Is this a democracy? Well, i don't think so!!!

Someone, apparently a tolerant and liberal person, said on a TV show that he was for freedom of expression but "you cannot offend or hurt people". He then added: "This is not London or Paris or Amsterdam, this is India".

What we fail to understand is that freedom of expression includes the freedom to offend or hurt organized groups, hurt public figures, hurt all those who are in the positions of influence, hurt all those institutions which are powerful and influential, hurt our histories, our legacies, and our past.  Freedom from religion is one such freedom, and so is freedom to criticize our culture, tradition and the nation.  Freedom of expression cannot come in doses of moderation, like what the Indian Adults want us to believe.  And that’s where we got our democracy wrong, making it immature, refusing to let our people grow.  Freedom of expression cannot be defined differently in a nation or a city; it is the same in almost every country and nation, like the Theory of Gravity or the Archimedes Principle.

I believe moderations and exceptions will go away with time, will cause friction, will suppress certain people, make them second-class citizens, and might even allow for one section of people to target another.  It creates a medieval society as time progresses.  We cannot go on to say, ‘you are free to think and write; but you cannot do this and that, you cannot hurt him or them, you have to stay within these boundaries’.

There is a general consensus amongst many Indians that freedom of expression cannot be absolute, that it should come with some moderation.  So the question is – who is going to enforce that moderation? The state? Or should it be self-restrained to be praticed by the society itself? 

If we allow the state to enforce that moderation, the societies turn into autocracies.  The people in power get to stifle the freedoms of common men.  That's what communist countries do - those who are in power decide what people can say, do or watch.

The ‘freedom of expression with moderation and imposed restraint’ is a paradox in itself.  The country ends up being autocratic given enough time.   The American nation created by American Revolution became a successful democracy because they gave themselves these freedoms as near absolute.  A contemporary revolution in France became a chaotic, bloody and retributive failure when it allowed the powerful state to decide which rights the individuals can enjoy. 

The experience of many nations on this planet has made it clear that we cannot decide what expression we are going to allow and what expression we are going to curtail.  If we start with the premise ‘freedom, but with constraints’; the question that arises is who is authorized to regulate those constraints?  The state or the groups?  Whoever is entrusted with that power, they will become autocratic eventually. 

Now, people ask, ‘what about those speeches which clearly urge or encourage people to take up arms and target certain kinds of people?’  We have enough laws already in place to take care of such incitement; and therefore we require no extra laws to protect sentiments of religious groups.  ‘Hurt sentiments’ should not be and could not be used as a pretext to shut up any artist, author, movie maker or any speaker.

What happens in India is that there are enough number of antiquated and medieval period laws coming from witch-hunting times by which almost anything you say or do can be considered ‘hurting the religious sentiments’ of one or the other group making the freedom of expression a ridiculous freedom which can be taken away by the state any time whenever a group of more than ten people come together to complain.

For me, India will become a mature democracy only when it gives the freedom of expression without constraints, without restraints without having to regulate moderation.  The message for India now is, 'grow up, grow up, and grow up; and face the music!  Face the onslaught of criticism like a mature person, face the ire, anger and vitriol of people inside and outside your country.  Be mature, and let your institutions be critically examined, ridiculed, made fun of.  Let your public figures be derided and spoofed. Be strong, and be a Leader!!!'....

We will fight back! Hyderabad... we stand by you...

If the horror of February 20th has taught us one lesson, it's this: Our military must confront new threats with greater resilience and sheer determination.  That's the essence of our war on terrorism, and we believe that we shall fight back and we shall crush the spirits of those who tried to harm our integrity.

The recent attacks and subsequent losses shall linger for a long time in our  minds, but the farther it recedes in days, weeks and months, the more important it becomes to remind one another why we're fighting this war in the first place.

Yesterday, Hyderabad was attacked by cowards without a cause - cowards sheltered by a ruthless regime and coordinated by cutthroats with the craftiness to order mass destruction but not the courage to emerge from their own caves to do it.

More than 100 people were injured or missing, and the death toll threatening to  reach triple figures within a few days.

Winning the war on terror is a must will help to prevent similar losses in the future.  We cannot depend on the States or the UN to solve our issues. More importantly for a country like ours which is emerging among all differences, it will create an environment in which economies can flourish.

Prosperity depends on predictability.  Stability is a prerequisite for 

investment, innovation and other ingredients of a vibrant economy.  

And, make no mistake: Terrorism may be the first threat to international 

stability in the 21st Century, but it isn't the only one -- and it certainly 

won't be the last. Be it small scale or large scale, it is an inhuman and barbaric act and we shall rise against all odds to ensure that these acts do not get repeated at any cost! 

We are a huge nation and shall establish to the world that we have THE united spirit that shall strengthen us and consolidate our mark on the international arena.... Lets all rise to the occasion and make these efforts count! We are proud Indians; nothing in the world could deter our sense of brotherhood ever! 

Jai Hind!!!! And long live our Hyderabadi friends!!!

IN REMEMBRANCE.....

This article is written in remembrance of Amanat, a 23 year old student, whose brutal death triggered nationwide protests for women safety in Delhi NCR, thereby giving rise to newer anti-rape laws and fast track courts across the country for speedy trials in rape accused cases.

Its sad to admit that similar incidents have been occurring in India for over a decade now, but so far they have all failed to grasp the much-needed public and media attention, on a scale large enough for the authorities to sit up and take notice of the fact that 21st century India is fed up of Aristocratic - Democracy and demands "A Change"...a change in its laws, civil rights, administrative policies and most importantly...The outlook of the government towards its citizens.

But Wait....!!

When we speak about "The Change", shouldn't there be a change in our social ethics?Shouldn't we do our own bit in making our towns and cities safer for us?

Shouldn't We Be Better Citizens First And Then Aspire For A Better Nation For Ourselves??

The story below is about one such incident that happened in Guwahati(Assam), a few months back from now...
(Click on the Link Below)

"WE ARE ALL CITIZENS OF “SHINING INDIA”... BUT WHY DO CRIMES & INHUMAN ACTS TOP THE HEADLINES EVERY BREAKING DAWN??"

"HAPPY DIWALI INDIA"

1800 HOURS IST

A thousand fireworks lit up the night sky and I began to wonder how many of my crackers would backfire on me.          
I lit up my first...A innocent looking flowerpot.

BOOMMMMMMM.....Straight on my face!!! 

As my eyes recovered from the blinding haze, I saw my 3 year old nephew's frightened face shine up with joy when the flowerpot burst into flames....He came up to me...

                 "   মামা....আবার কর আবার কর !! "


3 hours of fireworks later, I don't regret my burnt finger anymore now...Loved spending this Diwali with my family after 4 long years. 

It's true in fact ..Festivals in India do bring us closer to our loved ones & makes us part of a bigger family...
                                 The Indian Family!!

                       "HAPPY DIWALI INDIA"

THE "TOPIWALA" & THE T.R.P. REVOLUTION

In covering Anna, TV seems to have shed its critical faculties....

.....writes ANIL DHARKER in the Outlook

“Corruption,” I remarked the other day on a television channel, “takes more than one form.” We were talking about—what else?—the latest incremental progression in the Anna Hazare saga. “Everyone talks of money corruption, but what about the other kind—‘Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely’? And who has any kind of power now? Only two entities: Anna Hazare and television.”

That’s all I got a chance to say: the anchor swiftly changed the subject and everyone got talking of the usual arguments. A few channels do allow you to discuss the rigidity of Team Anna and its constitutional implications, but no one wants to talk about how the television medium itself is dictating what we think, what we say and when we say it.

Am I the only one disturbed at the supercharged atmosphere (almost amounting to mass hysteria) that surrounds us now on the issue of corruption? In this prevailing atmosphere, you better be for Anna Hazare completely, without any qualifications or reservations, or you will be deemed to be either for corruption or a lackey of the government. (“Your timing is terrible,” a ‘friend’ said to me after that particular television appearance, and then twisted the knife in with, “You sound like a Congress stooge.”) This mood has come about because of television’s blanket coverage of the Anna Hazare campaign, and the minuscule time given by it for the dissenting view.

No one is saying that Anna is a television creation. We have tolerated corruption at all levels for a very long time, but the multiplicity and size of recent scams, and the UPA government’s complete inability to control them so disgusted us all that we had reached bursting point. Anna was more or less the right man at the absolutely right time. He has led a campaign which has been brilliantly conceived and orchestrated by his backroom boys till now. But if his movement has now lit a fire that is seemingly out of control, the flames have been fanned by television’s hyperventilating channels.

Is it really old-fashioned to believe that the media should remain, under all circumstances, balanced and objective? In many cases, you may have to choose between good and evil. You obviously hope then that the media will be on the side of the angels. But even then, should its role continue to be of the news-gatherer, observer and analyst? Or should it be that of an activist? Everyone would want the media to be against corruption, so when a movement like Anna’s starts, you expect the media to be on that movement’s side. But do you expect it to act as the movement’s propagandist?

As far as I know, all channels, even the ones not averse to airing the occasional opposing viewpoint, joined Anna’s campaign directly. They flashed messages—and continue to do so—right through their telecasts asking viewers to support the campaign by tweeting, texting or phoning messages to designated addresses and phone numbers. In short, on the dais where Anna and his team sit, television channels are ensconced too, albeit invisibly.

"This may make for exciting and—what’s the buzzword?—interactive television, but it does commit you firmly to one side of the equation, so much so that it becomes difficult to be even slightly critical. It goes without saying that Anna has started a social revolution that will change very many things for the better in the country; but it also goes—and this needs saying—that Anna and team have got so carried away with the momentum of what they started that they don’t know when (or how) to stop.

Television’s lack of objectivity has meant that really important questions are also not being discussed: like the dictatorial tendencies of Team Hazare, the flaws in the Jan Lokpal Bill, the monumental machinery required for the Lokpal agency and the difficultly in keeping it corruption-free." 

JUST THINK FOR A MOMENT:

Television’s all-consuming obsession with the campaign has prevented it from looking at already established anti-corruption agencies and why they are not working—agencies like the CBI, CVC, ACB, the Lok Ayuktas set up in some states. No one on television is asking who will do the required investigations for the Lokpal organisation once it begins functioning. The police? Or an agency much like the police? Once you’ve said that, you’ve said it all.

But the channels won’t say it, or many of the other things that need to be said. 

 If they did so, it might just weaken the Movement...,

AND THAT WOULDN'T BE GOOD FOR "T.R.P.'S".....WOULD IT??

(Links to the original post:  http://dialogueandcreativity.blogspot.in/2011/08/topiwala-camera.html)

"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ARMY"….@ 17 SSB BANGALORE

Location: Reception Hall, SSB Selection Centre South, Indian Army (Bangalore)

Time: 20:00 hrs

Current activity:

              Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwninggggg.…
                                   
                                ……N then……
                           
     ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

The constant chatter of the other 156 guys present in the hall room beside me, didn’t seem to matter to my senses….Humans are known to have 5 sensory organs ryt??….At that moment, I could feel none. ‘Guess they were busy doing the one thing they did best….Sleep!!!

With all due respect to all the other activities a human performs in a day, I found dozing off as the best remedy to all the atrocities I have been facing since the last few days...U find it amusing??...U wouldn’t have…if u would have faced this….

3 DAYS AGO.....  

                                    Coming up Shortly....

Independence Day : A day of shame!!!

Happy Independence Day to all our readers.... Its 15th August.. lets celebrate....

Give it a thought. Why should we enjoy this day? Why should we celebrate this day and mark it as a holiday? Is that because the day reminds us of the cruel fact that although we have been independent from foreign rule for 65 years, we have also had a past of almost thousand years of foreign dominance? Why do we try to turn every day into a possible holiday? India is a multicultural country with so many festive holidays already. Why to increase the count by celebrating a day that marks a constant shame of how our country was broken into parts by our 'masters' and how we gladly accepted it in the name of religion. Did it really bring any peace to us? We have submerged into shadows of mistrust, mismanagement, mishaps and mistakes.

In such a scenario, should we not work harder to strengthen our nation? Should we not work better so that we can erase the continuous waves of apathy we have had in past?

Gandhiji sharm ke maare kalkatte mein baithe hue the jab unke sapnon ka bharat tukron mein bat gaya! Mr. Nehru was our first hon'ble PM.... What did he do to deserve it? OH yeah, I remember, he was Gandhiji's favourite, ofcourse his father Mr. Motilal Nehru being Gandhiji's close associate. We say that Mr. Jinnah was wrong in asking for a separate Pakistan. But we don't see its root cause. Why wouldn't he? He was a much able leader compared to 'blue boy' Jawaharlal. Then why was he sidelined by the Indian National Congress? Mr. Nehru had two virtues. One, that he was handsome and two, that he used to swim with Lady Mountbatten. He became our PM. It was his mistake that Kashmir is still a disputed state according to the United Nations. It doesn't recognize Kashmir as an Indian territory. Mr. Nehru, instead of being brave and annexing Kashmir forever from the false Pak claims, decided to take the issue to the UN.... and that was the end of any hope that it could ever be a peaceful territory.


Let me also remind you that we HAVE NOT achieved this independence due to the efforts of any leader whatsoever or any party as our textbooks claim. We got it since the Britishers had become financially as well as administratively too weak to hold on to a large nation like ours due to the huge losses incurred during the second World War...

We should spend the day working and not wasting it by listening to songs like "aye mere watan ke logon"... kyunki agar humein apne watan se itni mohabbat hai, toh humein isse bigarne mein nahin, banaane mein dil or dimaag lagaana chahiye!

Lets build our nation, lets not be complacent because we are far from achieving the goals that we owe to our motherland, our people and our own selves. Lets not be happy because we got six medals in the London Olympics and doubled the three we had achieved last time around. Lets be like the Chinese, who aren't happy even if they won eighty-six medals in the Olympics because they finished second only next to the Americans!

 We are the youth of this nation. Lets do what our fathers or forefathers couldn't do. Lets not celebrate this day of shame, and actually work harder on this day to prove that we are indeed  better off without the Goras.... We can champion our collective cause and inspire our upcoming generations to follow the path we laid for them....

Salaam Youngistan! Jai Hind!

Presenting you the "Its Time You Cheer" Theme Song: Support India at London 2012 Olympic Games.... They might have been so successful yet, but lets stand by them and strengthen them... We believe things will turn around one day! GO INDIA GO

Salute this woman. Shez MC Mary Kom.. a mother of twin sons and at the peak of her boxing career during the London Olympics.... She has had to struggle in life but inspite of the barriers, she has come out as an absolute inspiration to all of us...

We are equals.... no castes whatsoever!

Caste Reservations...  A blow to our development!!!!

A few days back, I was having my NIMCET ( for MCA entrance in NITs ) counselling at Durapur. I was quite hopeful with my All India Rank of 665 that I would definitely get a good seat. For the first time in my life, things were falling right into places. After my graduation was complete, I got placed in d IT sector and since MCA was a natural path after BCA, was indeed very happy to see that I had a good ranking thinking that with 8000 ranks provided, I might well get a good NIT for my future studies....


I looked around, with a lot f guys just like me...hopeful with similar interest and enthusiasm... People got called for the counselling process one after another according to their ranks.... I was sitting with patience and suddenly a strange announcement broke my state of silence... 


" AIR 1003, AIR 2019, AIR 2232 .... please get ready for your counselling process "  !!!!


WTF, how could they get a call when I was ahead of them by miles? Did I hear the announcer wrong? That was possible, since I was too tired to suddenly focus on what was just announced.... Surely, that was the case...I thought. He announced again... " AIR 1003, AIR 2019, AIR 2232.... please proceed to our counseling arena. Thank You " !!! 


I kept wondering as to why they would be called before me.... When they returned after half an hour or so, I asked them what their ranks were... One of them, a decent looking guy from a seemingly well furnished family, told me 136 .... I said " But I heard him call you by AIR 2019 ? " He smiled, paused for a moment as if he enjoyed his moment...and replied like a brave soldier.... " Yeah my AIR is 2019 but my ST rank is 136... I was given a seat in NIT Warangal.... With your rank, you might not get a good NIT. Had you given a better exam, you could have got a better seat" !  


I peeped into his result card, the idiot had scored 79 and I had scored 166... yet he was the one lecturing me... like he was enjoying rubbing salt on my wounds! I smiled back and said .... " yeah well, thanks for your advice". What else could I say? Had I told him that " I never knew I would have to suffer just because I was not a so called LOW CASTE ",  he would have jumped at me and I might have got my admission cancelled....


But my question is what is the government doing by continuing the system of reservations... Why is it not done on the basis of economic condition? Thousands of poor Brahmin families live by the Ganges at Kolkata, are they not taken care of because inspite of being beggars and tremendously below the Poverty Line... they are the so called UPPER CASTES? Is this why we call our country democratic? The basic concept of our Constitution is EQUALITY.... Is this how we define equality? Is this what we call justice? Mr. Ambedkar did what had to be done long back to bring all castes on equal ends... but even after more than half a century of reservations based on castes, isn't this the time when we say "goodbye" to these stupid reservations and re-evaluate our system and find out people below the poverty line, consequently making constitutional ammendments to uplift them.... 

M just a little concern that what if this system of reservation based on castes makes people hate the "lower castes" even more? will the caste reservations benefit the lower castes, or make their situation worse?Its time that we stop defining castes as being lower or upper... we never see that in the process of making reservation for castes, we define them as being LOWER... that is what has to be stopped. And in order to change people's mentality, we need not make reservations.... Given proper time and education, things will get better automatically... Infact a lot of things have already got better, nobody in the modern India is discriminated based on castes, so lets stop feeling sorry and get done with these baseless reservations... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!