The big "T"

Iraq -- Pakistan -- Israel --Afghanistan --Turkey --Lebanon --Algeria --India -- Pakistan --India -- ...and the vicious cycle continues.

This is how the current year looks when one takes a bird's eye view with respect to terror strikes destinations. Based on the past terror strikes around the world, we can infer many things about terrorists and terrorism which the world has largely ignored till now.

Inference no. 1. Terrorists are impartial .This is appreciating and really heartening that Terrorists do not show partiality towards any particular country. They are so soft-hearted that whenever a particular country feels isolated of not being included in the coveted list of terrorist-struck nations, they come with a BANG

Inference no. 2: They deliver consistently without fail. If we look at their impressive track-record for the last 28 years we will see that a handful of these skilled artisans have influenced the entire world of 193 countries. Terrorism is the only “industry” which is ever-green in real sense. No matter what state the economy is in, no matter what weather it is, they deliver their “products” on time and rarely fail to meet their deadlines.

Inference no. 3: Terrorists are the most secularist and pluralist species alive on this earth. They know no barriers .For them no one is rich or poor, no one is powerful or impotent, no country is developed or developing. They distribute their "ASSETS" evenly among the "beneficiaries”. Where else can we find such a fine balance?

Inference no. 4: Terrorism impact positively many industries. For example, security-devices companies thrive so rapidly in countries where terrorism is rampant like India and USA. For instance in India, such companies have seen a 30% year-over-year growth in 2008 which is significant especially when the whole world is reeling under the current financial downturn. All thanks to these "men of GOD" who work arduously day in day out.

Inference 5: Terrorism is a multi-billion dollar real global industry. From India to USA, from UK to Israel, from China to Algiers, you name the country and it is their on the list. Where else would we see such a diverse geo support?

Kudos to the US and Pakistan for producing an organization which has myriad “positive” attributes and which for long has faced yet survived the "atrocities" of international community.

Real power comes from inside

It all started with the sub-prime crisis but the major effects are seen now. Bear Stearns, Freddie, Fannie, Lehman, Merrill Lynch, AIG, it seems that there is a competition going on who will be the biggest loser. The recent turmoil on the Wall Street has started to reverberate strongly here in India too which puts us to the million dollar question “Will similar fate await Indian finance firms too?” .With FIIs pulling out more and more money from the Indian markets, dollars appreciating steeply against the rupee and liquidity crunch apparently visible in the market, whole investment scenario is looking gloomy at least in the short-term.

So how can we prevent an impending domestic financial crisis? With our habit of being over-dependent on a number of external factors such as US for virtually everything, I am not sure if we can avert such a situation but at least can mitigate the effects to some extent. Agree, being a developing nation, India need the support of Uncle to help grow and transform into a developed state and indeed the US, more often than not, lends a much needed hand but this overdependence also backfires. Take for example, the Indian IT outsourcing industry heavily relies on the US with percentage revenue coming from the US being more than 70%. Now if the new political regime in America agrees on cutting on this very crucial area from India’s perspective (which presidential nominee Barack Obama has promised to Americans if he comes to power), just imagine the kind of ripple effect it would create in India. We, as a country, have managed to show brightly on the world map primarily because of the phenomenal IT growth in the last few years and any blow to this sector would mean a serious blow to India's economy as a whole. Similarly heavy dependence on imported crude oil means any change in the price or policy by OPEC would have a direct affect on India.

So instead of sitting idle and wishing that the current situation would improve because our fundamentals are strong, India should look internally for alternative options. For example, there is huge potential in the domestic market and increased penetration there could prove to be a boon for IT companies that would reduce their external dependency. Similarly building more renewable energy sources such as Solar power, Hydro power and Wind Power is the need of the hour.

The bottom line is “Look Inside First”. Until and unless, India grows and strengthens internally, it will always remain vulnerable externally which will lay major obstacles in its quest to become the next world power.

World - Women = A big Void

Imagine the world without women. There are many situations which are unthinkable if women had not been a part of them. How would SRK have made "Chak De India”? How would Leander Paes have won 8 mixed double titles? Why would men try to look smarter? What would have happened to companies such as Lakme, Nivea, Ponds etc.? Why would people go to watch movies? On a serious note, would we have ever got a chance to know what beauty was? Could we have learnt about the term "care”? And finally how would we all have come to existence and felt the warmth of a mother.

If women are so integral part of our society then why don’t they enjoy the same status as men have given themselves in this patriarchal world? Different organizations, NGOs etc. around the world have been fighting for women rights and empowerment but not much has changed except few women coming out of their shell and breaking the barriers. Some may argue that there are umpteen examples of women achievers in practically every field, be it Kiran Mazumdar or Sania Mirza or Sonia Gandhi or Aishwarya Rai but this list stands nowhere when compared to men's.

When it is understood, albeit tacitly, that society cannot function let alone be in existence for long without the support of women, why aren’t the women given their long overdue share in every field. Instead they are sill considered as home-keepers and vulnerable to the atrocities of outside world. In many backward areas in India, cases of female foetcicide still happen at an alarming rate which is an extreme manifestation of violence against women. In some areas such as in West Bengal, a widow is like a curse who becomes a pariah and even her family shuns her publicly.Percenatge of female students is very less vis-à-vis male students in primary and secondary educational institutes and this ratio further skews in institutions of higher learning.

No country in the world can advance and remain vibrant if women are not a major shareholder in its internal and external policies. A sound is produced when both palms join. It is high time women were granted the rights and freedom they are entitled to.

India Vs India

There is a fierce fight going on between 2 countries. It is going on for the last 61 years. This fight is between the haves and have-nots. . This fight is between India and India.

The other day I was reading a report from World Bank which stated that around 1/3 rd of world's poor resides in India alone. Percentage of Indians living below $2 a day was appallingly high figure at around 75% which is even higher than that of the poorest part of the world, the sub-Saharan Africa. This is our "Gareeb" India, the haves

The other India is the "Ameer" India, the have-nots, which has 56 billionaires as per the recent list of wealthiest billionaires being released by Forbes .Not only this; number of HNI (High Net worth Individuals) in this India crossed 1 lakh mark.

What an unfair battle!!!!

Ameer India' army has got only a handful of soldiers (few lakhs) while Gareeb India has a mammoth 80 crore plus strong army .Even Gareeb India scores in the land area they command. Huge open and empty fields in rural areas are at their disposal to practice their battle skills while Ameer India has to do with small, tiny patches, most of them already taken up by some industrial or IT project in urban areas. But thankfully our thoughtful government has been with Ameer India for the past many years and has been arduously trying to seize as much land as possible from Gareeb India so that Ameer India could build SEZ’z and other mega projects which would go a long way in making Ameer India even with Gareeb India.

When it comes to technology and facilities, Gareeb India again has the edge. It has been using same age-old agricultural technologies and has become really adept with that. Facilities available to Gareeb Indians have made them really tough and resilient. No-electricity in most of their residing areas means they get adapted to dark; an important trait is a battle. Shortage of water supply and unavailability of nutritious food mean they could live on for many days in extreme battle conditions. Inaccessibility to educations means that children from the early age could concentrate on honing their fighting skills. On the other hand, Ameer India very often has to bear the brunt of the fast changing technologies in that it has to adapt quickly to new technologies and so less time to polish its existing skills. Also, facilities such as gyms, restaurants, ultra-modern multi complexes, shopping malls etc. make the life of Ameer Indians a hell of a tough where they could not concentrate on the fight.

The point which I am trying to make here is that Ameer India is almost always at a disadvantage vis-à-vis Gareeb India. Even though our government has been trying really hard to assuage the pain of Ameer India and lessen the difference so that Ameer India could stand a fair chance against it's biggest adversary, Gareeb India has been gaining strength from all quarters and growing in numbers very rapidly .Someone has to do something soon otherwise time is not far when Gareeb India would win this battle against Ameer India.

The new Religion

I often wonder do we ,the humans i.e. GOD's greatest creation , understand the real meaning of a very commonly used word "Religion" .When I was a child , religion to me was a symbol of cohesion , love and bond which bound human beings to the greatest power , the Almighty. As I grew, my understanding also broadened .I learnt that religion was also an expression of one's inner feelings towards the outer world. It was a belief in one’s values .Religion was also a bridge which connected one individual to another through the feeling of oneness and the sense of belongingness.

But, after having seen 24 springs, all these verbose definitions do not make much sense to me any longer. I pity how immature I was to have totally confused religion with something it never had any relationship whatsoever. I really doubt my intelligence of not getting the real gist of the word. But as the cliché goes, it's better to be late than never, finally I have understood that religion is a symbol not of love but of power which empowers one individual to look down upon other individuals. I have understood that religion is a tool to vent one's inner feeling of animosity towards the outer world. I have understood that religion is a medium which allows communities to transfer tools of protest and violence, to sow seeds of hatred and to kill other existing religions. At least, this is what it seems from what is happening in the world that we live in.

VHP activists killing Christians in Orissa in the name of religion to take revenge for the death of their leader, separatists demanding the freedom of Kashmir again in the name of religion, Maoists and Naxalities killing and injuring scores of people across the country (Need I state the reason ?) and the list goes on and on.

So much violence because I am a Hindu, because you are a Muslim, because he is a Christian, because they are Sikhs............ If my understanding still holds good, I guess as per the Constitution, India deemed itself to be secular country where each religion is respected and welcomed. And indeed we greet each religion each day with blood and cries. What else could have been the better option to grant such a WARM welcome? We, Indians, are regarded as one of the better hosts to disparate and diverse cultures and practices. But with our PPRACTICES we have redefined our own culture.

Can't we, the citizens of this country, have a right to live in peace? Can't we see a day when there is no religion-based bloodbath on the streets? I can only hope and dream of a day when there will be harmony, feeling to share and an urge to not be barricaded within the realms of RELIGION among the citizens in this country. Till then, I want to relegate to my childhood days thinking of religion as the way it should be.

A phoenix in real sense

A record 5th straight US Open win for Roger Federer is not enough to define the prowess of this champion. I do not remember that any other Tennis professional in the recent past has had made such a huge impact as Roger did. Until 2007, the big question asked before the start of every Grand Slam was not who will win the tournament but who would play against Federer in the Finals. But after series of debacles in Grand Slams and the Beijing Olympics this year, things started to change and even critics began writing him off. But Roger Federer is no simple human. With his latest triumph he has come back with a bang and given his critics an apt answer. This is his first Grand Slam victory in 2008 but it is all the more important because it has an important lesson embedded in it.

It teaches us that no matter how much are we capable, there is always a time when things won't go our way and people will start to doubt our capabilities. All good things would start to appear bad, all happy moments will turn gloomy and this is the time when our determination and our mental ability will be put to the acid test. But if we keep our belief in ourselves intact, it will not be too long when we bounce back rejuvenated and energized and this is what, I believe, being a phoenix really means i.e. rebirth of the champ within us.

Sorrow of India

Wrath of River Kosi in Bihar is something that is in news for the last few days.Hundrerds have been killed, thousands have been marooned and millions are displaced. But is it the River Kosi which is to be blamed?

News of Tata Nano thinking of pulling out of Singur, West Bengal is also making headlines these days. If Ratan Tata actually goes forward and shuts down the facility , that would be a black day in the history of West Bengal which not only deter future projects of India Incorporation in the state but also impede the current growth of industrialization. Who is the real face behind this agitation?

Indo-US civilian nuclear deal ,which will provide India with the much needed energy and also give fillip to India's nuclear commerce, has seen many a rough patches already. If India is to become the next superpower, this deal has to happen. Even the US has gone overboard in giving special status to India through this deal even though India is not a signatory of the NPT .But even after knowing all this and the criticality of the deal, opposition of left parties to the deal is crystal clear. Is deal the main reason for this opposition?

If we scrutinize all the 3 cases mentioned above, we will see that it is not the Kosi which is wreaking havoc in Bihar, it is not the 400 odd acres of land being taken from farmers for Tata Nano plant reason for confrontation in West Bengal and it is not the 123 agreement which contains any line creating security threat to the country. There is something else which works underneath all these bandhs, oppositions, agitations, violent protests...... (basically the list is endless) in the 3 cases mentioned above and many more occurring each day in our country.

The real reason is the corrupt and totally eroded political system of our country.

Every disaster, every project, every deal, every state, every situation and basically every individual is an opportunity for our netas to garner extra brownie points,to increase their vote bank and to strengthen their political standing. Gone are the days of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru when the line "for the people and by the people" actually held value. Today we are living in a "for the politicians and by the politicians” framework which has shaken the very foundation of the values and principles on which the constitution of India rests.

It is high time politicians understand that to take India forward they need to rise above their political and personal gains. They have to start thinking about the people and future of this country. They have to incorporate transparency and legitimacy in whatever they do and if they have been given the opportunity to serve the country, they should do that with the highest moral and ethical standards.

Otherwise the day is not far when politicians of India will be known as "Sorrow of India"

China 51 , India 1

Beijing olympics 2008 is over but it holds a special significance for us Indians. It was the first time that an Indian bagged a gold medal in an individual category.It was the first time that India won a total of 3 medals in this version of the games and this was ,by far , the best Indian performance in Olympics. No wonder that our newly born heroes and icons are enjoying their ride so far and whole country is busy in celebrations. But in this hulabloo, we have forgotten to look or rather we deliberately did not look at other aspect of the story. CHINA. We are comapred with china in every field whatsoever : population , technology , permanent seat at the Secutity Council (we have not got one that is a different matter) blah blah blah. And indeed we do good in most of the fields but what about sports. Can we even think of competing with China in near future ,let alone beating it ? Well , to be frank , I don't think so.With the current level of training provided to our sportpersons ( leave Cricket , even that is not considered worth to be included in Olympics) and facilities given (even basic facilities such as healthy and nutritious food for wrestlers are missing) , it is a pipe dream to think of sports excellence in our country. 13 olympics medals in 108 years of Olympics history tells the entire story. All the hype created around Abhinav Bindra , Sushil Kumar and Vijender is short lived. 2 or 3 months down the line (even that is a way optimistic figure) entire country will sink in Cricket fever. Few bucks given to Olympics heroes will obviously change their lives but that won't change the sports scene in India in general.
India lacks basic infrastructure needed to brighten the future of sports. Corruption is deeply rooted in the hearts of almost all of the national and state government bodies regulating various sports.We all know what happened to our national sport , Hockey , in the reign of Mr Gill. It's time to change the mindset of the people in how they perceive non-Cricket sports .It's time politicians rise above petty politics and take some solid and revolutionary steps for the betterment of the sporting culture. It's time to privatise the sports in India. Only then we can hope of the day when Indian would be called a worldpower is sports .Only then we can see lot many of Abhinav Bindras and Vijenders and Sushil Kumars.