Contributed by : Alok Vats ( vatsalok@gmail.com )
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THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH !!
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.
There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke
upto. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE?
Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?
I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation;it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, and mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60)to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road)between 5 PM and 8 PM.
YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai (True). YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else .'
'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck
an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand . Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ?Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ???We are still talking of the same YOU.
YOU, who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own, You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr.Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said.
'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.This applies even to the staffs who are known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing
room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.'
So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government (Absolute truth).
Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a
great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing what J.F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending some
Jokes or non-sense junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
(PRESIDENT OF INDIA )
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Contributed by : Alok Vats ( vatsalok@gmail.com )
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Mamata threatens Tatas, Govt
[ Hindustan Times , Romita Datta & Saptarshi Banerjee ]
Singur, February 10, 2007
Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee issued a threat to Tata and the government, warning them of the consequences of playing with fire.
"Don't play with fire, return the land," she dared the Tatas, at the same time exhorting the 35,000 strong crowd to pull down the boundary wall, that is replacing the fencing.
"The Tatas could not do it at Kalinganagar. They won't be able to do it here. We will break that wall..surely we will," she said.
"Those of you, who have not given up their land, I would ask them not to give. Don't receive cheques, if you have abstained so long. The Tatas don't have the guts to take your land with bullets," she thundered amid loud claps and cheers.
She said she was willing to respond positively to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's offer for talks but only if the land "forcibly taken away from farers" was returned.
"First return the land, you had forcefully acquired and then I would be ready to sit for a dialogue, any day, any moment. If you want it now, I am ready," she said.
"The gun will speak and so will the chorus (read Corus as Mamata intends) of Buddha and Tata and we have to sit for talks in this environment…this is not acceptable," she said.
Explaining the reason why she shifted the venue of her meeting to a place 15 kms away from Singur where section 144 had been clamped, Mamata said that it was done for the sake of peace and as a gesture of decency.
Mamata was addressing a motley crowd, which comprised all parts of the state and a few hundreds from Singur. The dais had all the prominent Trinamool leaders, but the biggest surprise was INTUC president Subrata Mukherjee, who drove in the venue with Mamata and sat next to her, smiling and chatting. While one section of the crowd cheered at the duo, many in the audience booed Mukherjee as a traitor.
After a long time Mamata Banerjee was at her crowd-pulling best. She was making funny puns, rhymes, the usual histrionics of resignation and giving up her posts, but the crowd lapped it up all.
Referring to a rumour that Trinamool Congress is against discussion and dialogue, while the chief minister was very keen, she said: "We have always maintained forceful acquisition has to be stopped, but he (CM) does not seem to care. Such audacity."
In fact, she feels that this government, which takes control of villages by using guns, which deprives men of their food has no right to stay.
"We will make them (Buddha..Buddhababu) bow down before the people. This ruthless and ruleless government has no right to continue," she thundered.
Singur, February 10, 2007
Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee issued a threat to Tata and the government, warning them of the consequences of playing with fire.
"Don't play with fire, return the land," she dared the Tatas, at the same time exhorting the 35,000 strong crowd to pull down the boundary wall, that is replacing the fencing.
"The Tatas could not do it at Kalinganagar. They won't be able to do it here. We will break that wall..surely we will," she said.
"Those of you, who have not given up their land, I would ask them not to give. Don't receive cheques, if you have abstained so long. The Tatas don't have the guts to take your land with bullets," she thundered amid loud claps and cheers.
She said she was willing to respond positively to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's offer for talks but only if the land "forcibly taken away from farers" was returned.
"First return the land, you had forcefully acquired and then I would be ready to sit for a dialogue, any day, any moment. If you want it now, I am ready," she said.
"The gun will speak and so will the chorus (read Corus as Mamata intends) of Buddha and Tata and we have to sit for talks in this environment…this is not acceptable," she said.
Explaining the reason why she shifted the venue of her meeting to a place 15 kms away from Singur where section 144 had been clamped, Mamata said that it was done for the sake of peace and as a gesture of decency.
Mamata was addressing a motley crowd, which comprised all parts of the state and a few hundreds from Singur. The dais had all the prominent Trinamool leaders, but the biggest surprise was INTUC president Subrata Mukherjee, who drove in the venue with Mamata and sat next to her, smiling and chatting. While one section of the crowd cheered at the duo, many in the audience booed Mukherjee as a traitor.
After a long time Mamata Banerjee was at her crowd-pulling best. She was making funny puns, rhymes, the usual histrionics of resignation and giving up her posts, but the crowd lapped it up all.
Referring to a rumour that Trinamool Congress is against discussion and dialogue, while the chief minister was very keen, she said: "We have always maintained forceful acquisition has to be stopped, but he (CM) does not seem to care. Such audacity."
In fact, she feels that this government, which takes control of villages by using guns, which deprives men of their food has no right to stay.
"We will make them (Buddha..Buddhababu) bow down before the people. This ruthless and ruleless government has no right to continue," she thundered.
The Singur crisis continues ...
All of us have been following the Singur ( and Nandigram ) crisis in the news . This is an issue which does not look like it will be solved easily in the near future .
Here is the latest on this :
Article from THE TELEGRAPH , Calcutta . [ Sunday , Feb 11 , 2007 ]
Give your views and comments on this issue .
Here is the latest on this :
Article from THE TELEGRAPH , Calcutta . [ Sunday , Feb 11 , 2007 ]
Give your views and comments on this issue .
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