Courtesy - Indian Express!

POST POLLS
To say that Nitish Kumar's victory negates identity politics is overstating or perhaps even misreading the situation ... But perhaps a beginning has been made The results have made it clear that people of Bihar have broken the shackles of caste. The large participation of women has added a new chapter in democracy.
NITISH KUMAR Bihar chief minister.
Bihar has changed, and for the better. But the nature of this change is more complex than “development winning over caste and identity politics“.
Development and governance were indeed factors that contributed to the sweeping victory for the JD(U)-BJP combine, but so did a formidable caste confederation that Nitish Kumar stitched over the last five years.
Kumar's campaign speeches rode on the theme of development with the subtext of caste and religious identities.For his rival, Lalu Prasad, caste was the only text and the subtext as well.
In contrast, Kumar tailored his development agenda to address the concerns of all such groups that had been left out of the social engineering Bihar saw in the past two decades.
He carefully crafted and nurtured a political strategy that put extremely backward castes and women at its core, while not ignoring the expectations of the relatively privileged sections of society.
Development is not a concept that has any universal meaning, particularly in a society that is driven by sharp faultlines along caste identities.
The roads were built, the schools got teachers, and the doctors were present at the primary health centres (PHC), at least once a week. But that much is not good enough to win a political battle in Bihar, yet. Who has got the contracts for building the roads, what is the caste of the teacher at your school and the doctor at your clinic are important questions in Bihar. Development in Bihar cannot have a caste-neutral outcome. Kumar's real success is in understanding this and building in the caste component in everything that he did -from local body elections to teacher appointment to general political discourse.
An uncharitable interpretation of Kumar's caste politics is that he mopped up all sentiments against two particular castes -the Yadavs and Paswans, who were the prime beneficiaries of the first wave of lower-caste politics in Bihar. Non-Yadav backwards have been at the receiving end of Yadav empowerment under Prasad. Non-Paswan Dalits have been getting a raw deal, economically and politically, all through.Kumar mobilised their frustration and anger.
A more charitable take is that Kumar widened the umbrella of political participation, offering some fruits of development to the hitherto neglected and lowest in the caste hierarchy. He courted Muslims by quickly dealing with the remaining Bhagalpur riot cases of 1989, providing funds for madrasas and burial grounds and keeping controversial Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi out of Bihar's political equation. In that sense, Kumar took social empowerment from where Prasad left it and built on it.
In this hugely successful and imaginative journey, Kumar created three new identities, which go beyond caste -women, youth and Bihari.
Kumar addressed the development and empowerment aspirations of these three categories in tangible measures and promised a lot more in the second coming. By introducing 50% reservation for women in local bodies and distributing cycles to girls in schools, Kumar awoke the latent urge of the state's women to be part of the progress. In 23 districts out of the 38 in the state, more women than men showed up to vote, and more women, perhaps, voted for the ruling alliance.
Kumar compared his governance with that of his predecessor and declared that it's no longer a shame to be known as a Bihari -a slogan that instantly caught on with the youth of the state who travel outside and face humiliation. He urged the youth to empower by learning -a departure from the Lalu-brand of politics. “I am proud to be Bihari,“ said the BJP's spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi. That view is being echoed in many parts of Bihar, although the Bihari identity is still nebulous To suggest that Kumar's victory negates identity politics is overstating or perhaps even misreading the situation. Kumar did change the vocabulary of politics in the state. That's why everyone in Bihar and outside is calling the verdict a victory for development over caste. But it's too early for Bihar to put an end to caste and identity politics.
Perhaps a beginning has been made, and the credit is fully due to its new leader.

The Truth!

Found this gem somewhere!!! Thought I should share:

The Devil was talking to his friends when they noticed a man walking along a road. They watched him pass and saw that he bent down to pick something up. "What did he find?" asked one of his friends. "A piece of Truth," answered the Devil. The friends were very concerned. After all, a piece of Truth might save that man's soul - one less in Hell. But the devil remained unmoved. "Aren't you worried?" asked one of his companions. "He found a piece of Truth!". "I'm not worried," answered the Devil. "Do you know what he'll do with the piece?". The Devil replied, "as usual, he'll create a new religion. And he'll succeed in distancing even more people from the whole Truth."

- Paulo Coelho

Prostitution...A serious issue unattended!

-The word originates in Latin: Pro + Stature which literally means "to expose" and its a pan-universal issue.

-It has diverse considerations in different societies and nations. In some countries, it is legal, while in some, death penalty is given. In Sweden, Iceland paying for prostitution is illegal. In India, UK, Canada, USA prostitution is not a crime but associated activities such as pimping activities of brothels & soliciting in open is a crime. In several countries it is legal in a limited form.

-According to a survey by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, 2.8 million sex workers have been identified while unofficially it is 15 million.

-The troubling part: India has 35.47% of prostitutes belonging to the under 18 years age group. As per official estimates, Mumbai has the largest concentration.

-There are many variants of prostitution: common prostitues to singers and dancers, call girls and even the dev-dasi traditions being generated at certain places.



-Section 497 of IPC - Consensus sex is not a crime if the lady is 16 years old or more. For the married woman too, consensus sex is not a crime. However, concealment of information is a crime.

-The legal complexity of the provision was adopted under SITA Act-Suppression of Immoral Trafficking, 1956 but couldn't be effected. It was ammended again in the form of IT(P)A [Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act], 1986.
-The Law forbids sex workers to carry out their profession within 200 yards of public places. However this Act does not recognise male sex workers or gigolos, who sell sex services to women or husslers, also known as rent boys who sell sex as a part of MSM (men having sex with men). Both are illegal.

Causes that contribute to prostitution:

>Family prostitution
>Poverty
>Migration (of illegal nature esp., from Nepal and Bangladesh)
>History of rape, divorce, peer factors, bank company, poverty
>Technological factors - websites, chat sites etc.
>For the payment of rent/borrowing, the lady spends sometime with the person - Chukri System. (It is the oldest system in India).

Should it be legalised???

In favour:
>This group can then be better attended
>Better policies can be framed for them
>Better rehabilitation can be done

Against:
>It would then become an industry and pimps would become entrepreneurs
>Organised crime associated with it wouls also become difficult to handle
>Child-rights violation will become more rampant
>Efforts of controlling this problem would cease


Facts::

1. It is one of the gross violations of human rights and it has been considered as a modern day slavery.

2. Acc. to a UNICEF study, India has the largest number of child prostitutes while in terms of ratio, it is Cambodia.

3. In ILO Convention of 182, it is rated as the worst form of child labour.

4. As per WHO survey of India, more than 50% of sex workers of Mumbai and Kolkata are HIV+ve.

5. In July, 2005, the MHR Govt. passed a law, banning bar dancers but it MHR High Court maintained it as unconstitutional. The matter is still pending in the Supreme Court. Irrespective, the stoppage of bar dancing has added to the large number of prostitutes thus contributing to the problem.

6. In a PIL filed by "Bachpan Bachao Andolan" (an NGO), SC Justice A.P. Patnaik and Justice Davir Bhandari has called upon the Govt. to make strict provisions to deny bail to those people who are engaged on child prostitution. Retired CJI K.G. Balakrishnan is of the opinion that it should be legalised to have better monitoring and medical facilities provided.

{Note: Just because we are unable to stop it, it doesn't imply that we should legalise it!}

being emote is a very good reason for heart burn! So chuck those sentiments away...

Being mechanical sure helps these days! Thanks to so much of advancement in technology, one can do away with emotions and let the keypads talk for us.... We don't really feel much when using a technology platform to commute thoughts...So why bother? Lets keep moving where it leads to! Noone's complaining and I too don't need to...

For the love of PARAMORE....

One of the most talented pop-punk bands, Paramore has carved it's own niche! Starting off early, these guys hit the right notes....winning quite a few awards, Hayley Williams got a mesmerising tone complimented by Josh Farro as the lead guitarist...These guys rock and mindyou, they are just beginning! My favourite pick is "You r the only exception" besides "decode".

Terrorism...What exactly is it?

Well, no such standard defintion for this thing but as it is, the first thought that springs up would be 'using fear to attain the objective'....However there is one that is compatible:

"Intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians/non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a Govt. or an International Org. to do or abstain from doing an act."

The UN Security Council Resolution, No. 1373 against Terrorism was adopted on 28th Sept. 2001 and it is one of the rarest resolutions that was passed in 3 minutes flat! In this resolution, the resolve was taken to check the movement of terrorists, the funding routes, regulate the losses w.r.t. immigration and refugees and also aimed to defined the word, terrorism but found no such unanimity. This resolution being adopted in Chapter 7 of The U.N. Security Council means that everybody has to adopt it!

Pointers>

- Vilolence is the most common tool of the terrorists

- Psychological impact

- Affecting or destroying National Symbols

- Media attention

- Coercing the system to come to terms

Types:

1. Political Terrorism: where the terrorist org. is aimed at acquiring political authority

2. Non-political Terrorism: Ex: taking responsibility for terror caused etc.

3. Civil Disorder: affecting peace and security for making the Govt. accept demands

4. Quasi Terrorism: Contextual. Ex: fugitives, felon, those people evading arrests and taking shelter elsewhere by threats

5. Limited Political Terrorism: basic aim is to act against the system and create distrust in the minds of the people for the system

6. State Terrorism/Official Terrorism: sponsored by the State system. Ex: ISI, dictators etc.

Characteristics:

1. Random

2. Surprise

3. Against the State and the Community

4. Unlawful

5. Both political and apolitical purposes

6. targets primarily people in position and helpless masses.

Objectives:

1. To make their demands accepted

2. Mobilise mass support

3. Show of strength

4. Elimination of opponents

5. Instablity and creating chaos

6. Moral building of the cadres

Causes of terrorism cannot be pre-defined, i.e., there is no stereotypic explaination since the roots are extremely mobile.

Islamic Terrorism:

Comes from 'Salema', which means 'Peace' (Also, Purity). Another meaning is 'submission to the will of God.'

- By this simple explaination, 'Islamic Terrorism' is self-contradictory.

- It is a term used by the proponents of 'clash of civilisation' - for dividing the society.

- It is also used by the terrorists to ensure mass support.

- The most common word used is, 'Jihad', basically a term which is by all means 'reactive in nature.' It can be used for explaination of pro-active measures. In fact, in all religions of the world, there are similar words but only in the case of Islam, the term has been made popular by a select few in search of support.

- AN-NISA: 4:28 verse of The Quran says that You cannot destroy yourself. This in itself contradicts 'suicide bombing', one of the tools used by the proponents of Islamic terrorism.

Saffron terrorism:

- A relatively newly coined term but it's essence has been there since quite sometime now! Some Hindu Organisations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Abhinav Bharat, Shiv Sena, Ram Sena have been criticised widely now regarding their aggressive Hindu fundamentalism. There have been allegations against these orgs. regarding funds supply from illegal sources abroad. Known to mobilise the youth by imparting ploitical ideas and spreading communal tension, they are no different from the banned SIMI. Some of these have been indicted with accusations of bombing and spreading violence in various parts of India like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa.

Consequences of terrorism include loss of life, property, peace, development and migration.

Measures to check terrorism:

Short term:

1. Modernisation of the forces

2. Better Intelligence

3. Prompt punishment

4. Protection of the whistle-blowers

Long term:

1. Check communal riots

2. Promotion of family bonds

3. Check on child trafficking and giving a home to the homeless orphans so that they don't fall in the wrong hands

4. Promotion of patriotism

5. Use of media for national integration

6. Promotion of national identity

7. Better rehabilitation fot the surrendered terrorists

8. Economic equality and balanced regional development backed by effective policies

Efforts taken in India:

-Many Preventive Detention Acts under Article 22 like POTA, TADA, COFFEEPOSA, UAPA

- National Intelligence Agency set up in 2008.

- India is also a signatory to various international agreements for control of terrorism. Ex: Tokyo Treaty, 1963, Convention for the suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, The Hague, 1973 and various other Security Council Resolutions.

Drug Abuse

It implies the illicit use or misuse of drugs - people who use drugs not recommended for them or use in quantities greater than what is recommended for purposes other than medicinal.
The whole drug business of the world is worth $400 billion! An official estimate of drug users ropes in 185 million people. According to a U.N. estimate, India itself is home to about 1 million heroin users. A recent estimate shows that female drug addicts are on a rise compared to their male counterparts!

Cannabies is the most common substance in drug abuse. In fact, 'Bhang', one of the few legally available preparations in India comes from the dried leaves or flowering shoots of the hemp plant, the source of charas and marijuana as well.

Drug abuse substances can be divided into two categories:
1. Legal drugs: medicainal use. Ex: Alcohol, tobacco, psycho-stimulants
2. Illegal drugs: banned. Ex: Heroin, cocaine, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or LSD-25)

3 levels of dependencies:
1. Psychological
2. Physiological
3. Peer groups
Causes of drug abuse in India:
1. India's geographical location with respect to the golden crescent (Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan) and the golden triangle (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) - the two major hubs of drugs!
2. Decline in moral values/ethics
3. Glamourisation of drugs - in movies etc.
4. False sense of modernity
5. Low self-esteem
6. Emotional distress
7. Poverty - Cannabies are taken to fight hunger! Such pathetic is the situation..
8. Gateway drug factor - substance transition where an user starts off with a small variant and gradually begins to explore the more powerful drugs out of curiosity!
9. Social winking - many a time the society lets off as in marriages or festivals like Shivratri, it's turning out to be a ritual sort of!
10. Exposure
11. Medical causes
12. For better performance

Impact of drugs:
1. Domestic violence
2. Money laundering
3. Juvenile deliquency
4. Suicide bombers
5. Terrorism

Some common substances with their effects:
1. Alcohol: It has the effect of releasing tension, resulting in delayed reaction time and impaired judgement
2. Sedatives: Has a depressing effect on the CNS (Central Nervous System); acts as a tranquilizer and affects immediate reaction, memory etc. Ex: Goofballs
3. Stimulants: Activates the CNS and quite often used to treat mild depressions. Ex: coffee-caffeine
4. Narcotics: Acts on the CNs and has same effect as that of sedatives. Ex: heroin, morphine
5. Hallucinogens: Psychedelic substances; work on the CNS & produce hallucinations - false images
6. Nicotine: Fights boredom, affect bodyaches
7. Analgesics: An imporatant group but often ignored; relieve body pain, anxiety but has serious impacts.

*Fact: 50% of crimes in the U.K. is under the effect of drugs! So stay away while you still can....

Ancient Indian history:

This is an attempt to summarise the important events and dynasties throughout indian history. hope it's useful

Indus valley civilization/Harappa (2500-1750 bc)


vedic age
Early (1500-1000 bc)–rig veda

later (1000-600 bc)
- Sam veda – on musical hymns
- Yajur veda – on rituals of sacrifices
- Atharva veda – on charms and spells
- Brahmanas – commentaries on the Vedas
- Aranyakas – jungle book; theme : romanticsm
- Upanishadas or vedantas (108 in number) – theme : metaphysics. Most important – chandokya.
-aryans life : discovery of iron (1000 bc ±100 years), agriculture, settled life, yajnas
- gods: Prajapati, Vishnu



The mahajanapadas ( 600 bc) – 16 in number. After a prolonged struggle, 5 of them emerged as the most powerful ones –
1. Vajji
2.Magadha
3.Kashi
4.Koshala
5.Avanti
Magadha and Avanti emerged as the most powerful; they fought for about 100 years and the Magadha empire became the first established empire in india!

Magadha dynasties:



Haryankas (500 bc)
Bimbisara They were the first to

Ajatashatru introduce metallic
Punchmarked coins in india



Shishunag – founder : shishunaga


Nanda – founder: mahapadmananda

Events:

- Alexander (326-324 bc) invaded india through Khyber pass. The first king to oppose him was Porus (Punjab).
- Alexander brought two historians with him:
Aristoblus and anasecrates
- Alexander returned through Gujarat without attacking northern india. At that time, dhananand was the king of magadh dynasty.



Maurya – founder: Chandragupta maurya (321 – 298 bc)

Landmarks:

- c. maurya was helped by vishnugupta/kautilya/chanakya
- c. maurya defeated seleucas nicotar (alexander’s successor)
(c. maurya performed ‘sallekhan’? - a Buddhist ritual of giving up food & water forever)
- megasthenes (writer of indica) was the ambassador of seleucas.

Bindusara/ Amitraghata

Ashoka (273-232 bc)
-after the kalinga war, he took up the policy of ‘dharmaghosa’ replacing ‘bherighosa’
-ashokan edicts: 14 in number found in 8 different places, written in prakrit.



Shunga – founder: pushyamitra shunga



Kanva – founder: vasudev




Arrival of foreigners


-Indo-greeks/bactrians (200 bc)
-they introduced gold coins, dates and images of kings on coins, yawanika (curtain or purdah), all for the first time

Gandhar school of art/hellenisti art:
-Mostly of Buddha in standing position.
[note: the statues found in bamiyan, begram, hadda, heart, kandhar, (afg), taxila (pak) are of this style]




Sakas/saythians (central asian tribe)
-Greatest king: rudradaman (proof: junagarh inscription)



Parthians/pahalvas (from iran)
- first Christian missionary: Saint Thomas settled In kerala.





Kushans (yutchi tribe of central asia)

-kanishka (1st & 2nd Ad) introduced the saka era
-charak: kanishka’s great physician, wrote the book, ‘kerala samhita’ ( known as encyclopedia of Indian medicine)



Vatsa




Satvahanas/andhras (100 – 300 ad)

-minted coins in lead
They were the first to give land grants
Patronized Amravati school of art: statues made in narrative form.
-mathura school of art ( origin: 200 bc): buddha ( shaveless with a lock) statues made of red sandstone



Sangam age/literature: assembly of tamil poets
-tolkappiyam: book on tamil grammar
-depict the life of three kingdoms, mainly: pandyan, chola and cheras

Indo roman trade: silk route ( china to rome via afg)



Guptas (320 – 520 ad): golden era

- ramayana & mahabharat finally compiled in this period
Manusmriti written in post-mauryan period
-samudragupta: Indian napoleon, kaviraj. Info about him from ‘prayag prasati’ (on ashokan pillar) written in Sanskrit by harisena, his court poet
-coins with image of lakshmi
-chandragupta ii/vikramaditya
Great scientific and cultural development took place during his time
Great scholars and poets during his reign: kalidas, aryabhatta (wrote aryalshittika)-the first scientist in india who separated mathematics and astronomy), amar singh (wrote amarkosh: dictionary in Sanskrit), vishakhadutta (wrote mudrarakshasha & devienandraguptam), fa-hien.
Puranas (stories of gods & goddesses) written in future tense: 18 in number
Smritis (law book)
Temple art flourished:
Bhitalgaon temple:the first to be made of bricks, ajanta
Fresco painting style: paintings done on wet plaster; theme: jataka tales

Kumaragupta I
Largest inscription about him found
Nalanda Buddhist monastery built

Skandagupta
His famous inscription: junagarh
Defeated the hunas (cen asian tribe)

Vardhans/pushyabhuti dynasty:

Harshavardhana (606 – 647 ad)
-his dramas: ratnavali, priyadarshika and nagananda, kadambari
-harsha charita: first biography of any king in india
- hiuen tsang visited india during his time; studied at nalanda


[note: Mesopotamian (Iran) civilization (5300 BC) – THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION KNOWN!]

Lookin good now....make it better

Things look brighter with the sun scorchin back on Delhi! Let's only hope things become normal for us as well as the tourists comin in for the commonwealth games.... We should try to salvage our pride by showing them the best hospitability we got; after all that is something we Indians are known for! The need of the hour is to get our act together, not passing the buck. Hoping for a good show. Indeed, hope is sometimes a good thing if not the best....

Water water everywhere....

Can you help me out?

Can you let me a hand?

It's safe to say thatI'm stuck again

Trapped between this life and the light

I just can't figure out

How to make it right

A thousand times before

I've wondered if there's something more

Something more...

I feel it's gonna rain like this for days

So let it rain down and wash everything away

I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine

With every tomorrow comes another life

I feel it's gonna rain

For days and days

I feel it's gonna rain

I tried to figure out

I can understand

What it means to live on again

Trapped between the truth and the consequence

Nothings real

Nothings making sense

A thousand times before

I've wondered if there's something more

Something more...

I feel it's gonna rain like this for days

So let it rain down and wash everything away

I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine

I feel it's gonna rain like this

Rain like this

Rain like this

Fall down

Wash away my yesterdays

Fall down

So let the rain fall down on me

I feel it's gonna rain like this for days

Let it rain down and wash everything away

I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine
I feel it's gonna rain like this
Rain like this

Rain like this

I feel it's gonna rain like this

Rain like this

I feel it's gonna rain like this

I feel it's gonna rain...

Well, couldn't find anythin more appropriate for the current situation up here in North Delhi! The lyrics were as meant for this! Cool song though; new one from the comeback band - creed!With the Commonwealth Games already in messy mess, I don't have to dwell on it. Adding to its woes are the rains! And guess what, there is more comin with hardly 10 days to0 go before the Games start. The Yamuna is comin alive after long and parts of Delhi are gettin submerged what with water being released from the Hathinikund Barrage in Haryana. THis is something my place looked like when I woke up in the morning!

Social Networking Sites - a sham or an ingenuity?

Their reign over the web is undisputable! They have redefined the meaning of 'social identity'. If u and ur pics, scraps. videos n wat all u can imagine uploading, aren't there, ur existence in this world would be a farce! From the status of ur relationships to the last click of ur camera, u got to put up everything for everyone to see, which means unless u r often online, u miss the bus! No wonder, so many of us suffer from post-modem depression! Now that's somethin u develp wen u find urslf unable to access the internet for a considerable time period ( it differs from hours to days). Many out there would actually argue for these sites, stating that it helps them stay connected to their pals and to know about the happenings in each other's lives. Truly appreciable stuff and this was the very motive why Mark Zuckerberg & others developedthese sites. (In fact,the guy Orkut, set up the site to find his lost girlfriend and it actually helped him trace her!)But as we are becoming more vulnerable to the utilities of these sites, few of us are actually toeing the thin line separating a socialite from an exhibitionist! Everyhin under the sky has its good & bad side but it's imperative to maintain that balance. Introspection should be of prime concern here. Sending a message or a written note to someone has always had a greater impact , we must make sure we dont make a comment while thinking through that veil of vanity & braggery. While in public scrutiny, one needs to exercise some restraint on emotions....after all as tha sayin goes- admonish in ur frnd in private while praise him in public!

While we may have countless frnds in that virtual list n only gettin added with each day, expectin each of them to undestand and feel our real situation would b foolish. In the process of such parochial thinking, there is every chance of losing those real frnds, neare to us in the real world. No wonder why so many suffer from depressions of being lonely. Are some of us trying to find solace by interacting with this virtual world? Or is it partly because its an easy way of establishing a fake in the guise of artificial poses, which scream of duplicacy?

On the flipside, a lot of good things can be achieved via these sites. The way they link us to the world happenings, disasters, etc are unparalleled. Good social deeds can be materialised and opinions can be exchanged transcending borders. Join NGOs, mobilise people, remove misconceptions, spread awareness, urge sustainibility for the surroundings, arrange a poll or quiz to generate funds, donation programmes etc - the list is endless if only we will. But the question remains as to how many of us actually think of such innovative ways to contribute to our social responsibility cause? Being busy uploading mundane pics, songs etc. is one thing while standing apart from the crowd while inspiring the rest is another. We really need to grow up from futile aspirations and do something constructive in our own small way for this country, towards which we only export criticism. This way the image of the sites we are members of, would also reflect the contributions, of which everyone would be proud of! So, happy tweeting....

Heart Affairs!

Damn, it sure beats! yes, it does....everytime you talk to the person, for whom you have had harboured feelings for! Those who say it doesn't, lie. The harsh reality of life however shatters just about everything we dream of....at least its true in most cases. Those who sail through the storm are the real fortunate ones! Why brood? Why act dead when living? Lets just wish the magic moments stay in our memories and be enough for us to spend the endless quiet solitary evenings on our own! Amen....

Let's get together...

" I don't have prejudice against myself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip on the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white....." - BOB MARLEY.

So simply said and understood by the great Jamaican singer! Decades gone, yet these words are not so simply heard and followed.....India sowed the seeds of secularism long before independence but what we reaped is far from what was expected. True, democracy is a delicate plant, susceptible to many blights such as sectarian politics, political infighting, rigged polls, but we cannot expect much from the plant when the soil on which it thrives is itself diseased. Unproductivity ( read 'sub-nationalism'), absence of fertilizers (read 'illiteracy'), and most importantly absence of nutrients and water (read 'principles and poverty') are the preconditions for a failed harvest. We can't change history but we can, the perspectives. The platform on which secularism was based had been toxified by the bitterness and hatred that accompanied "the partition". Lakhs of people lost their lives and that too at a time when two countries were beginning a new journey. Much has been said and discussed about the parochialism of the leaders at that time and the sudden vacation of the British from the country, leading to a complete failure of law and order, something that was of utmost necessity while the largest ever human migration. Perhaps, if Viceroy Mountbatten had made Cyril Radcliffe's dividing line public atleast a fortnight earlier, much of the clashes and deaths could have been avoided. The result was that most of the people didn't know on which side of the border they actually belonged. Agitated mobs with survival instincts took to the streets with weapons killing anyone they found from the other community.

Perhaps these wounds in history resurfaces from time to time and still reminds us of the bitterness associated with the events and that which is ready to trigger an outburst whenever a sensitive issue related to religion is raised. Common sense would have us that leaders would do well to not give filip to such issues, given the fact that our literacy rates are still poor and the society is still grappling with the changes brought in my modernisation, add to it the superstious beliefs and religious fanatism accompanying it. The middle class is rising but with apprehensions which shows that the country is evolving and going thrugh the learning phases. It needs dynamic leaders, clean bureaucrats, proper social amenities - homes, hospitals, employment, educational institutions, industries, banks, roads, electricity etc.....all backed up by effective policies and their skillful implementation. India today, is seen as one of the prime leaders in the South Asian region leading a revivel for the ailing economy. But we must realise that being obsessed with GDP numbers and growth rate alone will not do. Neither would holding an Olympics Games!

So what then is the need of the hour?

Nationalistic attitude should repace the sub-nationalistic ones. The leaders need to reach out - they are the panacea to all social evils. I can't single out a leader who has so much of an unnerving nature to pull the masses out for a cause today. Except for political gimmicks, there is nothing new in them. Communal hatred is perhaps the worst evil vitiating the effects of secularism. The 'Ayodhya Ram Janambhumi Temple' verdict is on its way and its no wonder most of us are keeping fingers crossed fearing a clash between the two sides once the verdict is out. Not wanting to take any chances, troops - PAC, RAF etc. have been mobilised. Herein lies our problem. We never take measures when we should and when we can! Had the people in power gone nuts when this very issue of there being a Ram mandir in Ayodhya came up. Instead of taking effective measures then, the issue was politicised for narrow political gains just like we all know. It clearly shows the lack of dynamism and foresightedness in our leaders, two crucial components of leadership. Insted of bridging the gap between the two vulnerable communities, it was only ignited to its peak. This, however is not the time to refresh those bad memories and I would only do so if the verdict goes against the truth. For now, we should embrace peace and tolerance.... Just like Bob Marley said, who are we to differentiate between ourselves when we know we all were created by the same power!

Some other day....

A teacher's role...

Given an opportunity to take up the role of a teacher, I would be keen to make essential alterations which I believe will be pragmatically functional in helping our ailing education system to improve for the better. The teacher being the pillar of this foundation, it is imperative that he/she be completely devoted to the task of carrying out the desired changes. Only then can we embark upon the next level.So, with this assumption, I would like to highlight the points:

Vocational courses need to enter the arena in a large way. Hands-on experience to solve day to day problems should be stressed upon more. For instance, knowing the technical know hows regarding the repair of a blown-out fuse, dismantling a switch board, replacing a bulb holder, fixing the motor or the water faucet, some carpentry work, some practice of washing and cleaning the house etc. When a high school pass-out fumbles to write an application correctly, something is seriously wrong. Such problems reflect the need for separate sessions to draw out the creative side of the kid, to let them experiment and understand that the real world lies outside the books. Learning theory is one thing but without some real time applications, they just fade away.Students who show skills or interest in fields other than academics should be given the thrust. They should not be fed with the old home-grown fact of life that academics alone is the ticket to success. There should be a scope for development of one’s oral and communication skills. This can be done by arranging oral tests and allotting marks for them. Many a time good students suffer because they are judged on their answer presentation skills alone. This would also help the kid to overcome public speaking fears and do a world of good to his confidence.
Discussions on a variety of issues should be encouraged in the class though the onus lies with the teacher here. Such activities make everyone participate freely and most importantly help them in forming their own opinions and viewpoints.Regarding the curriculum, it is necessary to include the basics of financial education as compulsory. This would enable the student to know what and why to save. Sex education is screaming for attention and it’s high time we incorporated it. Today’s children are growing in a fast-paced world which calls for all-round development to tackle problems of all genres the society confronts them with.
Maths is a subject dreaded by many students. But its importance is undeniable. The way to teach maths at the school level needs a sea change. There should be math laboratories with all the necessary equipments. This would make learning maths fun. Besides universalization of education, focus should shift towards higher studies and improvement of infrastructure at the University level.
Last but not the least is the role of the parent/guardian. Home is where education begins and so it is the responsibility of the family to introduce the child to the right values and principles. They should refrain from pressurizing their wards to choose a particular subject or profession and let them blossom on their own under a certain balanced vigil. We should learn to respect every profession and stop interpreting any as being of lesser position in the social ladder. Because as long as the individual enjoys a passion for the work he takes up, it’ll take him places.