than 'slash and burn').

The Senas (both uncle and nephew versions) are averse to firangi way of life which involves celebration. Their goons go around bashing up couples whom they come across.

If they are so averse to West they should stop wearing western clothes, using vehicles and using electronic gadgets — all which have been developed in the West.

They should create rural enclaves where they can capture the spirit of real India and stay there rather than become a pain in the wrong place for every fun-loving Mumbaikar.

It is really a mystery why the angresi-hating Raj Thackeray's children study in Christian missionary school which has Mumbai in its name. Of course, the ignorant cadre cannot comprehend the vision (or the lack of it) of the their masters lest alone question the personal motives.

Let us says Bal-Uddhav-Raj cartel gets its way. How do they expect to run a city sans cheap labour provided by the migrants. Who is going to drive all those taxis and autos currently driven by the North Indians.

May be Reliance should shut shop in Maharashtra and move to Gujarat. Shah Rukh Khan and Bachchan should leave the state and so should every luminary who has made a name for themselves living in Mumbai.

Oye tiger clan... Don't you realise how messed up you guys are in your heads. Take a break. Visit a shrink. Do some Yoga.. Get laid — might help get rid of that frustration. Or just go jump into the sea.

Oh no don't do that. The sea can't take any more pollution after the recent oil spill.

Guys.. go get a life.

Bhopal - Does the government give a damn

So much of hype over verdict in Bhopal gas tragedy case! Wow, I'm impressed by the amazing speed at which justice was delivered to 15,000 dead and lakhs as-good-as-dead. May be civilians dying like flies in their sleep did not evince the interest of the government or civil society the way it did when Mumbai was targeted on 26, November 2008.
So what happened to the culprits. The person responsible at the highest level in the company - Warren Anderson - is living comfortably with handsome retirement savings in the US. The political top brass of the state - which allowed the company to function ignoring safety measures - are still roaming free.. or should i put it this way - ruling free.
Congress is struggling to prop halos on leaders, living, dead and killed, for it knows the otherwise lifeless Opposition will rise from its grave to make life miserable for them.
So who paid for the crime. All except those who had something to do with the disaster. What do we do now.. Of course..emulate the West.. hold candle light vigils...print t-shirts.. Hoorah..long live democracy..long live civil society..How little we realise how screwed we are as a nation when it comes to conscience and timely reaction

Black Sheep Bleat - II

We the inheritents of Malluland take pride in our family names. People(read, Syrian Christians) fight out
verbal, physical and legal battles to secure their family names from tampering by outsiders.

Let us travel back in time and see where the Christians(most of them, some lucky b******** not included)
stood in the social ladder in the 1900-1960 period. The land was owned by upper-caste Hindus and the Christians had to lease it for agriculture, the labour force mostly consisted of Dalits (of course, the written
family histories refer to "our forefathers worked in the fields alongside (yea...convenient way of putting it)
Dalit labourers to make the soil yield gold").

Christians were considered too business-minded to be trusted and they had to pay tributes to the landlord. "Nasrani kamizhnu veenal kaalpanavum konde varu", a saying coined in those days bears testimonial to
the nature of Christians.

During the freedom struggle, the Christian community was occupied with getting the best deals from British and filling the vaccancies left in government jobs due to boycott by patriots. But the real reason for the subservience of the Christians was the belief that the arrival of Europeans served their social, economic and political interests better.

Freedom at midnight gave political freedom and not socio-economic freedom to the Christians. Only in 1957, when the Kerala Land Reforms Act was implemented by Communist (yea..the church-burning, bible-shredding, nun-raping, materialist breed) government led by EMS Namboodirippad, did the Christians get to own their farmland. The Christians chose to expresstheir gratitude by leading the 'Liberation Movement '(Vimochana Samaram) and outsting
the government with the help of Congress government at the Centre.

The post-independence era witnessed meteoric rise in the social and economic status of the Christians, and the former silent spectators were now leaders of the society. All are equal before God, well... that is not the way Christians in Kerala think. The Dalits who converted to Christianity were always treated as unequal, unwelcome in the churches, social circles and definitely not welcome through marriage.

Churches and denominations grew by the multitude but the treatment of the
Dalits and low-castes remained the same. Their churches were termed Pulappally and Parappally, a reference to the Pulayar and Parayar, the lower castes who constituted the congregation of the churches. There is little or no interaction between the congregations of the upper class Christians and these Dalit churches. A convenient arrangement for a community which wants to show off its 'open, liberal and Christian' tradition. I have heard Christian leaders telling public gatherings about how "we have 'brethren' from all sections of the society whom we embrace in the love for Jesus Christ"...shove it assholes, we know what you've done to them".

to be continued...
Comments are welcome (If it's regarding grammar, spelling and syntax...refer 1para 2 line of Black Sheep Bleat -I)

Black Sheep Bleat - I

Welcome to Dog's Own Country...oops...read it the more popular way. Ask me what I feel about that description of my State...I don't give a flying fu**(sensitive people, read 'funny thing'). The land of the 'literate,liberal,progressive minds' has unified against a textbook promoting secularism and communal harmony.Of course, it (the textbook) committed the unforgivable act of telling the truth about our past. We Mallus are hippocratic when it comes to talking about ourselves (especially about the not-so-admirable actions of our ancestors).

The Dalits were slaves of the wealthy landowners and had no right over themselves. They were bought and sold like animals, their women raped and the entire community condemned to a life of unending misery. The Christians, who owe their faith to a man who took his disciples from the lowest rungs of the society, were complicit in the oppressive acts of the upper caste people.

Well..the arrangement worked well for the Christians, their business interests were protected and promoted by keeping the wealthy upper castes in good humour and the upper caste oppression would make sure that the Dalits can't raise their voice against exploitation by the shrewd, money-minded and ruthless Christians.

The Dalits could not use the common streets lest they pollute the upper castes by proximity, they could not use the public well not use the public ghats for washing and bathing. However, the Brahmin and the Christian would consume the agricultural products an untouchable would grow and force themselves on Dalit girls(Well..the holy book also talks about maintaining the actions of the right and the left hand separately...We're God's children right, may be we can get a bit naughty and Daddy would just ignore it).
to be continued....
Comments are welcome (if it's regarding grammar, punctuation and syntax.. refer 1 para 2 line)