.One more Fast ---- is it becoming Farce ??

Anna Hazare and Swami  Ramdev are going to sit for one day fast in Delhi today. Last year can easily be called as "Year of Fasts" .

There is no doubt that all of us agree that India suffers with cancer of corruption and that affects progress of this great nation -- on every front. I however feel that we all are looking at and over hopefull that it would erad...icated in one go & with simple magic wand called ""Lok Pal". A group of activities, who , probably would have started the movement on right track ,with passage of time instead of helping the cause doing more harm to the nation. Not only India whole word is today facing significant economic challenges and by continuously holding nation to ransom and creating negative atmosphere only adds further to the crisis. It seems they do not believe in any system that governs all of us and only want to dictate what others should do -- without any legitmate right. The person who travels in personal jet, accept Island as gift preaches all of us of financial morality. Similar can be spoken about many other members. Exception is Justice Hegde who unfortnunately beeb sidelined.


I reproduce bellow weekly Coulmn of "Chanakya" in today's Hindustan Times which I believe worth reading by all of us. I believe first step towards cleaning the corrupt system to look inside us, introspect and start following the law. The reasoning that if system is corrupt then why should I follow the Law or pay genune taxes is only execuse to do the wrong .



""Not By fear or favour - Chanakya -- Hindusthan Times 03.06.2012


The avalanche of words on both sides - Team Anna and the government - threatens to overwhelm us. Both should heed the advice of the great statesman Winston Churchill: "We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out." Like a vehicle looking to gather speed on an uneven road, the Anna gang has unleashed its latest volley. It says several top ministers are guilty of corruption that happened on the prime minister's watch. Of course, I did not expect the foot-in-mouth Anna crew to stop at just that. Just in case we did not get the point, Prashant Bhushan likened the prime minister to Shikhandi from the Mahabharata, who served as a shield for the Pandavas in battle.

This adds to the growing repertoire of over-the-top language favoured by Anna and his merry band. But what really took me by surprise is the normally measured prime minister, in a rare display of hurt and emotion, saying that he would quit public life if any charges against him were proved to be true.

Really prime minister? Why unleash the brahmastra in response to the allegations, and they are only that, made by a formation without any political legitimacy? It is not my case that no one can accuse the prime minister or any other public functionary of misdeeds. Such things will happen. But, there is no need to show your vulnerability quite so openly.

What I see is that Anna Hazare and his followers thought they would pitch for the high stakes to generate interest in their campaign against corruption which was earlier flagging. So some of them felt that an attack on the man seen as one of the cleanest in politics would get the TRPs going and grab enough eyeballs. They succeeded, but not quite in the manner they had hoped. All said and done, the prime minister still hovers above the fray.

So along came a quick distancing from this language by Justice Santosh Hegde, Karnataka's former Lokayutka and an apology from the incorrigible Arvind Kejriwal, not one to back off easily. At the heart of the remarks made by Bhushan is the fact that a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General cites irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks when the prime minister was briefly in charge of the coal portfolio.


So seeing that this was stepping over the line, Bhushan tied himself up in knots to tell us that no one was saying the prime minister took any bribes but that he did not stop those who did. You are a lawyer Mr Bhushan, tell us what exactly you are saying. That the prime minister is pure as the driven snow or that by implication he is complicit in illegal deeds?



I find it passing strange that these allegations come from a bunch of people who are accusing each other of financial irregularities in the NGOs that they run. I also find it odd that Anna Hazare himself seems to repose little faith in those who are today the leading lights of his campaign against corruption.



My point is that there are several constitutional bodies to deal with corruption. The government of the day cannot function if it has to answer to each civic body which seeks action on corruption from it. Team Anna has a right to ask, of course, but it would carry a lot more conviction if it targeted the political class evenhandedly. Here many cannot escape the sneaking feeling that it seems to have its knife into the Congress alone. We did not see such moral outrage as the Anna gang professes when it comes to corruption in other political formations.


But what this unseemly war of words has done is, I feel, a singular disservice to our democracy. The real debate on corruption and whether there should be an effective Lokpal has been obscured by what have become allegations, apologies and angst. This is no way in which to conduct a debate on corruption. And if one goes by the likes of Baba Ramdev trying to join the cause, it would seem that anyone who wants their 15 minutes of fame is taking it up.

If Team Anna wants to take on the government, let it come out with charges on which a preliminary investigation can be ordered by the appropriate authority. On this, I agree with law minister Salman Khurshid who says that we cannot have street trials. And for the government's part, it should realise that it does not need to roll out the heavy artillery but answer in a reasonable manner in an appropriate forum. It does not have to react to every remark made by Anna's people only to have them apologise later.

Yes, the people want to eliminate corruption. But no, they do not want it done in this murky way. But then, the people in whose name everyone is speaking seem to be the least of the considerations of this Mahabharata in progress. ""

User Awareness Campaign

Yesterday we parked our Car in the makeshift public parking near DLF Galleria (upmarket local market place in DLF Gurgaon). As an common example, in this Millenium City and its prime local market there is no planned public parking. So one of the small time enterprenuer, taking full advantage of usiness opportunity has converted an adjacent vacant plot of land into a " Public Parking". The parking fees is reasonable flat Rs.10. While physical infrstructure is not at all there he offers personal service like assisting you in location a parking lot , help in parking etc. etc. Thae plot is uneven with lot of pot holes. While returning my wife commented that the guy has been making good money for some time now why doesnot he spends a couple of thousands and at levet level the ground. A very reasonable suggestions - but I argued why he should do ??

Other day both of us went to Delhi Airport to meet my Aunt and Uncle who were in transit. After we reach the Airport we had to made full two rounds of Airport as we could not locate the Public Parking despite followimg the signboards. As we were already late I decided to park the car in VIP/Premium Parking. After parking we rushed to meet my relatives. After an hour or so while driving out of parking lot we noticed the place was full of pot holes, it was free for all parking, just in front of paying booth there were feet deep pot holes and so one was required to use all his driving skill to manuver. It took 10 minutes to get your turn ( It was Sunday and no quue to say).For all thi service we shelled out Rs.150. Again my wife commented why shound not they atleast make it worthy of driving. My comment remained same - Why should he ? ?

I also remembered a just week after Privatisation of Delhi airport and we realised the parking tariff was doubled. Service had gone from bad to worst. Users cribbed and became used to paying.

I feel unless we have awareness amongst user of their right and a regulation to ensure enforcement of such right users continue to suffer whether it is parking, toll roads. Users are still not aware of their rights and we all collectively need to start consumer/user awareness campaign. A small but must step.

What is wrong in name "Mumbai"

I am not the follower of either Shivsena or MNS. My political parantage lied in Congrss. I lived briefly in Mumbai in late eighties and thereafter have been staying in Delhi or NCR. Today My Daughter is proud to be called Gurgaon as her hometown than my town in Maharashtra (Latur). We briefly wnt to Mumbai in 2001 when She was 9 years old and came back to Delhi in few Months. My wife who had lived in Mumbai as Child (unlike me) loves Delhi than Mumbai.
Despite that I and not supportive of Criticism of either Raj or Balasaheb Thakre on the issue of Marathi Manus or that of their supportive arguments in favour use of Marathi. We all definitely should not agree with their styles or hoolgism but let us understand that we only strengthen them by opposing some of the basic principles they are using for their political interests.
Mumbai is not a new name. The city was always called and named as Mumbai ( originates from Goddess MumbaDevi). Britishers started calling it Bombay. Non Maharashtrians started referring it to Bambai. So far many years all the three names were in use officially in three languages. Mumbai must be the only city with 3 official names. While demand of locals were promptly accepted in case of Calcutta (in favor of Kolkata), Madras (for Chennai), Trivendrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Bangalore (Bengaluru) , the list goes on. But the simple demand of dropping 2 names (Bombay and Bambai) and use of only original name of Mumbai took decades before it was accepted that too only when BJP - Shiv Sena came to power. Can we imagine Tamil is not being used as official Language in Chennai - but in Maharashtra on in mid 1970s Government with great reluctance started issuing Government Orders in Marathi. In 1990 when I used to live in Mumbai I observed Mumbai Central Station used to Display Boards in Hindi, English and Gujarati. So always there have been attempts to underplay use of Marathi which was official Language of the State.

Mumbai is the most important City of India, its financial capital and people of India has right to depend on it financially. However, they should respect emotions of the Maharashtrians. If they donot then they will fall in Raj's trap. National Parties like Congress and BJP as also National Media must understand it ans should not continue to ignore the local population. Last 30 years (at least) Congress could not find Marathi President for Mumbai Congress . Same is the case for BJP. Union Government never given Mumbai its due to improve its crumbling infrastructure. National Media was interested in showing Anti Shivsena stories using provacative languages. At the same time they didnot even mention official order of Punjab Government that required Laborers from Bihar to registered them and carry ID by paying fees. This partial approach only helps MNS and Sena. Lets us start understanding the basic issue and solve it , may be even by accepting its genuneness. Politicians never interested in concluding but at least we citizens are. Let us work towards that.

More thouhghts are welcome.

Vishwas