Random thoughts 12052016

That a minister in the Union Cabinet and one who is duty bound and under oath to uphold the constitution trashes the Judiciary, shows how desperate and vicious the mindset of these neo fascists are. Earlier we had the concept of committed Judiciary under Madam G's rule . Now this . Further if a lawyer says that the Judiciary is destroying the legislature brick by brick , it can mean that
1) his education is incomplete and all through his professional life , he has served the cause of law as a hypocrite and maybe tried to undermine the system at every given opportunity.
2) the legislature deserves to be disciplined and brought in line to uphold the rule of law.
3) There is a crying need of Judicial reforms in the country.

Let us remember that the constitution of India has been framed to safeguard democracy and plurality by adequate checks and balances through the three pillars of executive, legislature and judiciary. Taking a partisan view and badmouthing any of them is a danger signal for the democratic setup.

The tragedy is that the powerful want more power in their hands instead of using the power vested in them for the cause of the nation. There is no end to blame games and the legal education should not be always used to find loopholes and put blame on others . Leaders need to stand up and deliver on their promises .


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The fun and games , as expected has started with the induction of the great Master in the upper house . Emboldened by the support he receives from a section of the ruling hounds and their Nagpur masters, he started with Agusta Westland scam targeting his perennial obsession – Red Sonia and her family. But this he has been doing for years now and that can be a bit boring for a man who always believes that variety is the spice of life. So now , more as a side dish he has ordered for the head of the Governor on the Mint street , served to him on a platter . His next target seems to be none other than the FM ( not the radio station , you stupid moron Bhakt) . Can’t say that won’t be a bad idea . Now our Bhasmashur has been pining over the years for a real juicy post but successive leaders kept him at arm’s length and he never got a chance to prove his potential and quality as a thinker . That really rankles. So he is back to his favourite pastime of hurting friends . But surprisingly , he is silent about Amma , whom he had given a tough time earlier .

Just about a year ago on 2nd April 2015 we learnt from 56 inch that - "There is lot of similarity between the thinking of the RBI and government... This is absolutely essential. As a representative of the government, I express my satisfaction. RBI is performing its role and I congratulate Raghuram ji and his team" . Was this really Man ki Baat or a Jumlaa ? That should be clarified by the person who gave the statement provided he gets time amidst his busy schedule of addressing election meetings and foreign trips . Instead of comparing Kerala with Somalia , some attention should be paid to rein in his own partymen and ministers who are living in his basked glory and busy making controversial statements . Particularly with institutions like the Supreme Court and RBI which are proven institutions in a country which is ridden with imperfect institutions.

But one has to appreciate the up gradation of class in the “Quit India” statements . Till now BJP leaders and Bhakts were asking for deportation of anti nationals to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia . This man has better tastes . He want the Guv to be sent to Chicago . Great improvement in two years . Achhe Din aa gaye . 

Random posts 11052016

Life happens every moment and continues with its flow.
With me or without me . It is not for me to control all that happen . So there is no need for me to get worried about everything that I can't control. I can only keep my faith on things working out to a better tomorrow . But before that I need to get the burden that I have accumulated over the years of my life , thinking them to be mine. I need to let go , little by little and watch life unfold .

Every one carries a bit of sadness within,
a touch of the blues.
We all try to hide our disappointments
with a confident smile.
Deep inside all of us
locked in some secret vault,
somewhere is that utter empty space
which we are afraid to own.

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The railroad to Gwadar completed. This initiative from China is really a big step by them. They now have access to the Arabian sea by a short-cut. Just to put in perspective , the distance from Jorhat to Kutch is about 3100 km . Here the train line covers a distance of 8000 km. With this route they have logistical and infrastructural readiness to move freight and if required troops too , in a span of one and half weeks.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0510/c98649-9055546.html

Hunger games

"When India achieved independence, more than 50 years ago, the people of the country were much afflicted by endemic hunger. They still are."
- Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize Winner

The judgement by the Italian court of appeals on Agusta Westland is hogging the limelight in the media and political circles and rightly so . Because it can have a very great effect on the political fortunes . So a lot of heat and dust is being raised on the issue everyday and the common citizen are expected to enjoy the tamasha as bystanders and place their bet according to their political inclinations, taste and preference.

But, very recently, the Supreme Court of Italy has also passed a judgement which should be more relevant to country like India where the number of people living in poverty and hunger may be much more than the total population of Italy . Stealing small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a crime, Italy's highest court of appeal has ruled taking into consideration that stealing food "in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment" actually is not stealing at all.

But of course there will be no discussion on our media , political class and the people on this subject. Those who are jumping with anticipation of punishment for people involved in Agusta-Westland scam as also those who are denying any involvement , both sides , have no time for discussing such silly judgements. And the chattering class on the social media , who are so full of national pride and political prejudice , to tear into any issues , be it Swamy's tweets or Sunny's tits , what about them ? Well, I don't want exactly your feeling dear reader of this post because I don't want to embarrass you.

But take a survey for yourself . Just ask your friend , colleague or a family member on the judgement and ask for their reaction . Chances are that most of them will not be aware of the judgement . And among those who have heard or read about it, most will dismiss it saying - These western liberal ideas . They can say all this . See what has happened to Greece. Then the more knowledgable will break into the imminent danger of Europe and it's civilisation getting disintegrated for their too human , too liberal and ridiculously socialist style of functioning . The upwardly mobile will recall about Mafia , Olive oil and the last Roman holiday they had taken . Only a very few will relate the judgement to our country and compare . Sad, but that is a fact.

And then, if anybody speaks about hunger and poverty in our country , people will just ignore him . Call him a Commie ,Naxalite, Maoist , Terrorist, Ultra, Sickular , Libtaard , Jholaachhap and what not . The choicest abuses and the sum of all hidden frustrations that one had experienced right from the day of admission to Nursery till today will be heaped on such person with a vicious and in some cases violent outpour of a nationalist and patriotic citizen. Hunger does not exist in our country , It was never there in our society. People don't die of hunger in our country . People don't steal to satisfy their hunger. They don't sell their children due to hunger . They don't traffic girls due to hunger . Anybody who says that Indians are still hungry is portraying our great country from a wrong angle.

Whether it is the Sarkar of Achchhe Din, India Shining , Mera Bharat Mahaan or even Garibi Hatao , all will agree to this . It suits everybody . Maybe because the stark reality of starvation does not fit in our concept of a developed nation that we have drawn a picture in our minds. It does not gel with the soft power that our country is in the international field . It is jarring in context when we boast of the third largest army or the second largest importer of arms . The lip service on poverty through grandiose schemes and the statistics doled out at regular intervals prove their intentions and vindicate their actions, Period. You just need a slogan to wish hunger away and change it after every five years,.

But is it really with no relevance to our society and country . Have none of us ever seen, heard or read about how somebody who have stolen food has been thrashed by a group of people and then handed over to police , for more beating. Have we never really heard about women being forced to sell their bodies for hunger . Is it only true for films ? If in our country , we really make stealing food by hungry non punishable offence , in the footsteps of the Italian judgement , then what will happen ? Maybe that's why we don't want to discuss that judgement . We would like to hush up, bury the information. It should not reach the ears of the hungry people of the country . Let us forget this judgement by the Italian court on hungry people. Come . let us have a great debate on the judgement by the Italian court on hungry politicians.

For those who have read the above , I would like to spoil your mood further with the following informations:

India is home to the largest undernourished and hungry population in the world
15.2% of our population is undernourished
194.6million people go hungry everyday
30.7% of children under 5 are underweight
58% of children stunted by 2 years of age
1 in 4 children malnourished
3,000 children in India die every day from poor diet related illness
24% of under-five deaths in India
30% of neo-natal deaths occur in India

Nizami

“I condemn the mentality that sentences a ‘mujahid’ to death, who has neared the age of 70 and who we believe has no earthly sin. I consider such proliferation of hatred there and the understanding that orders such death sentences despite our repetitive initiatives neither as a fair governance nor as a democratic mentality.” - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President , Turkey.

The person for whom the Turkish President is so concerned is none other than Motiur Rehman Nizami , the Ameer of Jamait- E- Islami in Bangladesh. Recently the supreme court of Bangladesh upheld the death sentence passed against this man , who his now in his seventies, for crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war. This relates to his involvement in the genocide and massacre of minorities and intellectuals unleashed by the brutal Pakistani army in alignment with the infamous Razakar , Al-Badr and Al-Shams forces. Nizami, was also a former M.P. and minister in ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia’s cabinet.

The present Awami league government has been very consistent in pursuing the cases related to the 1971 genocides which is a big blot on humanity . They have persistently followed up on the cases after forming the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) and the accused have been given a fair trial involving the process of law and appeals.Though some people , mainly from the Islamic fundamentalist organisations and the opposition Bangladesh National Party headed by Ms Khaleda Zia , have termed the trials as politically motivated and vindictive in nature , it is very apparent that a legal process has been followed instead of a kangaroo court or a shariah style of justice which the detractors themselves preach . No body can fault the Bangladesh government on this count.

Now , the trial, sentence and death penalty of the accused found guilty as per the laws of the land is an internal matter for any country and others should not poke their nose into it. That said , it is not surprising that Pakistan has protested against the death sentence to Nizami , as they had done in earlier cases also . These people involved in the genocide, rape, loot and other atrocities on the Bengalis in 1971 were , after all Pakistani stooges. And with the affinity of the Pakistan government with the various Islamic fundamentalist organisations , it is not entirely unexpected , though irritating.

What is more surprising is that of all foreign countries , The Turkish President Erdogan has made a statement as - “I condemn the mentality that sentences a ‘mujahid’ to death, who has neared the age of 70 and who we believe has no earthly sin. I consider such proliferation of hatred there and the understanding that orders such death sentences despite our repetitive initiatives neither as a fair governance nor as a democratic mentality.” This sort of interference clearly shows what or how Erdogan is placing himself as well as Turkey and why some countries like Russia consider him to be the biggest threat along with Saudi Arabia. This also gives credence to the theories floating about his involvement with the funding, arming and dealing with the ISIS .

Meanwhile there are instances of pressure from influential circles who are trying to save Nizami and his ilk. The best way to do that is to raise questions about the transparency of the trial and the provision for death penalty. Former US envoy for war crimes affairs Stephen J Rap said no death sentence is reasonable under international rule. Two co-chairmen of US Congress Human Rights Commission have in a statement called upon the Bangladesh government not to execute the death sentence of Nizami. The US continues with its muddleheaded policy and interference into the affairs of other countries. They also continue to support the different Islamic fundamentalist groups and organisations inspite of being at the receiving end of the Jihadi ideology espoused by such formations. It may be recalled that US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had telephoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop the execution of the death penalty of Abdul Quader Mollah who was hanged in Dec 2013. . The US continues with its muddleheaded policy and interference into the affairs of other countries with their limited world view and selfish interests.

Bangladesh is presently witnessing a major civil strife between the Islamic fundamentalist forces and the civil society believing in democratic values. Often we hear about the murders of rationalists, atheists and secular people there. The Government headed by Ms Sheikh Hasina , in spite of its many faults has been a last line of defence standing between the democratic state and the prospect of a Taliban-ISIS like Bangladesh . The people of Bangladesh should understand that the forces which want them to become a wet version of Afghanistan have nothing to do with religion. They would push the country to the dark ages and only cause destruction änd devastation to the place which is called "Sonar Bangla".

With you

I can feel the droplets of desire

in the sweat on your dark skin.

The cascading rush of dark clouds

in the shadow of your hairs .

Every kiss between us is a promise

to make this tryst worth remembrance .

Our entwined bodies are lost together

in search of some unknown treasure.

Do you read the alphabets of lust 

in my eyes through your half closed eyes

even as you float in your ecstasy

and hold me closer to you .

The firmness of your soft bosom

held in my rough hands

as you moan for more of it 

in a primordial cry of fulfilment.

Muted , but not silent 

this chat between our bodies 

to satiate the hunger of centuries

and sprinkle the thirst of deserts .

Only you know , only you have seen ,

my other side ,the dark and viscous truth.

The feral delight of the predator

with his prize hunt in his embrace.

Rabindranath

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 and died on 7 August 1941 at the age of 80 years 3 months . Even a week before his death , he created poetry and dictated his last poem on 30 July 1941 .

Much has been written about the genius of this great man and the prolific nature of his works . Other than poetry , his short stories, novels, plays , music , drawings , paintings , travels and above all the institution Shantiniketan bears testimony to the vastness and depth of his works . He has been a colossus in the field of literature , art and culture , without any parallel.

There is often a tendency by many to downplay his contribution to literature, art, music and society in general by labelling him into many slots and comparing him with others. But it is impossible for us to really fathom his genius for the simple reason that one lifetime of ours is not enough to appreciate the works that he created in his lifetime . He is the composer of the national anthem of India and Bangladesh and have also influenced and inspired the composition of the national anthem of Sri Lanka . He received the Nobel prize as the first Asian and was also the first person to return the Knighthood conferred by the British Emperor.

For those who have experienced him through his works , each will have their separate reasons to respect him and in totality he remains just like the big elephant being experienced by blind men like us who just touch a part of the body of his works and take it to be the whole .

And for those who still do not believe in his greatness , I request them to consider this . In his life of eighty years , he saw innumerable deaths of his loved ones and near ones including his parents , relatives , wife and even three children . Yet his flow of creativity never ceased . Neither did he detach himself from the world and its realities. He went on with his creations irrespective of the minor tragedies of life till his death. How much strong he must have been mentally and what a talent he must have had to express himself . It is just unbelievable .

Food on my mind.

The urban and upwardly mobile middle class are always susceptible to waves of fashions, trends and fascinations more as a passing phase and peer pressure . Very often we find habits , styles and consumption of the society not being guided by necessity , reality or appropriateness but by the noise in the marketplace. And this covers everything of our daily lives . From the length of skirts to size of refrigerators or purchase of cars to selection of holiday trips , even eating noodles to brown breads , nothing is based on actual requirements or analysis of its use in our daily lives. They are more of choices shaped by the choices followed by our neighbours, colleagues, relatives and the ubiquitous TV commercials.  But that is a fact which we have to live with, in a consumerist society.

The peripheral choices which we make for our lifestyles beyond fulfilling our basic needs generally influence the evolution of culture in the society . Like all other things that evolve with time , culture also changes . These changes are but an ongoing process and there is no harm in accepting it. But that’s not what I am discussing here . The point which I am trying to make is the preponderance of fads which we follow for some time and then again opt for something new.

Food , or rather what we eat ,  is a very important part of our culture and perhaps this is the most  affected by swings of fancy and fads . This can take the shape of extreme fixations like obsession with healthy foods and diets and on the other end , a gluttonous craving for food with enhanced taste and elaborate processing. Somewhere in between lies the sad story of normal foods , which are relegated to has-been position . It would appear that as if  we have decided , either to burden ourselves unnecessarily with the guilty feeling of enjoying food or taken it upon ourselves to keep up with the jet setting class to try out the taste of exotic dishes , only because someone else has been there and done it .

 All around me and including me , I find an unhealthy emphasis on healthy foods . Now , this is an obsession which can be found only in the middle and upper class , who enjoy the luxury of a full fridge . And has the capacity to spend . So for them the big marketing juggernaut has come out with all the classifications like organic, vegan, local , grain-free, low-fat, multi-grain, low-calorie, high-protein  etc. There are much more of course , but I recount these names off-hand . All in the name of – Eating the right thing . And in India , with its eternal concept of variety  in taste , choice and acceptance based on regional and religious bias , the confusion is confounded . The circus is more entertaining to watch . Just for example and not to offend anybody , I can mention the concept of Jain food which is now a de-rigueur in parties and buffets . This is a recent phenomenon  and perhaps twenty years back this fad was not so open as it is nowadays. Being a carnivorous caveman , I personally find the idea  ludicrous . But there you are, as I mentioned before , this is a pointer to the society and culture.

And then , we have the overbearing presence of information and marketing strategies directed towards us over the media , through Doctors , through Babas , through religious customs and lately, the growing  tribe of nutritionists. And they are actually very confusing . Take the example of Olive oil . We are waking up to the wonders and discovering the virtues of this oil to such an extent everyday that every Coconut-Tam or Mustard-Bong has reached a point when they have started having a massive guilt complex for  not using it in their food. Then take the case of eggs.  Six or seven decades back , it was considered to be very much non-veg and in many households , a taboo . Even in some fish-eating families ! (Don’t be surprised , I know it personally ) . Then they said it was good for health and as a prescribed dietary supplement aided by the proliferation of poultry firms , it became a very common item of food in Indian households. Then again came the stigma of high cholesterol and eating of eggs was frowned upon . Now again, they are saying it is OK to eat eggs , because the correlation with cholesterol is not definitely proved. I mean , what the fun !

Recently , we have seen people being castigated for their eating habits , banning of foods and so much nonsense being allowed to be propagated , in the name of food habits expected to be followed. Some people get frothing at the mention of beef while some gets mad hearing the word pork and almost everybody gets a sense of horror at the mention of dog-meat. Some people get delirious at the prospect of eating fish ( me included), while some are thrilled with a plate of Govi-Manchurian (a travesty ) . You can feel pity for people who relish Paneer-Biryani or Veg-Biryani (oxy-morons, in the truest sense) , but there are hordes of them and you have to live with them .  Then there is the loonie brigade which wants to follow a lifestyle of fully vegetarian food and thoughts and there are some who would not even think of eating vegetables growing below the surface . And if you really think about it , foods like tea, white sugar , tomato , potato and many such items were not there in our country even in the times of Akbar . Again, an example of how food is an integral part of the evolving culture.

All these are still OK . The dangerous are those know-alls who get paid for peddling their ignorance about food and implores us to eat or drink things based on their super nutritional qualities or makes us feel like fat slobs with perfect bodies nurtured by some health food.  Even this is not enough , it seems . There is the vast galaxy of Chefs , enticing and beguiling us with exotic preparations like Aubergine-Timbuctoo , Khana-Badosh , Mexican- Fried-Octopus and things like that. And the upshot of all this is that now we eat not to enjoy food but to brag about its origin to our friends or to show-off our knowledge in a gathering .

The whole philosophy about food and eating should be the enjoyment and value derived from it . Neither should we create a dogma about our  choice of food nor should we indulge in it as an obsession , either for the body or the mind .  We should be responsible for our own body and health and should do the best . It is a duty that we owe to ourselves . But it should be integrated into our lifestyle rather than coming in the way of enjoying life in all its colours, smell , taste and senses . Let us divorce guilt from eating and cut out the noise. Enjoying a simple meal with small indulgences with family and friends is the real joy of life.

So,  who is inviting me for lunch after spending your valuable time reading this post till the end.