Groping at Gandhi Ashram

I have to say it was very comforting to read the news about a foreign tourist being molested by drunk youngsters at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, in the morning paper. Ironically they were viewing the photographs of the Indian freedom struggle when they found found themselves struggling for their dignity.

Well what happened was totally against Gandhi’s dreams and what followed was violence. One of the youngster damaged Gandhi’s photos and was later beaten up(castration could have been better), the pther escaped. No complaint was lodged keeping in mind the sanctity of the place.

Is Gandhism dead? Doesn’t his principles and teachings hold no value any more? Was He just meant to liberate us from the British Raj so that we could freely molest our women? Why is Indian Youth forgetting that they are the pillars or the country?Is bad parenting to blame?

He dreamt of an India safe for women, and what did we finally deliver? Strip teasing women in public and marry off couples in public(thanks to Bajrang Dal the whooping marriage cost is avoided). Celebrating Gandhi Jayanthi would be more insulting now.

Ask anyone if Gandhi’s teaching hold any value and 90% will say Yes. But does it really? Ask yourself…

Start Blogging and Continue Doing It

[This is my first post in the company blog]

Its a good thing that my company introduced blogging to its employees. It was high time that this passion of a ‘netizen‘ was recognized. I see a lot of posts coming up and the enthusiasm was just simply WOW!!!. The fact is, most of the people lose their steam after the initial boost on writing. They come over enthusiastic and over time, they just don’t find what to write, some times intimidated by the way top bloggers write and the responses that they get and simply give up on blogging. “I cant do that, look how many hits (number of visitors to a blog) that person is getting.”

“So you a first time blogger… uhh????”, whats the big deal, write dude write!!! Thats what blogging initially is about. You need to write, write and write. Let that be anything about the good looking girl you found in the bus and wondering if u had her name can check her details in TedWeb, or how you burnt your break fast any damn thing goes into that. Novice bloggers - Just keep writing. You may not find any theme to write about, just write the crap that you feel like. May be no one is going to read it. So what, write.

“So you are not new to blogging…!!!”, still keep writing. As you ‘mature’ (i hate to use this word), you will find out yourself that what you want to write about them most, what you like blogging about. May be its Mallaika Sherawat or Bipasha Basu , who cares write about them. Play with words. Frame some wacky phrases like - “Bipasha threw ambers of jealousy at young damsels”, just make sure that you girlfriend doesn’t read this and i’m not responsible at any cause.

The next thing that you should focus is - ‘Give and Take‘ principle. Go visit other’s blogs, read their articles, drop a comment or two at their blogs and posts. Trust me just by mere visiting no one is going to know that you visited their site. Build a community on the web. Join groups. There is a bangalorebloggers called as the Blog’a’loreans at Google.

Last, visit the top blogs around and read how they write and what draws the crowd to them. What is so special in their writing? Who are these people. I suggest - Digital Inspirations - Amit Agarwal, he is India’s first professional blogger, Kiruba Shankar, Silkboard, Seth Godin etc. These are some of my favorite. Silkboard esp. has an uncanny way to report on the bangalore traffic . There are some Community driven blogs too like - Mutiny.in(i write here ), Sepia Mutiny too.

“So you a pro blogger.. uhhh???”, great!!!. Keep writing and help others too. Its always fun to get people into blogging. The way i did it for my roommate.

Cricket Virus

A game that is nowhere gets a whole page of news. A foreign Tennis player gets half a page when he is victorious. Yet the Indian pair of Bhupathi and Sania just gets less than quarter a page. They represented India, and they were beaten in the finals. If we can create a huge fuss about Indian cricket loosing then we can celebrate their near title miss. I have no idea. Leave all that how many knew that they made it to the finals of the mixed doubles at Australian Open

Over the days i have come to hate Cricket. It has become the single most inappropriate game that the Indians pursue these days. Its no less than a masala flick from a skimpy clad bollywood actress. There is nothing that you can define which is worth to be defined as memorable or a truly historic. I can hear people shout out what about the win at Perth? What about the lack of sportsmanship that was displayed by the mighty Aussies. I say damn all that. It was all as good as the wardrobe malfunction at fashion shows - you got to see something that you generally don’t see.

A racist remark, umpiring errors, a whole nation roars against that, a dramatic decision by the governing body, gentleman behavior by the captain - i’m asking do we need all these hype. Do we need cricket to survive. With cricket we no longer consider our neighbor as the arch rival anymore, its an island, miles south. The nation is celebrating victories and is doing injustice to other sports.

I dont care if the team loses or wins. The media makes sure that news reaches me even if i dont want to read it. Its in the front page of every news paper, flash news on TV. get out on the road, every one speaks about that, at work place the screens will have the score board open and local commentators shout out updates. I’m sick of this. Cant we just have some other sports take the center stage.

Does anyone care about what is happening to the other players. May be the media should dedicate time for other sports as well. At least report on the pitiable conditions of the other players. May be it should just avoid reporting in cricket. They are not GODs. They don’t deserve so much of attention.

Indians wake up, its just a game. F**K cricket. Its not really worthy of any praise now.

Congrats Sania and Mahesh

Sania and Mahesh have made India Proud again.

They might have lost the finals but they made it there and that is commendable. They made it to the finals by defeating Nathalie Dechy of France and Andy Ram of Israel (6-4, 6-2). In the finals they lost to Chinese-Siberian pair of Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjic (7-6, 6-4).

Well done duo.

TATA ‘NANO’ - Its for you

The 1 lakh car, i.e., $2500 car has been unveiled. Dubbed the people’s car it is now the center piece of the Automotive industry. Top car manufacturers argued that it would be causing more pollution. But it meets the Euro and Indian Emmission standards.

Ratan Tata said the car was “a safe, affordable and all weather transport - a people’s car, designed to meet all safety standards and emissions laws and accessible to all”.

All major Indian News channels are covering it.  A truly Indian Event.
Now all that it needs to worry is how it will handle the Indian Terrain.
Will it satisfy everyone’s needs? Lets Wait…

More by Chacko, who is live blogging at Mutiny-Tata NANO Launched - Live blogging

Facebook Banned !!!

This is what happens when you talk about social-networking at a cafe …

[ news courtesy : Leader News ]

07 - India - 08 Report

2007, India turned 60 and yet She has the vigor and sensuality of a 16 year old. She still has the tenacity and the power to indulge herself in anything. Indians have grown at a tremendous pace in the last 5 years.

2007 bids good bye with the threat of another election looming at large. The Nuclear deal with US is proving to be a bit costly for the Indian National Congress lead UPA Govt. With Gujarat and Himachal polls suggesting that Congress rule at the center is loosing steam, they cant afford to go on an early election. BJP did it and they lost. The question of aam aadmi, is likely to prove costly for INC. There are enough over-the-teacup discussions on politics, lets move on..

In the name of GOD, still proves to be a hindrance in development process, with politicos going to the extend of deliberately forgetting the fact about a Secular state. Wounds of past events are kept fresh. The sad part is that, even the highly educated people fall for such roadblocks. Education is still not able to curb the differences. Yes the literacy rate is up for the Nation from approx 52% in 1991 to 65% in the 2001 census. But yet we heard about infanticide in some of our modern cities.

2008 We scored 2+1+’A whole hostel’

If it was the New Year’s eve on 31st Dec 2006 that in Mumbai ‘we’ strip searched a girl, we just made sure that we area  ‘progressive’ nation. This New Year’s eve we did 2. Way to go …
Are we Indians so sexually frustrated so that we behave worse than dogs. How will these people ever understand that its because of this attitude that they dont stand a chance with any girl and have to be frustrated all the time. Perverts!!!
Now that molestation is the new media key word. IBN Live has some interesting facts - One estimate says a woman is raped every 32 minutes, murdered every 22 minutes, and molested every 15 minutes in India.
There are reports from all around India -
Patna had its share of boys barging into girls hostel, and in Kochi, people molest 15 year old Swedish Tourist.
They should all be caught and castrated!!!

US Conspiracy behind Bhutto’s Assassination?

Is there a US funded conspiracy behind Benazir Bhutto’s assassination?

Well thats why we call it a conspiracy. The attack has been said to be an Al Quaida has been already blamed for it and like any other suicide attack, this one too will end up in Al Quaida’s backyard.

So is there as US mastermind behind the killing of the prolific leader, who was greeted by 3 million supporters on her return in 1986. Though she claims that the military was trying to ‘eliminate’ her, it was more or less brushed aside as allegations.

Look at US. Post 9/11 saw a major sympathy towards the US and when they attacked the then Taliban ruled Afghanistan, the world was with them. Bush had the sympathy of his people, people forgot about Vietnam and supported him. US’ earlier crusade on the Gulf soil against Iraq, on the pretext of helping Kuwait had mixed support. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) backing US and providing them a base, they won the war, drove away the invading Iraqi soldiers and were Heroes overnight. Enough to save their face and a step closer to build allies in the OIL rich Gulf. But what people didnt see that the war expenses that the US put forward for Kuwait. The oil rich nation could only look on hands tied as their only wealth was being taken away to foreign soil in the pretext of the war expenses.

Look at the allies for US in Asia. We have South Korea, South-east asia was almost a failure with Vietnam, South-asia has India (who forgot the ties with Iran and Iraq and supported US in every deal to some Nuclear deal that looks no where near), Pakistan (their long time ally), KSA (their only friend in the Muslim gulf for a long time, pumping out oil for them) and Turkey in the far west. Lets rule out Turkey as its Europe.

So if you see US doesn’t have a really have many strong allies in Asia. Russia in rags is against them, China is not and that is a power to be reckoned with.

Benazir on the other hand, was sure to come into power and with the current US international affairs had only half the chances of supporting them. Mush was always in love with Bush. He let his backyards burn when he supported the US attack on Afghanistan.

So the only way any one could have really touched Ms. Bhutto, with the kind of protection that Mush had provided, was with his knowledge. Pakistan had the backing of US and any impending attack on Ms. Bhutto would have made the US Intelligence alert the Pak Security and in effect forced Musharraf to alleviate that.

If you see the patter of the initial reports - “…Suddenly, there was an explosion and Bhutto’s bodyguards immediately bundled her into a SUV and attempted to move out of the area…Just then, two men rode by the car on motorcycles. One of them blew himself up and even as Bhutto came out to see what had happened a sniper pumped five bullets into her neck and chest…”[IBN Live]

Rediff reports it as - “…Benazir was shot at by a sniper rifle from close range and a few moments later a suicide bomber created the blast to make sure that she is assassinated. It was a determined effort. They made sure she doesn’t survive the attack. She died due to the injury in her neck…”

So clearly the attack was planned with the notion of how the security was going to react and the timing was impeccable. If i’m sure, when even high profile leaders, especially leaders who has already been a target of suicide attack, travels the security is so tight that no one stands a chance to even approach them.

Definitely MUSH loves BUSH … look at them cuddling…

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated earlier this evening. She was attending a campaign rally. Reports of the attack go like this :

Suddenly, there was an explosion and Bhutto’s bodyguards immediately bundled her into a SUV and attempted to move out of the area…Just then, two men rode by the car on motorcycles. One of them blew himself up and even as Bhutto came out to see what had happened a sniper pumped five bullets into her neck and chest.

The news reports -

IBN Live Reports : BENAZIR BHUTTO ASSASSINATED and Benazir’s day began in triumph, ended in assassination

BBC Reports : Benazir Bhutto killed in attack

Rediff News : Benazir Bhutto assassinated

Its a sad state of affairs. Yes, we need to shoot the politicians, but this is not what we had in mind. Pakistan was in chaos, now it is … and God forbid, but it seems like its going to be in more chaos. Musharraf is failing in keeping the only few ties that was helping him build a democratic nation that he promised. Or may be its was his idea to keep the coup running and keep the power.

Well after all what happened, this is what the leaders had to say -

“The subcontinent has lost an outstanding leader who worked for democracy and reconciliation in her country,” said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

US President George W Bush condemned a “cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan’s democracy”.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said “extremist groups… [could] not and must not succeed”.

What ever the result may be or how ever we say she was, indeed its been a loss beyond any repair for Pakistan and the world has lost another charismatic leader.